Brett Sobieraski, retired sergeant from the Rochester PD, also hired as investigator

Todd Draper, left, and Brett Sobieraski have been hired as investigators in the Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force.

ALBION – The Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force has filled two vacant investigator positions with two well-known law enforcement officers.

Todd Draper, who is retiring as Medina police chief on Aug. 30, will join the task force. Draper has worked for the Medina Police Department the past 21 years. Before being police chief he was a lieutenant and the K-9 officer. During his career he completed a 10-week management/leadership program from the FBI’s National Academy in 2022.

Susan Howard, the Orleans County district attorney, oversees the task force. She said she didn’t recruit Draper to leave the Medina PD. He had already made that decision to retire from Medina when he applied to work with the task force.

The County Legislature also approved hiring Brett Sobieraski, a retired sergeant from the Rochester PD, as an investigator.

Sobieraski has served in law enforcement for 32 years, including time with the Lockport Police Department before transferring to the RPD.

During his time with the RPD, he worked in narcotics and on the SWAT team, as well as being an instructor at the Police Academy. He also supervised the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team. Sobieraski ran for Orleans County sheriff in 2019, with Chris Bourke winning the race.

Sobieraski has raised more $300,000 towards charitable causes with endurances feats. He has pushed himself in challenges to raise money for fallen police officers and also the Special Olympics organization.

In 2023, he completed “8 States for Maz” and ran 1,310 miles through eight states over 50 days to honor fallen RPD Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz, who was killed in the line of duty. Sobieraski ran a marathon every day in a journey that started in Florida and ended in Rochester. One of his marathons was in Orleans County.

He wrote a book about the experience – “8 States for Maz- The Humanity Tour” – where he describes all the acts of kindness he witnessed from friends and strangers.

He has also swam nonstop across Lake Ontario, ran 175 miles along the Erie Canal and completed the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley, California.

The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force recently received a national award for its collaborative efforts with local and regional law enforcement agencies.

The Task Force has made over 1,250 arrests and participated in 2,800 investigations since 2007, and has a near 100 percent conviction rate, Howard said.

“The specialized unit is especially adept in the application and execution of search warrants, and is poised to assist other local law enforcement agencies in the effort to ensure successful prosecutions at all levels,” she said.

The National Association of Counties presented Orleans County with a “2025 Achievement Award” during its national meeting July 11-14 in Philadelphia, Pa.

The task force is led by supervising investigator Joe Sacco. It works with local state and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as the State Police, Drug Enforcement Agency, Immigration and Custom Enforcement, the Office of Special Investigations, the Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Orleans County legislature has recognized an Albion business for 50 years of working in the community. Saint-Gobain ADFORS was presented with a “Special Recognition Award” on Tuesday by the Orleans County Legislature. Fred Miller, a county legislator, read the citation and presented it to Saint-Gobain ADFORS employees.

The employees include, from left: Bonnie Johnson, production planner; Diane Varley, development coordinator; Joe Culbertson, logistics manager; Constance Wadsworth, human resources manager; and James Devault, knit operator.

Saint-Gobain Adfors will have a big celebration today at the manufacturing plant at 14770 East Ave.

The business started in Albion in 1975 as Bayex with 13 employees.

“It was built to manufacture technical textiles for the construction industry, manufacturing the consumer drywall tape product FibaTape, along with reinforcement materials sold to other manufacturing companies for the production of cement board, carpet backing, and road reinforcement,” The County legislature stated in its citation.

The company has completed numerous acquisitions and building expansions, now operating out of 181,000 square feet in Albion with 222 employees.

“The investment you have made into Orleans County will forever be widespread, long lasting and extremely appreciated,” legislators said.

Images celebrating ‘America 250’ will be given special emphasis

The cover of the 2025 Orleans County calendar features “July 4th Sunrise on Lake Ontario” in Lyndonville by Robyn Ottaviano.

Press Release, Orleans County Tourism Department

ALBION – Orleans County Tourism has opened its annual call for photographers, inviting submissions that capture the county’s unique character, events and natural beauty.

This year’s call places special emphasis on photographs that celebrate America 250, the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.

Photographers are encouraged to showcase scenes, events, landmarks and moments that reflect the spirit, history and culture of Orleans County as part of this historic anniversary.

Orleans County Tourism may use submitted photos in the 2026 calendar, travel guide, fishing calendar, social media and other promotional materials. Photos that are used will receive appropriate credit.

In addition, photographers whose work is chosen to represent a month in the 2026 calendar or appear on the travel guide cover will receive a swag bag of Orleans County merchandise. Photographers who submitted images that are featured on a particular month in the 2026 calendar will receive 5 copies of the calendar.

Entries must be submitted by Nov. 2, via email or mail. The official rules and entry forms can be downloaded by clicking here.

For questions, contact Orleans County Tourism at 585-589-3282 or isabella@orleanscountytourism.com.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Employees from Environmental Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati work at a household hazardous waste collection today in Albion. The county has contracted with EEI to remove household hazardous waste for more than a decade.

ALBION – More than 500 Orleans County were able to get rid of leftover chemicals, batteries, tires, oil and solvents today during the household hazardous waste collection day.

EEI employees are at the solvent station where oil, anti-freeze and solvents are collected.

The county typically pays the company about $18,000 to collect and remove the household hazardous waste, with the state then reimbursing the county about half of the costs.

The collection continues to be in demand by local residents. There are 600 spots available and county officials said about 90 percent of the time slots were claimed.

Corey Winters, director of Orleans County Planning and Development, said the demand doesn’t seem to be slowing down for the annual collection. He expects it will continue again next year.

There seemed to be a lot of fluorescent bulbs and propane tanks today, as well as the usual oils, pesticide and random chemicals, Winters said.

 Orleans County Public Works Department employees remove tires from the back of a van. They were expected 4,000 to 5,000 tires by the end of the day. Some of that big pile came from other municipalities which brought dump trucks full of them that had be collected in the past year.

The DPW workers include James Camp Jr., Cal Stinson Jr., Vinny Zona and Andy Beach.

Corey Winters of Planning and Development helped collect the tires today.

‘A prepared community is a strong and resilient community’

Press Release, Orleans County Emergency Management Office

Provided photo: Those who attend the class will receive a free disaster preparedness kit.

ALBION – Registration is now open for the NY Citizen Preparedness Training program classes that will be hosted by the Orleans County Emergency Management Office.

Residents are welcome to register for either class and there is no cost to participate.  The first will be held on Thursday, August 14 at 6 p.m. at the Clarendon Recreation Hall, 16169 East Lee Road in Holley.

The second will be on Thursday, September 25 at 6 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Trolley Building, 12690 NY-31 in Albion. While the classes are free, registration is required.

“When we hosted this class in 2023, the demand was overwhelming and we had to limit participation,” said Justin Niederhofer, Orleans County EMO Director.  “In 2024, we moved to the Carlton Rec Hall for greater capacity and still filled it up. Given this tremendous response, the state has allotted two training classes to our community to ensure all those interested can sign up.”

The mission of these training classes is to give residents the tools and resources to prepare for any type of disaster, respond accordingly and recover as quickly as possible.  The course provides an introduction to responding to natural or man-made disasters.  Participants are advised on how to properly develop family emergency plans and stock up on emergency supplies. Those who attend a class will be given a free NYS Disaster Preparedness Kit (one per family) containing key items to assist in the aftermath of a disaster.

“For our community, these classes are extremely beneficial in helping the everyday resident to prepare for the different weather events that impact us,” Niederhofer said.  “The classes are taught by the Army National Guard and offer a quick synopsis of various events experienced regionally, the impact they had and how individuals and families can take steps to minimize the impacts of similar events in the future.”

To register for the event, visit www.prepare.ny.gov and click on the training calendar to find the event you would like to attend.

 “Emergency Management has 5 emergency preparedness goals – prepare, protect, mitigate, response, and recovery,” said Niederhofer.  “The preparedness class gives the individual the information necessary to meet these goals. And as we always say, a prepared community is a strong and resilient community.”

Press Release, Orleans County Clerk Nadine Hanlon

ALBION – Orleans County Clerk Nadine P. Hanlon today urged residents to sign up for a free service that will help protect them from deed fraud.

Fraud Notify is a tool provided through the Orleans County Clerk’s office that alerts people whenever a document, such as a deed or a mortgage, is recorded under their names with the Orleans County Clerk.

“Recently in the news, there have been plenty of stories of unsuspecting homeowners who had fraudulent deeds filed on their homes and there have been attempts right here in Orleans County,” said Hanlon.  “While the Fraud Notify service cannot block any filings, the fact that you are notified instantly allows you to contact law enforcement and get a lawyer to immediately put a stop to it.”

Hanlon said sign up is easy. The steps are:

• Go to: https://orleanscountyny-web.tylerhost.net/web/
• On that site, click the link to subscribe to Fraud Notify.
• Sign up by creating an account. Although there is a box checked for “Billing address” you will NOT be billed for signing up for this service.
• You will then receive an email to confirm your account and verify your email address.
• Go back to Fraud Notify and log in with your credentials and add names of those you want to receive alerts for, like yourself and your spouse; or parents or grandparents if they cannot receive emails.

“The whole process takes just a few minutes, which is well worth it to know you are protecting your most valuable asset— your home,” said Hanlon.

Hanlon added that those that have the same name as other Orleans County residents could receive alerts for documents that do not pertain to their real property.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Employees from Environmental Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati work at a household hazardous waste collection event in Albion on Aug. 12, 2023. EEI will be back on Aug. 16 to collect more household hazardous waste.

ALBION – There are still about 200 spots available for Orleans County residents to stop by a household hazardous waste collection event on Aug. 16.

The county has contracted with Environmental Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati for residents to safely dispose of leftover chemicals, batteries, tires, oil and solvents at no charge to residents. So far more than 300 spots have been taken.

Residents can register by calling (585) 589-3198 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Orleans County Department of Planning and Development may take registrations up until Aug. 15.

The event will be at the Orleans County Highway Garage on West Academy Street in Albion.  The county will collect all acceptable items from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and then 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. is reserved for tire collection only.

Acceptable items include pesticides, motor oiler & filters, adhesives, antifreeze, solvents, tires (limit 10), batteries, fluorescent bulbs, aerosols, oil-based paints and empty propane tanks.

Items that cannot be accepted include explosives, pressurized tanks, ammunition, PCBs, radioactive waste, medical water, electronics, latex paint, tires on rims and commercial tires.

Municipalities used to each have equal vote, but weighted system diminishes clout of smaller members

ALBION – The first 50 years of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp., each member county or city had the same vote per municipality, regardless of the population.

But about two years ago, the OTB board changed to a weighted-voting system with more populous areas getting more votes. Orleans, instead of an equal seat at the table, ended up with the least power.

Orleans and five other counties sued over the changes. The State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, on Wednesday dismissed the case.

Orleans was joined in the lawsuit by Genesee, Niagara, Livingston, Wyoming and Seneca counties. The case was initially filed and argued in Orleans County.

The State Legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul approved the weighted voting changes with the state budget in 2023-24, citing improprieties and mismanagement at the WROTB.

The six counties that sued said the change violated the “one county, one vote” model of WROTB with a population-based model that effectively consolidates the power to manage and operate the WROTB in Erie County, Monroe County, the City of Buffalo, and the city of Rochester. Those four members have 62 of 99 votes in the weighted system.

The weighted vote system includes the following votes: Erie County, 24; Monroe County, 20; City of Buffalo, 10; City of Rochester and Niagara County, 8; Chautauqua, 5; Oswego, 4; Steuben, Wayne, Cattaraugus and Cayuga, 3; Livingston and Genesee, 2; and Wyoming, Orleans, Seneca and Schuyler, 1.

The Appellate Division sided with the State of New York, which asserted that the six counties lacked capacity to bring a suit to invalidate state legislation. The Appellate Court said the changes in the weighted voting doesn’t affect the revenue that will go to the smaller counties.

The court noted that WROTB’s funds vary by year, depending on the wagers placed and WROTB’s operating expenses. Those funds are not in immediate possession of the member municipalities, but are distributed regularly at intervals determined by the board.

Orleans and the other counties in the lawsuit were represented by former attorney general Dennis Vacco, now with Lippes Mathias LLP. In a March 27, 2024 court appearance in Orleans County before State Supreme Court Judge Frank Caruso, Vacco said the case is a very important challenge, showing smaller rural counties standing up to a “power grab” imposed by the state.

“I’m a little emotional about it because I think they receive these types of shenanigans from Albany all the time,” Vacco told the judge in court that day.

The municipalities in WROTB fronted the money to start WROTB in 1973, which has returned more than $250 million in profits to the municipalities.

Joe Terragnoli, representing the Attorney General’s Office, appeared in court on March 27, 2024.

“It’s been a very lucrative deal,” he told the judge. “They gave loans and they were paid in full.”

That contribution never guaranteed an equal vote for perpetuity. The money didn’t purchase voting rights, Terragnoli said.

The state has the right to restructure the board with a weighted vote, he said.

Vacco said the smaller counties never would have put up the money if they had such a small voice at the board table.

Provided photo: County Legislators Skip Draper, Lynne Johnson and John Fitzak are shown outside the U.S. Capitol building last week.

Press Release, Orleans County Legislature

Scott Buffin, deputy emergency management director for Orleans County

ALBION – A local delegation from Orleans County joined U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for the First Responders Summit on Thursday, July 24th in Washington, DC.

The summit provided in-depth information about supporting the wellbeing of first responders and their families, fostering community engagement, and grant writing.

“This summit was a great opportunity to discuss a broad array of issues on how we can support our first responders and provide critical services to our residents,” said Orleans County Legislature Chairman Lynne Johnson. “Plus, there are unique challenges for rural communities like ours when it comes to first responders so being able to share information between similar counties is very helpful.”

Johnson was joined at the summit by County Legislators Skip Draper and John Fitzak as well as Scott Buffin, deputy director of the Emergency Management Office.

 Over the course of the summit, representatives from law enforcement, firefighting, and emergency management departments across New York shared their expertise and best practices. The summit featured speakers from the Police Benevolent Association of New York State, the Uniformed Firefighters Association, the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, amongst others.

County representatives plan to use the information shared at the summit to provide the best law enforcement, firefighting, and emergency management services for our county residents.

“The discussions on first responders and family well-being brought some new ideas to incorporate into what we are already doing for our first responders in Orleans County,” Buffin said. “The opportunity to network with other first responders at the summit was invaluable.”

To conclude the summit, county representatives spoke with Sen. Gillibrand and her staff where they shared ideas about the areas for growth and support of Orleans County.

“I thank the representatives from Orleans County for making the trip to share their expertise and enhance the quality of our larger discussion,” Sen. Gillibrand said. “I hope that the First Responders Summit provided information to enhance the quality of life of the constituents of Orleans County.”

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Orleans County Legislator Fred Miller, right, presents a proclamation to child support specialists, Alex DeSmit and Kaitlin Zwifka, during last week’s County Legislature meeting. The Legislature recognized August as “Child Support Awareness Month.”

The proclamation states:

“Whereas, Orleans County is committed to ensuring the safety, health and well-being of our children, our greatest hope and promise for the future; and

“Whereas, parents have the most critical role in the development of their children, and an obligation to provide safe, loving and secure environments in which their children can grow and flourish; and

“Whereas, parents have an obligation to support their children, financially and emotionally; and

“Whereas, studies have shown that when both parents provide financial and emotional support, children are less likely to engage in unhealthy and unproductive behaviors and are more likely to do well in school and succeed later in life; and

“Whereas, the Child Support Enforcement Program and child support professionals in Orleans County play a vital role in assisting parents in achieving and maintaining economic security for their children.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: The County Legislature has approved bids from contractors to make structural repairs for part of the roof on the west side of the Public Safety Building as well as other upgrades to the site.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has accepted about $800,000 bids from contractors to make repairs and upgrades to the Public Safety Building.

Part of the western side of the Public Safety Building, in the area that used to include Probation, needs work. The structural supports on the western side are undersized to support HVAC.

The Legislature on Tuesday approved the following bids for “Public Safety Building emergency structural repairs” that total $815,700:

• $649,000 for general construction from Javen Construction Company of Penfield
• $61,200 for HVAC from Crosby Brownlie in Rochester
• $55,500 for electrical from Crosby Brownlie in Rochester
• Up to $50,000 for plumbing from McGrain Mechanical in Rochester

The Legislature in February approved spending up to $427,000 for Wendel Companies in Williamsville for design, bidding services and construction management for replacing and strengthening the roof.

The county bought the building, a former furniture store, in 1998. The building houses the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, 911 Dispatch Center and Major Felony Crime Task Force.

It used to include Probation until that department moved last summer to the former GCC campus in Albion due to concerns with part of the Public Safety Building. Probation will stay at the former GCC site once the Public Safety Building work is done. The Sheriff’s Office will be able to use the space that was Probation’s.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Nick Fitzak raising the American flag while other veterans join at opening ceremonies of the Orleans County 4-H Fair on Monday evening.

Veterans for many years have led a flag-raising ceremony for the start of the fair.

Next to Fitzak are Dave Kuzmierszak, at left, and Tom Snyder.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley said fairs help celebrate agriculture’s critical importance to the local and state-wide economy.

The 2022 Ag Census put the farm revenue in Orleans County at $233.6 million, the 15th most of 62 counties in the state. Cayuga is the top-ranked county at $461.9 million.

State-wide, the ag revenues totaled $8.04 billion in 2022.

Hawley also invited veterans to consider going on the next Patriot Trip to Washington, DC from Sept. 19-22.

These veterans provided a dignified presence at opening ceremonies for the fair.

JW Cook, the Finger Lakes region representative for Gov. Kathy Hochul, touted NY’s investments in rural New York, including $11 million to broadband Internet expansion in Orleans County.

Caton Conde, president of the board for the Cornell Cooperative Extension, praised a team of staff and volunteers that have worked on the fair all year. Conde was an active 4-H member when she was a kid. She said the fair is a showcase for 4-Hers and their projects.

Fair manager Marty Zwifka said the fairgrounds have new bathrooms/showers, and a full slate of entertainment.

This week’s fair also changes the admission, from per car to a $10 admission fee per person that is good all week. The parking lot off Wood Road also is being used for vendors with the public lot shifted to the side by Taylor Hill Road, the second entrance off Route 31.

Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, said the fair is a chance for local youth to make memories that will last a lifetime.

A parade through the grounds included Orly the Ox in the Gator, 4-H members and their dogs, and a Ridgeway fire truck.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Peggy Barringer is shown with some of her photographs of a great blue heron at sunset along the Erie Canal in Albion, not far from her backyard.

Barringer is one of 11 featured artists in a bicentennial show at the Marti’s on Main gallery in Albion, highlighting the 200^th anniversary of both the Erie Canal and Orleans County.

Barringer also has black-and-white photo of the Erie Canal in the show, including this shed that she said no longer exists. She started walking the canal in her 50s and became more serious about photography then after being downsized by Chase Bank.

“I started to walk the canal regularly and I started to see things with a fresh set of eyes,” she said.

Two of her photos have been winners in the annual state-wide Erie Canal photo contest. Barringer is often on local expeditions trying to get photos of snowy owls, bald eagles and other scenes.

“There’s a lot of here with nature and wildlife,” she said about Orleans County. “The sunsets are gorgeous. I chase the eagles and snowy owls.”

Other artists in the show include Chris Manaseri, Kim Martillotta Muscarella, Elizabeth Cooper, Amber Smarpat, Bradeen Walders, Jeff Watkins, Tony Barry, Connie Mosher and Christy Valsente.

Christy Valsente of Holley creates art work in glass. This piece is entitled, “Corn.”

Kim Martillotta Muscarella did this acrylic painting of a sunset.

Muscarella said the county has a vibrant diversity in the landscape that appeals to artists, especially with the Erie Canal and agriculture scenes.

“People who come to visit here say it’s so beautiful with the apple trees and the great blue herons,” Muscarella said.

Tony Barry, a retired art teacher at Holley, stands near one of his Erie Canal paintings of a scene in Holley.

“I like the simplicity of it with the birds and the variety of trees,” he said about the painting.

Barry enjoys painting scenes of the canal and the Holley Waterfalls.

‘I like the environment around here and the people that live here,” he said. “I like the beauty of the canal, even in the winter. I appreciate the starkness of it.”

Jeffrey J. Watkins did these oil paintings of “Evening, Alabama Swamps” at left and “Evening on the Canal.”

Bradeen Erakare, 31, has three paintings in the show. The one on the left is her friend since childhood, Gregg Albertson, and the other is another lifelong friend, Jackie Madejski. Albertson was Erakare’s neighbor growing up in Albion. He now lives in Nashville and is a musician. Madejski is an actress currently with the lead role in Hamlet during a summer production in Cooperstown. The other painting is a landscape along Wood Road in Albion.

Erakare said part of celebrating the county’s bicentennial should include recognizing friends and people in the community.

‘The people make up the town,” she said. “As an artist the people inspire me.”

4-H Fair by Amber Smarpat

Chris Manaseri painting this pic of the tugboat Lockport tied up at canal side.

Elizabeth Cooper of Medina created these dolls of pioneers with an ox.

Rosie Patronski painted the tower at Mount Albion Cemetery.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Amelia Paratore, 15, of Corfu moves part of a stall for the goat barn on Wednesday evening during a work bee at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

Many volunteers and 4-H’ers were at the fairgrounds getting the site ready for next week’s fair which runs from July 21-26. Amelia will be showing goats, poultry and beef cattle at the fair.

The exhibitors for the fair include 204 showing animals, and another 50 are expected to have entries at the Trolley Building.

One of the biggest improvements for the public will be new bathrooms with showers. Jay Silversmith is shown helping spread some stone by the building. Charlie Ricci is doing most of the site work for the project.

Bert Mathes shows the inside of the new building including one of the four new showers. The new bathrooms and showers are handicapped accessible. There will be more space for the users and the bathrooms and showers will be in one building.

There is still some work to get the bathrooms and showers done, with siding, fixtures, sinks and handicapped accessible features all to be added.

“We’ll get it done,” Mathes said. “It’s only Wednesday.”

Camden Price, 12, of Lyndonville checks on a robot that will be on display in the Trolley Building. Camden is part of the Robotics program through the 4-H program. Erik Seielstad, in back, is the mentor for the program that is looking for more members, especially at the high school level.