Photo by Tom Rivers: A Monroe Ambulance is parked near the scene of a fatal Albion fire at Oak Orchard Estates in the early morning hours of April 15. Monroe became the primary ambulance responder in central Orleans County after COVA Ambulance ceased operations in December 2022.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature is backing a package of state legislation that officials believe will help make emergency medical services more sustainable financially and with personnel.

The county said EMS providers are in crisis due to rising costs of care and high demand for increasingly complex services.

Locally, COVA Ambulance and the Kendall Fire Department both ceased their ambulance services after 2022.

The seven towns in eastern and central Orleans now are contracting with Monroe Ambulance to keep an ambulance in the county and be the primary responder. That contract is for $300,000 in 2024. The towns weren’t paying anything for the service in 2022. The Medina Fire Department handles most of the calls in western Orleans.

“EMS is a form of healthcare and is subject to the same escalating costs as the rest of the healthcare industry,” county legislators stated in a resolution on Tuesday. “Municipalities that operate EMS departments, or contract for services with those that do, feel the ongoing financial strain of these costs that are far outpacing inflation.”

Legislators said local governments are hindered by the current laws in collaborating on joint EMS services across municipal and county boundaries. The laws prohibit counties and local municipalities from creating joint taxing districts for EMS services.

“Orleans County urges the State Legislature to amend the General Municipal Law to allow flexibility within local governments to help solve the issues within the EMS crisis and to consider EMS an essential service,” legislators stated in the resolution.

The current law should be changed to allow for joint taxing districts, property tax exemptions, EMS medical reimbursements, income and property tax credits and increase of tax income credit, legislators said.

The County Legislature said it is in “full support” of the “Rescuing Local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Package” proposed by the New York State Association of Counties.

The NYSAC package includes:

• S.4020-B (Mayer) / A.3392-B (Otis): Special Taxing Districts & EMS Being Deemed an Essential Service. This comprehensive legislation package allows special taxing districts to be created to fund EMS services. In addition, this legislation would recognize EMS as an essential service and provide reform to the Emergency Medical Services Council.
• S.5000 (May) / A.4077 (Lupardo): Property Tax Exemption for EMS Services. This Legislation would remove EMS services from the real property tax cap, which would allow local municipalities to expend and better support their local EMS services. This measure is needed in the short-term while other solutions are being discussed.
• S.8486 (Hinchey) / A.9102 (Kelles): Authorization of the Reimbursement for Treatment in Place and Transportation to Alternative Destinations. This Legislature authorizes Medicaid reimbursement to emergency medical services (EMS) agencies for providing Treatment in Place (TIP) to a patient at the point of response; as well as Transportation to an Alternate Provider (TAP), getting a patient to the most appropriate health care setting other than a hospital, such as a mental health clinic rehabilitation facility or urgent care.
• S.6630 (Mannion) / A.6274 (Barrett): Income tax and Property Tax Credits. This legislation allows volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers’ personal income tax credit from $200 to $800 for eligible individuals and from $400 to $1,600 for eligible married joint filers.
• S.3223 (Sanders) / A.9237 (Hevesi): Targeted Medicaid Rate Increase for EMS Providers. This bill would create a methodology for ambulance reimbursement under Medicaid that more closely approximates the cost of providing services. Ambulances are required by law to pick everyone up, including Medicaid patients. It is unfair to require these ambulances companies to accept Medicaid patients and then not fairly reimburse them for the costs of providing services to these patients.
• S.6645 (Comrie) / A.6136 (Eachus): Thruway Permits for EMS Vehicles. This legislation requires the thruway authority to issue emergency services permits to EMS vehicles as is already done for fire apparatus, which would exempt EMS from being required to pay tolls while transporting patients on the NYS Thruway.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has gone on the record in opposition to a state legislative proposal that would create 10 regional industrial development agencies, a proposal that would lump Orleans into part of a nine-county “Finger Lakes Region.”

The bill (click here) is sponsored in the State Senate by James Skoufis, a Democrat from Cornwall, Orange County. Assemblywomen Monica Wallace, D-Lancaster, introduced the bill in the Assembly.

The Orleans Economic Development Agency is one of 109 IDAs in the state. The state legislation would group Orleans with the following other counties in the Finger lakes Region: Monroe, Wayne, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca and Yates.

Skoufis and Wallace say the regional IDAs would result is less “shopping around” from companies seeking the best tax incentive deal and other benefits.

The regional IDA would have a 15-person board with representatives from the counties.

“Many of these 15 appointed members of the regional agency could not be expected to be familiar with Orleans County and the communities served by our local IDA,” Orleans County legislators stated in resolution opposing the regional IDA.

County legislators said the local Orleans EDA already has a longstanding policy that it won’t accept an application for financial assistance from a company in a community served by another IDA “unless that IDA makes a written request that Orleans County IDA undertakes that project, thereby eliminating the concept of applicants ‘shopping around’ for a better deal,” Orleans legislators said.

The County legislature said it prefers to keep the economic development agency locally run, with members who have a deep understanding of Orleans County and who are accountable to local residents.

The County legislature forwarded its resolution of opposition to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, State Senate Majority Leader Rob Ortt, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, Congressman Joseph Morelle and New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC).

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature on Tuesday approved $92,728 for youth programs.

The Youth Bureau Resource Allocation Plan was developed by the Orleans County Youth Bureau and Department of Social. The joint plan will use state funding from the State Office of Children and Family Services.

The allocations are in four different programs: Municipal Youth Development Program, $45,611; Municipal Youth Sports & Education Opportunity Funding, $18,398; Municipal Youth Sports & Education Opportunity Funding (infrastructure), $10,344; and Municipal Youth Team Sports, $18,375.

Here is a breakdown of the funding:

Municipal Youth Development Program

• ARC GLOW Camp Rainbow – $5,000
• Cornell Cooperative Extension – $1,500
• GLOW Works, Inc. (healthcare) – $1,000
• GLOW Works, Inc. (manufacturing) – $1,000
• Hoag Library Summer Reading – $1,500
• Holley Joint Youth Recreation – $2,500
• Medina Joint Recreation Committee – $2,000
• Orleans County Juvenile Adjustment Services – $16,000
• ROAR Support – $2,500
• Village of Albion Recreation – $5,770
• Orleans County Youth Bureau – $6,841

Municipal Sports & Education Opportunity

• Medina Joint Recreation Committee – $1,500
• Purple Eagles Wrestling Academy – $5,319
• Miss Heather’s Competition Dance – $1,500
• Village of Albion Recreation – $7,319
• Orleans County Youth Bureau – $2,760

Municipal Sports & Education Opportunity (infrastructure)

• Purple Eagles Wrestling Academy – $5,172
• Town of Carlton – $5,172

Municipal Youth Teams Sports

• Holley Joint Youth Recreation – $2,500
• Holley Soccer Club – $4,000
• Kendall Recreation – $1,800
• Purple Eagles Wrestling Academy – $1,000
• Village of Albion Recreation – $7,238
• Orleans County Youth Bureau – $1,837

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Orleans County Legislator John Fitzak, right, reads a proclamation in honor of Eddie Moss, left, for his 17 years of service as a county employee.

Moss started as a computer specialist with the Department of Social Services, and was promoted to the county’s director of computer services in 2014. That job title changed to information technology director. He is retiring on Friday.

Moss, a Medina graduate, served nine years in the U.S. Air Force. He lived several places around the globe before returning to Medina.

He and staff of seven others work with the county employees and keep the technology working, from the 400 computers at work stations and offices, to all the printers, switches, servers, cameras and a digital phone system – “anything that has technology in it,” Moss said.

The IT department also manages the mobility technology for more than 30 patrol cars for the Sheriff’s Office, as well as vehicles for the Emergency Management Office.

“It’s a big job,” Moss said. “It’s very complex.”

The IT staff moved from Central Hall on East Park Street to the new addition on the County Office Building in June 2019.

Moss was praised for his work for the county on Tuesday by the County Legislature, which held a reception for him after the county meeting.

“As a true public servant,  you have shown a dedication to the task of keeping the technology in Orleans County up to date, in an ever-changing environment,” legislators said in a proclamation.

Patrick McGurn, the deputy director of the IT department, said Moss has been a great leader for the IT staff.

“He is very understanding of our team,” McGurn said. “He has been great to work for.”

McGurn said the IT works behind the scenes and is critical to a county workforce of about 460 employees.

“We put out the fires,” McGurn said.

Eddie Moss accepts a proclamation from County Legislator John Fitzak.

Organization marking 50^th anniversary in New York

Photos by Tom Rivers: Motorcyclists get ready on May 7, 2023 for a 50-mile ride around Orleans County. The event started with a rally outside the Orleans County Courthouse.

ALBION – Motorcyclists want the public to know they are back on the roadways. The motorcyclists urge drivers to “look twice” and use extra caution when making a left turn or pulling out onto the roadway.

“Many collisions are caused by drivers not seeing an oncoming motorcycle, or by misjudging the speed of the motorcycle,” said Chuck Persons, president the past 17 years of the Orleans County chapter of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE).

The organization will have a motorcycle safety and awareness rally at 2 p.m. on May 5 outside the Orleans County Courthouse. The motorcyclists will then go on a 50-mile in the county that ends at the V.F.W. Post 1463 on East Center Street in Medina. Participants can begin to assemble outside the courthouse on East State Street at 1 p.m. on May 5.

Orleans County Legislator Skip Draper, right, reads a proclamation on Tuesday declaring May as “Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month in Orleans County.” He presented the proclamation to Chuck Persons (left), president of ABATE in Orleans County; and Don Sloper, the group’s vice president.

The rally and ride is held every spring to alert the public that motorcycles are back on the highway and to promote safety and rider education among motorcyclists.

“With the warm weather, motorcycles are back on the roads,” Persons said.

This year’s event holds special significance as it marks the 50th anniversary of ABATE of New York. Founded in 1974, the organization actively promotes educating riders and motorists to safely share the road and to drive aware, Persons said.

ABATE is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the rights, safety, and freedoms of all motorcyclists. ABATE’s position is to support all efforts and initiatives that will lead to accident prevention and rider safety.

The local chapter meets on the second Sunday of every month at noon at the V.F.W. in Medina.

Press Release, Orleans County Emergency Management

ALBION – The next meeting of the Orleans County Local Emergency Planning Committee will be held on Thursday May 16 at 1 p.m. at the Hoag Library, 134 S Main St. The meeting is open to the public.

The LEPC is charged with developing a Hazardous Materials Response Plan and providing information about potentially hazardous chemicals that may be stored in our community. As part of their role, the LEPC reviews this plan, and the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, annually and makes updates as needed

 The LEPC is comprised of:

• Elected state, local, and tribal officials
• Police, fire, civil defense, and public health professionals
• Environment, transportation, and hospital officials
• Facility representatives
• Representatives from community groups and the media

For more information on the meeting, please contact Orleans County Emergency Management at (585) 589-4414.

Orleans County dispatchers, which handle about 35,000 calls a year, are being recognized by Sheriff Chris Bourke during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

This week is a time to celebrate and thank telecommunications personnel across the nation who serve communities, citizens, and public safety personnel 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Bourke said.

“Public Safety Dispatchers are an indispensable asset in public safety,” he said. “During emergencies and times of distress, Public Safety Dispatchers quickly obtain all relevant information, assess the situation, and coordinate the appropriate public safety response, to ensure the quickest and most appropriate response.”

Dispatchers for the county are tasked with answering emergency calls, and dispatching the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Medina, Albion and Holley Police Departments, State Police, DEC Police, and all fire and EMS agencies within the county.

“Dispatchers are always heard, but rarely seen,” Bourke said. “They are the first responders to the first responders and the heroes behind the scenes.”

Press Release, Orleans County Job Development Agency

MEDINA – The Orleans County Job Development Agency reminded residents that there will be a job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday at the Orleans YMCA located at 306 Pearl St. in Medina.

“Our career fairs have a tremendous track record in matching up job seekers with employers, and the current demand of employers looking to hire remains high,” said Kelly Kiebala, director of the Orleans County Career Center.  “Anyone looking for a job or a new opportunity, regardless of skill and educational level, should attend this event.”

Kiebala said there will be businesses from across many sectors looking for people in factory settings, healthcare, food service, customer service and more.  There are job opportunities for all levels of skill and experience.

Participating companies, organizations and other institutions include:  Arc GLOW, Army National Guard, ATB Staffing Services, Brunner International, Central New York Psychiatric Center, Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Education & Training Resources / Iroquois Job Corps, Elderwood at Lockport, Fidelis Care, Genesee Community College, HD Construction Services LLC, Lake Ontario Fruit, Liberty Home Care, NYS Department of Labor, NYS OPWDD, Orchard Rehab, Orleans County Job Development, Orleans County Personnel, Orleans/Niagara BOCES, Perry’s Ice Cream, Rochester Regional Health, Thrive (Freeze Dry), Six Flags Darien Lake, Grand Canyon University and Empire Coating, Inc.

To learn more about the services provided by the Orleans County Job Development Agency, click here.

Contested races include district attorney, county coroner, Carlton councilman, and GOP committees in Shelby, Yates

ALBION – There will be six Republican primaries in Orleans County in June, with races for the district attorney and county coroner highlighting the lineup.

There also will be primaries for Carlton councilman, and committee positions for Shelby District 3 and District 4, and in Yates with District 2.

The Republican primary is scheduled for June 25 with early voting from June 15 to 23.

For district attorney, John Sansone was endorsed by the Republican Party committee on Feb. 3 but Susan Howard submitted petitions during the April 1-4 deadline to force a vote among registered Republicans.

Howard and Sansone are both assistant DAs who want to succeed Joe Cardone, who is retiring after 32 years as the county’s top prosecutor.

The Republican Committee on Feb. 3 endorsed three candidates for coroner: incumbent Rocco Sidari of Albion, Kevin Dann of Holley and Dr. Julie Woodworth of Lyndonville.

Scott Schmidt, the county’s chief coroner, did not get enough backing for the endorsement, but he has submitted petitions signed by 838 registered Republicans, which he said is above the threshold of 597 needed signatures.

Schmidt of Medina has been a county coroner for 34 years, and has been the chief coroner since 1997. For the past 18 years he also has been president of the NYS Association of County Coroners and Medical Examiners.

“It was a wonderful experience to get out and meet voters,” Schmidt said about circulating petitions. “I went on the country roads where people don’t normally go. Some people said I was the first person running for office to ever knock on their door.”

Charlie Smith of Ridgeway isn’t seeking re-election for another term as coroner.

In Carlton, the primary pits Jeff Gifaldi, the incumbent, against John Olles for a councilman’s seat on the Town Board.

The primaries to the Republican Committee at the town level include two districts in Shelby and one in Yates. Each district can have two representatives.

In Shelby for District 3, the primary includes Alana Koneski, Bruce Schmidt and Stephen Seitz Sr. For District 4, the candidates include Benjamin Flansburg, John Pratt III and Thomas Winans.

In Yates, there are four candidates for the two spots on District 4, including Terry Chaffee Jr., Steven Colon, Lynne Johnson and William Jurinich.

Officials at the Board of Elections in Orleans County will go through the petitions to determine if there are any valid objections to the signatures. The petitions are expected to be certified on May 2.

Press Release, Orleans County Youth Bureau

ALBION – The Orleans County Youth Bureau today announced it has extended the deadline for nominations for the 42nd Annual Youth Recognition awards.

The purpose of these awards is to recognize those youth who have performed outstanding service for our community and/or have assumed an extraordinary role within their families by helping to support themselves. The deadline for nominations is now April 30.

Anyone is welcome to nominate a candidate, but nominations from family members must be accompanied by a supporting recommendation from a non-family member. Nominees must reside in Orleans County and be a minimum of 14 years of age and under the age of 21 before June 30, 2024.

In addition to the youth recognition awards, the Youth Bureau also extended the deadline for nominations for the Helen Brinsmaid Award, given to an Orleans County youth-serving professional, in a paid position, whose work surpasses normal expectations, and the Eileen Heye Adult Volunteer Recognition Award, presented to an adult who serves the youth of Orleans County in a volunteer setting.

All nomination forms can be found by clicking here. For information about the awards, contact the Youth Bureau at 585-589-7053 or OrleansCountyYouthBureau@OrleanscountyNY.gov.

Susan Howard

ALBION – Susan Howard announced she has submitted petitions signed by 1,279 registered Republicans to force a primary against John Sansone for district attorney.

Sansone secured the Republican nomination on Feb. 3. Both Sansone and Howard work as assistant district attorneys. They both want to succeed Joe Cardone, who is retiring on Dec. 31 after 32 years as the county’s top prosecutor.

Howard has the Conservative Party nomination and submitted petitions signed by 99 registered Conservatives.

“I am truly grateful and appreciative for the many people who volunteered their time to go out in challenging weather in February and March to collect signatures for me,” Howard said. “I am also incredibly grateful to the nearly 1,400 Orleans County voters who signed in support of my campaign for District Attorney. We have great momentum and will keep it going right up to the June 25th Republican Primary Election.”

Candidates for public office need signatures from at least 5 percent of a party’s registered voters in order to appear on that party’s ballot line. In Orleans County, Howard said 598 Republican signatures and 31 Conservative signatures were required.

The Republican primary is scheduled for June 25 with early voting available from June 15 to 23.

Howard, in a news release today, touted her more than 20 years working in the Orleans County Court System. As First Assistant District Attorney since 2011, she said she has been involved in nearly every significant case that has come through the D.A.’s Office.

She has been a member of the Sex Abuse Task Force, which works with the Child Advocacy Center, Rape Crisis, Department of Social Services and other local support agencies. She also works closely with D.A. investigators, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, and other law enforcement on major cases.

Additionally, for the past five years, Howard said she has served as the sole Appellate Attorney for the D.A.’s Office and has preserved every single conviction on appeal.

Susyn Tillman of Point Breeze sent in this photo taken from her backyard of the total eclipse with the moon covering the sun today.

Orleans County emergency management and law enforcement prepared for the worst today, but it ended up being quieter on the roadways than a usual Monday.

The county was braced for an influx of thousands of additional vehicles on roadways, with visitors trying to get a look at a rare solar eclipse.

But the big crowds never arrived, and emergency incidents were minimal. The forecast showing significant cloud coverage likely deterred some day-trippers from making the journey to Western New York to see the total eclipse.

“There were no real noticeable increases in traffic,” said Justin Neiderhofer, the county’s emergency management director.

The state Thruway and 81 and 87 corridor did see some backups outside of Orleans County, he said.

“All and all it was kind of a slow day on our end,” Niederhofer said.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the other local police agencies all had extra patrol cars and staff working.

Sheriff Chris Bourke said traffic actually seemed less than a typical Monday in Orleans County.

“There are no significant eclipse-related problems that I am aware of,” Bourke said.

This photo from Tracey Lewis shows Lake Alice during the eclipse today when darkness fell at about 3:20 p.m.

Tracey Lewis had eclipse glasses for her dachshund, Lucy.

Marguerite Sherman of Medina sent in these photos along Lake Ontario during the eclipse. This is on Scharping Lane in the Town of Lyndonville.

The sky got very dark on Scharping Lane during the total eclipse.