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Orleans County

Candidate for judge says she has overcome challenges to be an advocate for children in crisis

Provided photos: Tonia Ettinger, center, is pictured with some of her supporters at a recent event.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 November 2017 at 10:47 am

ALBION – Tonia Ettinger is running for Orleans County judge against Sanford Church. The election is Nov. 7.  Ettinger has the endorsement of the Conservative and Democratic parties, and Church has the backing of the Republican Party.

Ettinger, 39, works as an attorney in Rochester for the Legal Aid Society. She is an Orleans County native who currently lives in Farmington, Ontario County, with her fiancé Paul Fuller and their 7-year-old son, Blake. (Fuller ran for county judge against James Punch in 2010. Punch was re-elected to a 10-year term, but retired on July 29, creating the vacancy that will be filled with the Nov. 7 election.)

Ettinger was born at the former Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital in Albion. She lived in Holley before moving to Medina, where she graduated. She earned a law degree at the University at Buffalo School of Law.

For the past eight years she has worked at the Legal Aid Society in Rochester in the Juvenile Justice Division. In her job with Legal Aid, Ettinger works with low-income clients from birth to age 21.

Ettinger was interviewed by Orleans Hub editor Tom Rivers on Sunday at Tim Hortons in Albion.

Question: You’ve talked about growing up in poverty. How did that effect your decision to want to be an attorney?

Tonia Ettinger is pictured on Saturday at an Orleans County Democratic Party dinner and rally with State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Answer: With my upbringing, I struggled a lot with poverty. I’m one of four children. My mom and stepfather divorced when I was very young. It took a toll on me. I cared for my younger siblings while my mother went out and worked.

My mother is a wonderful woman and is the person who really created me. Those lessons I think have really helped me, not only in my professional career but in my personal life, to have value for the things that I earn. I had to fight for everything in my professional life. This is just another fight along the way.

I had to fight to get through school. I put myself through college. I worked at McDonalds in Medina when I was in high school. Later I worked at Movie World. That’s no longer in existence in Medina. I had a job at Tops simultaneously with one of those other jobs. So I worked throughout school, throughout college, throughout law school because I wasn’t going to have those resources any other way. My mom certainly would have given me the money if she had it. And so I had to fight.

Some things that maybe other people take for granted, just filling out FAFSA forms and student loan applications, those are the things I had to struggle with. There was nobody there to help me with those things. Nobody in my family had gone to college before, let alone graduate school. So I knew from going through all that as a child that I wanted to make a better life for myself, and I wanted to help other people make a better life for themselves, to know that even if you come from humble beginnings, you can do good things in your life.

Question: How do you think your background would affect you in the role as judge?

Answer: Your background certainly has an effect on your person, but when someone sits on the bench it’s very important for that person to be fair and impartial and not pass judgement on the person who appears before them based on where they come from or how much money they have, or their race and gender. I think that’s really key.

Question: How long have you been an attorney?

Answer: I have been admitted to practice law for almost 14 years. I was admitted in February 2004.

Question: When you started your career in Orleans County as attorney, what kind of work or cases were you doing?

Answer: I did some real estate, some minor criminal cases, I did probate, drafted some wills and drafted some separation agreements. It was a little bit of everything when I was in private practice. It was a small firm and I did a lot of their general litigation items. (Ettinger started with Robert Slocum, who has a law office in Brockport). I was primarily in Orleans but I did do some work in Monroe as well, and other outlying counties. Then in 2009 I moved on to the Legal Aid Society.

Question: Why did you come back to work in Orleans after getting your law degree?

Answer: This is what I knew. This is what I was familiar with. This is my home.

It’s a smaller county. There are attorneys who guided me and helped me along the way, which I’m very grateful for. But it’s certainly a much different feel than the court in Monroe County.

Question: I thought it was interesting that you were president of the Orleans County Bar Association as a young attorney.

Answer: I was the vice president from 2005 until 2008. And then from 2008 until 2010, I was the president of the Bar Association. I was the president of the Bar Association even after I stopped being in private practice and went to the Legal Aid Society.

Tonia Ettinger, second from left, attended a Ride 4 Life event last month that included motorcycle riders sharing a message about overcoming addictions and despair.

Question: How did it happen that you were president of the Bar Association?

Answer: It was a position that was voted on, and I wanted to be involved so I put myself forward.

Question: I remember going to mock trial events. You were involved in that?

Answer: I coordinated it for a number of years.

Question: At the Legal Aid Society and working in the bigger courts, has that broadened your horizons?

Answer: I’ve been able to get exposures to a lot more judges a lot more attorneys. It’s helpful to see how different judges rule on different issues and it is helpful to see how other attorneys practice because each attorney is unique. It vastly improved my trial experience because my caseload is pretty high and I’m constantly in court, I’m constantly litigating. So I think that it’s made me a better lawyer.

Question: Why pursue the county judge position?

Answer: I’ve been at the Legal Aid Society for almost nine years now. I represent children there. I’m able to help them in so many facets of their life. I’d like to think that I help them. I represent kids who have been abused and neglected, paternity cases, custody visitation, juvenile delinquencies, so pretty much everything.

I see in some cases the impact I’m having on the lives of these children, and I just want to take that to the next step. That’s why I am seeking this.

Question: Has it been fun on the campaign these past six weeks or so, reconnecting with people?

Answer: It’s not a really a matter of reconnecting because my family is here, my mom is one of 12 siblings. Many of my aunts and uncles live here. I am here often. I lived here more than half of my life.

Question: Anything else you want to say?

Answer: This has been an extremely humbling experience. I am extremely grateful for the amount of support I have received from my friends, my family, and also from complete strangers. It means a lot to me that the Conservative Party and the Democratic Party where able to come together and support me. Those are not two parties that often match.

Most of all I am thankful that the voters of my home county will have a choice this election season. I think that is so important in any race. This year it’s especially meaningful because it’s been 100 years since women had the right to vote in New York State.

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4 meetings scheduled to discuss law enforcement study in Orleans County

Photo by Tom Rivers: Brian Marsceill, a deputy with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, helps direct traffic during Beggar’s Night in Medina on Friday. Deputies and Medina police officers worked together to direct traffic and with crowd control during the event.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 November 2017 at 11:41 am

There will be four public meetings this month for community members to learn more about options for future law enforcement services that have been developed through the Law Enforcement Shared Services Study Project in Orleans County.

Consultants will share information on the existing law enforcement services in the county and several potential options for future service including potential service and fiscal impacts.

Community members are invited to any of the following four meetings. All four meetings will include the same information and format. Meeting participants are encouraged to bring a cell phone to participate in audience response during the meetings. All meetings will be video recorded and can be accessed from the project website after the event.

• Wednesday, November 8, 5:30 p.m.

Hoag Library Curtis Community Room

134 S Main St, Albion, NY 14411

• Wednesday, November 8, 7:30 p.m.

Holley High School Auditorium

16848 Lynch Rd, Holley, NY 14470

• Wednesday, November 15, 5:30 p.m.

Medina High School Auditorium

2 Mustang Dr, Medina, NY 14103

• Tuesday, November 21, 7 p.m.

Lyndonville High School Auditorium

25 Housel Ave, Lyndonville, NY 14098

The County of Orleans and Villages of Albion, Holley, Lyndonville and Medina are undertaking a thorough evaluation to determine the best option for providing the highest levels of policing service to our community.

They are working with consultants from the Center for Governmental Research. While law enforcement is an essential government service that touches the lives of every resident and visitor in Orleans County, the increased costs associated with these services and the demands for greater operating efficiencies are forcing a closer look at how service is provided.

CGR and its partner Highland Planning, LLC were given the objective to provide a restructured model resulting in cost‐effective consolidated police services across Orleans County including the jurisdictions of all four village stakeholders.

The following is taken directly from the report.

Department Profiles

There are six police departments that operate in Orleans County. In addition, the Orleans County District Attorney’s Office operates a Major Felony Crimes Task Force. The following profiles provide an overview of the characteristics of each of the agencies. The agencies each reflect the community they serve and their current operations, as they have developed over time.

Albion Police

The Albion Police Department patrols the Village of Albion with 12 full time officers, including a chief, a lieutenant and three sergeants. APD operates with a two person minimum staffing that is guaranteed as part of their union contract. In 2016-17, the total cost of the department to operate is about $1.4 million.

Holley Police

The Holley Police Department patrols the Village of Holley with 2 full time and 9 part time officers. Since October 2015, the HPD has been led by the Albion Police Chief under an inter-municipal agreement. HPD generally has a single officer on duty. Its employees are not represented by a union. In 2016-17, the full estimated cost to operate the department is about $362,000.

Lyndonville Police

The Lyndonville Police Department is a part time force that relies on a single officer who works about 20 hours per week, mostly in the afternoon and early evening. The current model has been in place for about the last 5 years. The total cost of the department the total cost of the department is about $27,000 per year

Medina Police

The Medina Police Department patrols the Village of Medina with 11 full time officers including a chief, a lieutenant, a sergeant and 8 patrolmen. There is also a part time officer and a full time police clerk. MPD operates with a two person minimum staffing that is guaranteed by the collective bargaining agreement between the Village and the police union. For 2016-17, the total estimated cost of operating the department is $1.33 million.

Orleans County Sheriff’s Office

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is headed by an elected sheriff. The responsibilities of the office include law enforcement (road patrol), emergency communications, security for the county court, animal control, civil bureau and operating a jail. The road patrol division has 24 sworn deputies assigned to patrol, investigations and the court house. The total expense for the department is about $3.5 million although there is offsetting revenue of about $550,000.

Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force

The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force is an independent department under the supervision of the Orleans County District Attorney. The MFCTF staff is full time and is comprised of a Supervising Investigator who oversees two (2) additional Investigators. The expense for the department is about $301,000 per year, although the task force often receives funds from forfeitures.

New York State Police

The New York State Police operates out of a barracks in Albion to serve Orleans County. The contingent assigned to the county is part of Troop A that covers eight counties in western New York (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming). A cadre of 10 troopers and a supervising sergeant is assigned specifically to Orleans County. There are also two NYSP investigators from the Bureau of Criminal Investigations that work out of the barracks. The goal for the NYSP in Orleans County is to have one trooper on duty between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and two troopers from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. There is no specific local cost for the NYSP services.

Key Findings

• The police agencies in Orleans County already cooperate on several key issues including using the closest car for serious events, a cooperative SWAT team, some shared training initiatives, and most visibly, a central dispatch center with common record keeping.

• The crime rate is low compared to similar-sized counties in New York and neighboring counties.

• The village police agencies provide a very quick response to calls (under 5 minutes 90 percent of the time) while agencies serving the broader geography in the county have a slower response time.

• There are relatively few calls for service for all agencies between midnight and 8 a.m. Peak call volume occurs between 4 p.m. and midnight depending on the community. Saturdays are the busiest day of the week for requests for service.

• The law enforcement workforce is relatively new to their positions with about half the officers being hired since 2012 and two of the agency leaders starting in 2016.

• Anecdotally, a significant portion of the turnover in village agencies is officers leaving for better paying positions in law enforcement. Very few deputies leave the OCSO for another law enforcement agency.

• The pay scale for law enforcement in the county is lower than for nearby counties with a greater demand for police services such as Erie and Monroe.

• There are substantial differences between the contracts of the three departments with collective bargaining units, especially in rates of pay and hours of work.

• There is strong community support for the local village police departments, even with the relatively high cost compared to areas outside the villages.

• Police protection is expensive, partly because it is needed at all hours, everyday of the week. The total cost in the county is about $6.8 million. However, police departments in peaceful places like Orleans County have few active calls for service in early morning hours. Further cooperation across the county can reduce total staffing, both at the officer and the command levels. The minimum staffing requirements and command needs require taxpayers to spend more than is necessary.

• There is an open mind among elected officials for the possibility for changes in the police service, although there is requirement that the level of service remain similar to what it is today.

• As currently operated, The Major Felony Crimes Task Force is able to provide an experienced investigative resource to the community at a relatively lower cost than using sworn officers operating inside another agency.

• The current political environment in the county contributes to mistrust between organizations and individuals. This may inhibit successful change to law enforcement operations.

Next Steps

As part of the project, CGR’s team will develop a series of potential options for law enforcement services for Orleans County. These options will be presented to the steering committee in a draft form and then refined based on input from the committee. The options, once vetted by the committee, will be presented to community at several different meetings to ascertain their opinions. A final report will be prepared for the steering committee that includes options for redesign of law enforcement in the county.

For more information including the Baseline Report, click here.

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Motel tax has been growing in Orleans County

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 November 2017 at 11:07 am

County expects additional increase with new hotel in Medina

Courtesy of Cobblestone Suites: The proposed 58-room hotel in Medina will look similar to this Cobblestone Suites hotel in Pennsylvania.

ALBION – Revenue in the motel tax at Orleans County has been growing in recent years, and the county expects more growth with a new hotel coming to Medina.

The county’s budgeted amount for the motel tax has grown from $27,500 in 2015, $33,000 in 2016, $39,000 in 2017 to $42,000 tentatively budgeted for 2018.

The county started a 4 percent tax on lodging in 2004. The revenue is used to support the tourism department. Those dollars are matched by the state in the I Love NY program.

Susan Heard, the county treasurer, said more businesses have started in the county that offer lodging. They might be guest houses or cottages.

The county has stepped up its efforts to make sure people making money with lodging are collecting and paying the tax.

The county held a public hearing on the motel tax on Oct. 25. No one spoke at the hearing. The Legislature is expected to approve continuing the mortgage tax another two years at its Nov. 29 meeting at 4:30 p.m.

The county has about 25 lodging providers, which include motels, bed and breakfasts, lodges and vacation rentals.

BriMark Builders has proposed a new 58-room hotel, Cobblestone Inn and Suites, on Maple Ridge Road, next to Pride Pak and almost across the street from Genesee Community College. BriMark is based in Neenah, Wisc.

County officials expect the hotel to open late in 2018.

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County urges Congressional reps to fight to keep tax deductions for state and local taxes

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 October 2017 at 8:28 am

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature passed a formal resolution on Wednesday opposing a Republican tax proposal to eliminate tax deductions for state and local taxes.

In a state with high property taxes, the deductions can reduce the federal tax owed for property owners.

County Legislator Lynne Johnson, R-Lyndonville, said eliminating the deduction would be a form of double taxing property owners, making them pay their property taxes and then counting those taxes paid as part of a person’s income.

“It’s a double negative,” she said. “This is something we are fighting tooth and nail.”

The County Legislature forwarded copies of the resolution to Congressman Chris Collins, R-Clarence, who is one of President Trump’s close allies in Congress.

“Eliminating the federal deductibility of state and local taxes will imperil the delivery of public services in New York, many of which are mandated by the federal government, and may increase the effective federal income tax rate for many New Yorkers,” according to the county resolution.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer have been railing against the Trump tax plan and the elimination of SALT (state and local taxes) as a deduction.

Cuomo and Schumer on Monday launched a statewide push across congressional districts to urge New York’s delegation “to stand up for this state’s middle class and oppose the repeal or reduction of state and local tax deductions.”

“While Washington is considering a ‘tax cut’ plan, what it really amounts to is a ‘tax increase’ plan for New York,” Governor Cuomo said at an event in front of a home in Albany. “The elimination of State and Local Tax deductibility is a death blow to New Yorkers and our economy. The current plan only makes it possible to cut taxes for other states by using New York and California as the piggybank. Every member of our Congressional delegation must do everything they can to stop this devastating proposal.”

The SALT elimination would raise the average tax bill by $423 for property owners in the state with a household income of $50,000 or less. For household incomes between $50,000 and $100,000, the average tax increase would be $1,299, according to statistics from the governor’s office.

“Whether the savings from these deductions becomes money for home repairs, groceries, school supplies or even the yearly vacation, it belongs in the pockets of New Yorkers, period,” Schumer said. “These deductions should not be eliminated so people making millions of dollars a year can catch a tax break of their own. It simply makes no sense for Congress to eliminate the SALT deduction.”

New York is the highest donor state in the country, sending $48 billion more in tax dollars to the federal government than it receives back in federal spending. Under the Trump and Republican tax plan, the federal government would take even more revenue from the number one giving state, subsidizing every other state in the nation as a result, Cuomo said.

County legislators, in their resolution, said NY congressional representatives should work to prevent the state’s “donor” status from becoming even worse.

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Sanford Church says he is ready to serve community as next county judge

Photos by Tom Rivers: Sanford A. Church is running for Orleans County Judge. He is pictured last week at his law office on East Bank Street in downtown Albion.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2017 at 1:55 pm

‘I’ve learned to keep an open mind, listen to everything, and then figure it out and figure out what the just response is.’

ALBION – Sanford A. Church, 59, is the Republican candidate in the Nov. 7 election for Orleans County judge.

Church grew up in Albion and played on the Albion football and basketball teams, and was one of the top tennis players on Albion’s undefeated tennis teams. He earned a law degree at Duke University, where he met his wife, Diane, who is also an attorney.

They have two grown children. Ben, 26, is a graduate of the Northwestern Medical School in internal medicine, and is doing his residency in California. Molly, 24, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and is studying to be a mental health counselor in Boston at Tufts University.

Church returned to Albion after getting a law degree, and worked with his late father, Ted Church, at an office on East Bank Street.

This picture of Sanford E. Church hangs in the law offices of Church and Church in Albion.

The Church family goes back generations in Albion, including Sanford E. Church, the first lawyer in the family who was an elected district attorney and went on to serve as lieutenant governor, state comptroller, and the chief judge of the NYS Court of Appeals. A historical marker stands by his former home on Ingersoll Street, which is now the Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home.

Sanford A. Church seeks to succeed the retiring James Punch as county judge. Church has the backing of Punch and most of the attorneys in the county for the elected position. Church faces Tonia Ettinger on Nov. 7.

Church has been a long-time Little League coach for the Rotary-Lions team, and has been involved with the Rotary and Lions clubs, as well as serving on the Albion Board of Education.

He has been the public defender for about 20 years, representing low-income people facing felony charges. Church, a former member of the Albion Board of Education, has practiced law in all of the courts a county judge will preside.

Church was interviewed at his Albion office last week by Tom Rivers, the Orleans Hub editor.

Question: After graduating from Duke, why did you come back to Albion?

Answer: When were at Duke we were around a lot of lawyers who wanted to be at big firms. I watched it and didn’t want to do that, and decided to come back to my family practice where we’ve been lawyers forever.

Question: You were mid-20s then?

Answer: It would have been ’84, so roughly 26.

Question: How did you get involved as an assistant DA?

Answer: The way it worked first is I came back and started practicing with my dad. Curtis Lyman was the DA at the time. He asked if I would be one of his assistant district attorneys. I did that in ’85 for just a few months because then – this is a long story – there are attorneys who work for judges and the one who was working for (former) Judge Miles got a job as a support judge. So then Judge Miles, who had seen me do things in court, asked me to be his law clerk, which is the lawyer that works for the judge and does research, and writes decisions. I did that until ’89 and then I worked part-time in the same type of job for the Family Court judge in Batavia, and kept the practice here. And then I did assistant DA and assistant public defender, depending on what was going on and who wanted me to do what. Then I moved to public defender.

Question: I think you’ve been the public defender for as long as I’ve been here. (Tom Rivers started working as a reporter in Orleans County in July 1996.)

Answer: It’s got to be over 20 years.

Question: Why have you stayed in that job so long? What do you like about it?

Answer: The public defender’s job is part time. It allows me to do other things and still be a lawyer. I like coaching, too. It enables me to do all the different types of courts that I do. It is helping to represent people.

Sanford Church speaks during last Thursday’s Orleans County Republican Rally.

Question: What do you do as public defender? Aren’t you the administrator of the office as well as an attorney handling cases?

Answer: The way it is set up there is the public defender’s office and I am the boss so to speak of the public’s defender’s office. There are three assistant public defender attorneys who work under me or for me, however you want to say it. And so then with the criminal cases if we have a conflict of interest with the case we have to get an attorney who is not affiliated with the public defender’s office, in other words, not me or the three other attorneys. Right now the system is set up so Jeff Martin (an attorney in Holley) assigns the assigned counsel, who are private practitioners who take cases.

Question: Who are the three assistants?

Answer: Nathan Pace, Dominic Saraceno and Patricia Pope. She doesn’t do county court. She does the other courts.

The only courts the public defender’s office does in Orleans County is criminal. But I do Family Court, Surrogate’s and others as well.

Question: What is the Surrogate’s Court?

Answer: It takes care of peoples’ estates who have passed.

Question: What would the judge do?

Answer: In the beginning, it can be if a will is valid. Someone in the family may think there was undue influence on somebody signing the will, something like that. There are legal formalities that have to be filed and a surrogate can end up ruling whether the will is to be accepted or not. Sometimes it’s a battle. After it is accepted the executor has to then collect everything and dole it out so it is consistent with the will. If there is a disagreement within the family or whoever about how that should be done, then the judge has to figure that out, too.

Question: It seems there is a persona for a judge, in terms of having control of the court room. That doesn’t show up in credentials or the resume.

Answer: I can just say it’s not a plug-in position. I’ve been around law and lawyers all my life. It’s not a plug-in, anybody-can-do-it correctly for the community position. It takes the experience, knowledge and respect to do what needs to be done. You can’t just step in there and know criminal law, for example.

Question: Isn’t the judge also an administrator of the court?

Answer: Yes, with an amount of staff. I administer the PD’s office and I have some staff, too.

Question: And you have to keep the cases moving. Aren’t there time frames for the judge to keep cases moving?

Answer: For everything but Supreme Court there are what they call “standards and goals” for the courts. At least in Family and Criminal Court they try to have the cases done in six months. Now with jury trials in the criminal cases that can be hard to do, but that is what they strive to do.

Question: The public defender is a different path to getting to judge. It seems like in the smaller counties it is often the district attorney who makes the leap to judge. You have a little bit of a different resume than Judge Punch, who was DA before being judge.

Answer: I agree that it is different. The Family Court work, as an attorney for a child, I do all of that, too.

Criminal law is a lot of what is done in Orleans County, whether you are the public defender or the DA you get immersed in particular cases. The challenge is, and I’ve felt I have the ability to do it pretty well, is you figure out what the issues are in the cases, then you research it and figure out how to apply it to the case. Whether it’s the DA’s side or the public defender’s side or the defense side, it really helps to develop the knowledge base, so when you’re the judge you don’t have to start from scratch with making different decisions.

Question: Whether you’re the DA or public defender you’re playing by the same rules?

Answer: It’s the same body of law. I’m appointed, and the DA is elected. In general I’ve never run for one of these offices before. The DAs have and the public is a little more aware of them than a public defender or defense attorney.

Question: How long is the appointment for public defender?

Answer: It’s for two years. We go with the Legislature. They will meet in January and organize for two years.

I think I work well with the Legislature. I’ve been appointed a bunch of times. I work on the budget and keep that in line.

Question: People probably want to know why you want to run for judge?

Answer: I’ve been around it a long time and the judge matters. It’s an important spot. The local attorneys certainly support me. They respect me and know I can do it. I’m willing to do it and do what the county deserves. I’m used to the county and the law.

Sandy Church warms up a pitcher for the Rotary-Lions team during a game in July versus Carlton. Church has been a Little League coach for about 15 years.

Question: Why have you continued in the Albion Little League, long after your son aged out?

Answer: Number one, baseball was the thing when I was growing up. I like baseball. When I was a kid I had all of the baseball cards. I like working with the kids and getting to know some of them. Even when I was a basketball coach, you want to help the kids.

I’ve been able to back off as the head coach in Little League, but I still like working with the kids.

Question: Why have you and Diane stayed here in Albion?

Answer: I prefer the rural community. I don’t know everybody, but I know lots of people. I just like it better than the cities.

My two kids did fine coming from here. You can get involved in a whole bunch of extracurricular activities and you get the schooling. You can get there from here if a kid wants to do that.

Question: What else do you want to say?

Answer: One of the things that makes me qualified as anybody – if not more qualified than anybody around here – is that I learned how to suspend judgement after working for all of the judges over the years. I’ve learned to keep an open mind, listen to everything, and then figure it out and figure out what the just response is. I think I’ve been able to do that. The people that know the area and know me, who aren’t making snap judgements on me from one experience, they respect my ability to do that.

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Republicans thank long-time treasurer, judge for their public service

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 October 2017 at 11:07 am

Retired judge urges community to back Sanford Church as county judge

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – The Orleans County Republican Party held its annual fall rally on Thursday and presented gifts and gratitude to Susan Heard and James Punch for their long tenures in public office. Heard is retiring after 24 years as county treasurer, and Punch retired July 29 after nearly 27 years as county judge.

Jim Punch is shown addressing more than 200 people at the fall rally at the White Birch Golf Course. Punch said the Republican leaders took a chance on him in 1985 when he was 29 and running for district attorney. That was the biggest endorsement of his career, and began a 32-year journey of public service in his home county.

Punch served as DA for 5 five years before being elected judge. He retired before his term ended. He felt comfortable knowing Sanford Church, the county’s public defender, was willing to serve as judge. The judge referred to some recent letters to the editor on the Orleans Hub, criticizing him for retiring before the term was up when he knew Church was willing to run for the position.

Punch urged the Republicans to push to get Church elected.

“Before I retired I did want some assurance the office would be respected by someone we trust,” Punch said at the rally.

Sandy Church thanked Republicans for their support in his campaign for county judge.

The retired judge said Church has the experience, integrity, decency and kindness to serve as an effective judge for the community.

“Sandy is my friend and if you worked with Sandy for 30 years he’d be your friend, too,” Punch said.

In their many interactions in the courtroom over three decades, Punch said Church never asked for special treatment, an indication of his high morality and respect for the judge’s position.

The retired judge noted that Church has strong support from the attorneys in the county who have all seen him in action in the courtroom.

Church has worked the past 20 years as public defender, representing indigent defendants in felony prosecutions, as well as overseeing the public defender’s office. Church has worked as an attorney for 32 years, including as an assistant district attorney for Punch and Joe Cardone, as well as two other DAs.

Church, a former member of the Albion Board of Education, has practiced law in all of the courts a county judge will preside.

Church admitted he is a low-key person who is making his first run for a countywide elected office.

“Thank you for your faith in me,” he said at the GOP rally. “I will try to live up to it.”

Susan Heard speaks at the fall rally at the White Birch Golf Course. Ed Morgan, left, is the County GOP chairman. Jim Punch is at right.

Heard started in the treasurer’s office 40 years ago when she was 18 on a summer work program. Back then she was planning on a career as a dental assistant.

But Heard liked the job at the Treasurer’s Office. She worked her way up in the Treasurer’s Office under then Treasurer Mary Basinait. Heard thanked the Republican leaders in the county for their support over the years. She also commended the employees in the Treasurer’s Office, the attorneys, town clerks, county department heads, chief administrative officers and residents who she all worked with.

Marcia Tuohey, the late chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, was Heard’s favorite county leader. “The lady in the hat, she was a woman in charge,” Heard said.

Kim DeFrank of Murray, Heard’s deputy treasurer, is unopposed in running to succeed Heard as county treasurer.

Heard doesn’t want to fully retire. She is running for the Gaines town clerk on Nov. 7.

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Ortt joins officials in cutting ribbon for new fire safety trailer

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 October 2017 at 4:40 pm

Photos by Tom Rivers: State Sen. Robert Ortt joined local fire officials and county legislators in cutting a ribbon of cautionary tape used at emergency scenes.

The following are pictured, from left: Jeremy Graham of the Albion Fire Department, a member of the committee that researched the trailer; Jerry Bentley of the Barre Volunteer Fire Company, who also was on the committee; County Legislator Bill Eick; Ortt; County Legislature Chairman John DeFilipps; Dale Banker, county emergency management coordinator; Pat Eick, secretary for the Emergency Management Office who has processed much of the paperwork for the grant; and Fran Gaylord of the Holley Fire Department and a member of the committee. (David Hydock, Pete Sidari and Mike Young were also on the committee.)

Ortt was able to secure $75,000 in state funds through the State and Municipal Facilities Capital Funding Program or SAM.

The trailer is being used in educating the community on proper fire safety. Local firefighters have already taken it to the five school districts in Orleans County for students to practice exiting through a window in case of a fire, and to learn about smoke in a building (the trailer has a fog machine) and also to not open a hot door (the trailer can heat up doors).

Albion firefighter Jeremy Graham gives Rob Ortt a tour of the trailer, which has a simulated kitchen, hallways and a bedroom.

“This trailer will be a great tool for Orleans Emergency Management and the fire departments of Orleans County,” Ortt said. “By learning from the visual and interactive approach that these trailers provide, children and families in our community will be more equipped and knowledgeable should an emergency arise.”

Orleans County Emergency Management will use the Fire Safety Trailer in conjunction with 12 fire departments in the county to educate children and families.

“The Orleans County Fire Safety Trailer will be used to teach individuals the fundamentals of fire safety in a hands-on way,” said Dale Banker, the director of Orleans County Office of Emergency Management. “The grant from Senator Ortt will enable us to visit Elementary Schools – teaching our children the safe way to escape a burning building, meet up with family members outside, and call 911 for help.”

Fire departments in the county have previously needed to have fire trailers brought in from outside the county to help teach fire prevention, or they typically went without a “fire house.”

“We are thankful to Senator Ortt for helping to provide high-quality fire safety education to kids across Orleans County,” DeFilipps said. “This piece of equipment has the potential to save lives by teaching valuable lesson. If this safety trailer helps even one child, it will surpass our expectations.”

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Orleans will accept bids for first phase of expansion at county office building

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 October 2017 at 10:58 am

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature next week is expected to accept bids for the first phase of an expansion project at the County Administration Building.

Bids for the installation of new concrete sidewalks, ramps and concrete curbing are due on Friday.

The Legislature meets next Wednesday and is expected to approve the contractor for the site improvements. The work is expected to start Oct. 30 and be complete by Dec. 29.

The county is moving forward with a $10 million addition on the County Administration Building, an office building on Route 31 behind the nursing home.

The County Legislature last month approved a resolution authorizing construction of the addition, which would be about 22,000 square feet. Construction of the addition is expected to start in March 2018, with the project complete in September 2019.

The Legislature last month authorized a bond at a maximum $10,063,881. It will be paid back over 25 years.

The county is pursuing the addition so it will have county-owned space for the public health department and Board of Elections. The Department of Social Services might also be relocated to the new space.

Public health and the Board of Elections use facilities that are owned by Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services LLC. Comprehensive acquired the nursing home and the neighboring public health building as part of the $7.8 million acquisition on Jan.1, 2015.

The county also has already been approved for a $3,682,748 grant towards the project and could receive more assistance. The county also has applied for a grant through State Sen. Robert Ortt’s office to help with the project.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in July that Orleans County would receive a $3,682,748 grant to “protect and transform” healthcare in Orleans County.

The funding would support primary care staff from Oak Orchard Health to work out of the county mental health department. The bulk of the funding would go towards an addition on the County Administration Building for the Health Department.

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Friday is deadline to register to vote for Nov. 7 election

Posted 12 October 2017 at 7:29 am

Press Release, New York State Board of Elections

ALBANY – The State Board of Elections reminds all state residents to register to vote for the Nov. 7 general election. Mail-in voter registration forms must be postmarked by midnight on Friday and received by a Board of Elections no later than Oct. 18 to be valid for the upcoming general election.

Candidates for the State Supreme Court as well as many important local offices will be on the ballot this year, in addition to three statewide ballot propositions. You can check the State Board of Elections’ website (www.elections.ny.gov) or contact your local board of elections for more information.

The voter registration form can be downloaded from our website: www.elections.ny.gov. You may also register online through the Department of Motor Vehicles at their MyDMV site. You can also register or find forms at most state and federal government offices in addition to finding forms at the post office or your local library.

Residents who have moved to a new county within the state are reminded that they must re-register from their new address. Those who are currently registered and have moved to a new address in the same county should notify their county board of elections in writing of their move no later than Oct. 18.

If you wish to change your party enrollment to participate in a primary next year your change must be received by your local county board no later than Oct. 13.

Persons who are unsure whether they are registered, or wish to verify their current address, may check their status at the State Board’s website: www.elections.ny.gov.

New Yorkers wanting to register in-person may do so at their county boards of elections and at many state agency offices throughout the state, but must do so no later than Oct. 13, to be eligible to vote in the general election.

For more information on registering to vote in Orleans County, call (585) 589-3274 or stop by the Board of Elections, which is located at the western wing of the nursing home, 14012 Route 31 West.

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County Tourism seeking entries for photo contest

Staff Reports Posted 10 October 2017 at 8:25 am

Peggy Barringer of Albion won the 2016 Orleans County Tourism Photo Contest with her entry, “Springtime at Mount Albion Cemetery.”

ALBION – Orleans County Tourism is welcoming submissions for a photo contest for the 2018 Calendar and Travel Guide.

There are prizes for the top three winning photographers: pairs of tickets to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m.; Mannheim Steamroller Xmas at Shea’s Theater in Buffalo, Dec. 1 at 8 p.m.; Disney’s the Lion King at Shea’s Theater in Buffalo, Dec. 16 at 2 p.m.

The first place photographer will have first choice on two complimentary tickets to any one of the events listed above. The second and third place winners will choose from the remaining pairs of tickets in that order. Only one prize will be awarded per photographer.

To see the contest rules and a photo release form, click here.

Deadline to enter is Nov. 3 (via email) and if mailed, postmarked by Nov. 1. Winners will be notified by Nov. 10.

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Officials pushed for a kid-friendly fire house to teach safety

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2017 at 8:52 pm

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The new Orleans County fire safety training trailer includes characters to help get the message across about having a fire escape plan.

“We didn’t want a bland house,” said Pete Sidari, an Albion firefighter who also works as a fire safety educator for the North Greece Fire District.

The county’s Emergency Management Office received a $75,000 state grant through the office of Sen. Robert Ortt for the fire safety trailer, which is available to all 12 fire departments in the county.

Sidari reached out to Greg Stanton at Stanton Signs in Medina to create the signs and decals on the trailer. Sidari wanted characters and a message to reinforce what students will learn about fire prevention and a fire escape plan. Sidari said the trailer also functions as “a traveling billboard” with the messages.

Sidari discussed the new fire safety trailer on Monday at the Albion Board of Education meeting. The trailer will be used next week during fire prevention week at local school districts.

The trailer made its public debut on Sunday when the 35-foot-long trailer was at the Medina Fire Department open house.

There have been 42 firefighters in the county trained to lead students through the trailer. Sidari said the public education program will be a work in progress. Many other communities with fire safety trailers have paid personnel who lead the program. In Orleans County, almost all of the firefighters are volunteers. Only Medina has paid staff.

The trailer will mainly be used at local schools, but Sidari said it will also be available at some community events.

It has special features with fog to simulate smoke, a hot door with electrodes, alarms, a burning trash can and a phone system to practice making 911 calls (a firefighter will be on the other line to answer the call).

Pete Sidari closes a door in the fire safety house on Sunday. The door has an electrode that heats up. Children will learn to not open a hot door.

Firefighters stress the importance of having working smoke alarms, knowing two ways of getting out of a room. A door is the first try, but the second way out may be a window. Families should also have a meeting place outside a house or apartment in case of fire. Usually that is in front of the residence.

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Libraries ask county for funding boost

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2017 at 5:20 pm

Photo by Tom Rivers: Betty Sue Miller, director of Hoag Library in Albion, asked members of the Orleans County Legislature to give the four public libraries a boost in funding in 2018.

ALBION – It’s budget season for the Orleans County Legislature and agencies in the community have made their requests for funding.

Representatives from the four public libraries attended last week’s County Legislature meeting and pressed the group for a funding increase.

Ideally, the libraries would like $1 per person in aid from the county, said Betty Sue Miller, director of Hoag Library in Albion.

If the libraries received $1 per person that would be $42,883. The libraries receive about a quarter of that amount from the county.

The libraries in Albion (Hoag Library), Holley (Community Free Library), Lyndonville (Yates Community Library) and Medina (Lee-Whedon Memorial Library) share $10,087 from the county. The $10,087 has been the libraries’ funding level from the county since 2011.

Directors from the four libraries last week asked county legislators for a funding boost. Libraries could use more money to keep up with the costs of providing computer access, programs, books, magazines and other information for residents, the directors said.

“Please consider at least your (current) level of commitment, and any little increase would certainly be appreciated,” Miller told the group.

In addition to books, magazines and other reading resources, the libraries provide concerts, family activities, historical programs, meeting space and other programs.

The county was giving $29,914 to be shared among the four libraries as recently as 2002, but that dropped to $7,480 in 2003. Since then, the amount was raised to $12,587 in 2007, $13,617 in 2010, and then was cut to $10,087 in 2011. It hasn’t changed since then.

“When other governments cut, the libraries are the first to feel it,” Miller said. “All I’m asking is you continue to remember us.”

Representatives from the Cobblestone Museum addressed the Legislature last month and asked for $7,500 in support. The museum hasn’t had a line item in the budget for several years, although the Legislature approved $3,000 in 2017 for the museum at the county’s end-of-the-year meeting.

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Stunt motorcyclist will bring message of hope for community battling opioid crisis

Provided photo: Scott Caraboolad and a team of Ride4Life stunt riders will perform in Orleans County from Thursday through Saturday.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2017 at 12:37 pm

Photos by Tom Rivers: Don Snyder, a chaplain with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, says the opioid crisis “is taking our people from us.”

Internationally renowned stunt motorcycle rider Scott Caraboolad and the Ride4Life stunt riders will be in Orleans County from Thursday through Saturday, performing at three school districts, and three other shows in the community.

Caraboolad, a recovering drug addict, will share a message about making healthy choices. His three-day visit is supported by a group of churches and pastors in Orleans County.

Caraboolad will share how he is stayed away from drugs and found new purpose in his life. He credits God for giving him mentors and the strength to making better choices to break away from the addiction.

A group of Orleans County churches and PACT (Pastors Aligned for Community Transformation) said Caraboolad will bring a hopeful message to a community that is battling an opioid addiction devastation.

“We want to be part of the solution,” the Rev. Tim Lindsay, told the Orleans County Legislature last week.

Lindsay is pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Albion and also is the chaplain of the county jail. He said the jail chaplain experience has showed him the impact of the opioid addiction, with many people committing burglaries, larcenies and other crimes to fuel their addiction.

The motorcycle events will include representatives from agencies that work with people with addictions. Lindsay sad the events will help connect the community to services at GCASA and other organizations.

The Rev. Tim Lindsay, right, outlines three-day visit this week by stunt motorcycle riders. He is joined by Sheriff Randy Bower and Wayne Litchfield, one of the volunteers for the upcoming event.

Caraboolad is an inspiring speaker, who shares a powerful story, Lindsay said.

“The motorcycle is the draw,” Lindsay told county legislators. “But his life was really in the pits and it’s really turned around.”

Sheriff Randy Bower is a strong supporter of Caraboolad and the Ride4Life team. Bower approves of Caraboolad’s message of finding a mentor and true purpose.

“When in doubt, reach out,” Bower said about people struggling with addictions or despair.

Don Snyder, a retired chaplain in the state prison system, is now a volunteer chaplain with the Sheriff’s Office. He said the opioid addiction is claiming many lives in the county.

“This is not a problem we can continue to ignore,” Snyder said at the Legislature meeting. “This is taking our people from us. It’s taking parents from children.”

Caraboolad and Ride4Life will do its first show at Lyndonville Schools on Housel Avenue on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. It will be at Holley School District on Friday at 8:30 a.m. and Kendall school on Friday at 1 p.m.

“He’s not just a guy with a motorcycle and a fancy story,” Snyder said. “He’s a genuine person whose life has been changed.”

Ride4Life will do community events on Thursday in Medina at 6 p.m. at the Canal Basin and then in Albion on Friday at 6 p.m. on East State Street with the street blocked off between Platt and Main.

The biggest event will be “Hopefest” on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville.

The stunt team will give three shows on Saturday.  The first at 1 p.m., followed by a show at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Food will be available to purchase throughout the day and there will be music.

Community Partners include: P.A.C.T., Orleans County Sheriff’s C.A.R.E., Orleans United DFC, Suicide Prevention Coalition of Orleans County, Genesee-Orleans Opioid Task Force, GCASA, MAAC, MHA of Genesee and Orleans, Care & Crisis Helpline, Independent Living of the Genesee Region, CareNet and other agencies and organizations that will have displays and resources available throughout the event. Admission is free to all ages.

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Disbanded Auxiliary Police gives $500 each to 3 organizations

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 September 2017 at 6:33 pm

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Auxiliary Police, which started in 1952 in Orleans County, was disbanded in December due to liability concerns from the county and the group’s declining membership. The Auxiliary Police were down to seven members when the group ceased. The auxiliary police still had $1,500 in its account from fundraisers. The group’s leaders decided to give the funds away. It picked Camp Rainbow, the Company F memorial statue effort, and the Orleans County Joint Veterans Council Medical Van Service. The Medina Sandstone Society is working on the Company F memorial by the former Armory in Medina, which is now a YMCA.

Pictured this afternoon include, from left: Shelley Falitico, director of development for the Arc of Genesee Orleans (which owns Camp Rainbow in Ridgeway); Wayne Hale from the Medina Sandstone Society; Bill Menz (sitting) from the Sandstone Society; Lynne Menz from the Sandstone Society; Phyllis Schrader, coordinator of the Medical Van Service for veterans; Earl Schmidt, Veterans Service Agency director in Orleans County; Dave Thom, former lieutenant with the Auxiliary Police; and Jack Monell, former commander of the Auxiliary Police.

The Auxiliary Police provided crowd control at the 4-H Fair, football games, festivals and other community events. Thom volunteered with the group for 27 years and Monell was an active member for 47 years.

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