By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 April 2017 at 3:23 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: The Farm-To-Table dinner in Medina is featured in a new video about attractions in Orleans County. There were 137 people who participated in the first dinner last Aug. 4.
ALBION – A new video highlighting Orleans County attractions has gone live on YouTube.
The video, “Discover Orleans County from a New Perspective,” includes footage shot from drone. The 3:23-long video was put together by Lynne Menz, the county’s tourism coordinator.
It includes video of Courthouse Square, the Cobblestone Museum, the tower at Mount Albion Cemetery, Medina Railroad Museum and Thomas the Train Engine, warm weather parades in Albion and Lyndonville, 4-H Fair rides and the grease pole, Canal Culvert tunnel in Ridgeway, kayakers, Holley waterfalls, Metro 10 race in Albion, Farm-To-Table dinner on Main Street in Medina, a farm market, the Oak Orchard Harbor at Point Breeze, concerts at the Orleans County Marine Park, sailboats on Lake Ontario, fly fishermen on the Oak Orchard River, the Kendall scarecrow fest and country barn quilt tour. The video concludes with images from the Parade of Lights in Medina.
Menz showed the video in Wednesday’s County Legislature meeting. Legislators and others at the meeting applauded and congratulated Menz.
She said she would like to work on themed videos for agriculture, fishing and other attractions in the county.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Theresa Asmus-Roth, program coordinator for the Justice for Children Advocacy Center, is pictured in the agency’s new Albion office on Wednesday. The site is suite 156 in the Arnold Gregory Office Complex, 234 South Main St.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 April 2017 at 11:29 am
ALBION – An organization that serves about 50 to 75 Orleans County children each year has opened a satellite location in Albion to improve access for counseling and other services.
The Justice for Children Advocacy Center has its main office in Batavia. That location was a challenge for many children and their families to reach on a regular basis, said Theresa Asmus-Roth, program coordinator for the Justice for Children Advocacy Center.
Theresa Asmus-Roth, program coordinator for the Justice for Children Advocacy Center, chats with Terri Drennan (left), the crime victims’ coordinator in Orleans County, and Susan Howard, an assistant district attorney. They are members of the center’s multi-disciplinary team. They are pictured during an open house on Wednesday.
The center on April 13 opened a satellite location in Albion in the Arnold Gregory Office Complex at 234 South Main St. The center has its office in suite 156 open on Thursdays in Albion. (The center has also opened a satellite location in Warsaw, Wyoming County.)
“It will be a huge asset for the community,” said Terri Drennan, the crime victims’ coordinator in Orleans County. “It will be much closer for our families.”
The center offers counseling for children who have been abused or victims of other crimes.
The center has specialists for “forensic interviewing,” helping to determine if a crime has been committed and the extent of the wrongdoing.
The center wants to reduce the number of times a child victim is interviewed and to take those interviews out of intimidating locations such as police stations, hospitals or the district attorney’s office, Asmus-Roth said.
The Albion office suite has one room with toys, and another is decorated with a design of a tree. Asmus-Roth said she wants a child-friendly setting during a difficult time for victims.
The Justice for Children Advocacy Center also does medical exams to confirm whether there has been physical or sexual abuse.
The center also has advocates who connect children and their families to other services in the community.
The Justice for Children Advocacy Center started in 1998 in Batavia. It has been serving children in the four rural GLOW counties (Genesee-Livingston-Orleans-Wyoming) for the past 10 years.
Asmus-Roth said some of the children need therapy every week, and that can be demanding on a family if they have to travel from Orleans to Batavia.
The center doesn’t charge the children and their families for the services. The state Office for Children and Family Services, and the state Office for Victim Services fund the program, as well as donations.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 April 2017 at 9:05 pm
Medina seeks to reduce board seats from 9 to 7
Candidates have come forward to run for volunteer positions on the Board of Education.
The five local districts had a candidate filing deadline on Monday. They will be on the ballot during the May 16 annual budget votes and elections.
Medina also is seeking to reduce the number of positions on its board from nine to seven. If the proposition passes, the board would remain at nine seats in the 2017-18 school year, with the reduction taking effect beginning July 1, 2018.
• ALBION – There are three candidates running for two five-year seats on the board. Wayne Wadhams, Kathy Harling and incumbent Marlene Seielstad are all running. Dean Dibley decided not to seek another term on the board.
• HOLLEY – There are two open seats and both incumbents – Robin Silvis and Sal DeLuca – are seeking re-election to three-year terms. Andrea Newman also is seeking election to the BOE.
• KENDALL – Lisa Levett and Jason ReQua are running for two spots on the board. There is one five-year term and another to fill about a year on the board, from May 17, 2017 to June 30, 2018. The latter term is to fill the spot vacated when Martin Goodenbery moved out of the district. Levett is currently on the board, filling a different vacancy created when Chris Gerken resigned.
• LYNDONVILLE – Two people – Penny Barry and Darren Wilson – are running for two open seats. Susan Hrovat isn’t seeking re-election to her spot on the board, and Michelle Dillenbeck resigned from her seat last month. One of the open seats is for three years and the other is to fill the remainder of Dillenbeck’s term, which runs to June 30, 2018.
• MEDINA – In Medina, four people are running for three open seats, including incumbents Dave Sevenski and Bill Keppler. Mary Hare and Arlene Pawlaczyk are also running. Chris Keller isn’t seeking re-election.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Lake Ontario pounds the shoreline near the Yates-Carlton townline at about 10:30 this morning.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 April 2017 at 5:48 pm
ALBION – David Callard, chairman of the Orleans County legislature, has declared a state of emergency in the lakeshore towns of Yates, Carlton and Kendall.
The lake levels are about 2 feet higher than normal. Water is already starting to flood some areas, and endangering property.
“This state of emergency has been declared due to preparedness measures being taken in anticipation of the Lake Ontario water level continually rising into late spring and becoming a long term hazard,” Callard said in the declaration, which went into effect at 2 p.m. “Presently the water level continues to rise and there has been minimal flooding impacting low lying areas based on wind direction and water levels. There is presently no immediate public safety threat, the situation will continually be monitored and orders will be executed based on the circumstances at the time of concern.”
Local officials check the lakeshore communities. They fear Park Road (shown here) could be washed out by tomorrow. These officials include, from left: Murray Highway Superintendent Ed Morgan, County Legislator Fred Miller and Carlton Highway Superintendent David Krull.
Orleans is the third county to declare a state of emergency from Lake Ontario. Wayne County was the first on Wednesday, followed by Niagara County.
In Orleans, the declaration is in effect until rescinded.
Callard also issued an emergency order, limiting boats to operating at an idle speed to cause no wake within 500 feet of the shoreline.
“This order is for the safety of boaters and residences along the lake,” Callard stated in his declaration.
The Orleans County Highway Department delivered 32 tons of sand to the Carlton Highway Department today. The county also took loads to Kendall and Yates highway departments.
Orleans County delivered sand to the three town highway departments. There will be 30,000 sand bags picked up Friday from the State Emergency Management in Chili. Those sand bags will need to be filled. They can be used by homeowners to help protect their property, said Dale Banker, the county’s emergency management director.
“We’re getting things in place in case this gets worse,” Banker said. “We’re hearing the lake could go up another 11 inches.”
The water is up at the Oak Orchard River near The Bridges in Carlton, with many of the docks now submerged from the water.
Photos by Tom Rivers: David Krull, Carlton town highway superintendent, stands near the shore of Lake Ontario, where the water is about 2 feet higher than normal. Krull said homes, cottages and land are in danger of the rising lake.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 April 2017 at 3:01 pm
CARLTON – At Captain’s Cove marina today, Sheila Schlichter worried as water went above docks and reached the marina at The Bridges.
“The water is right up to the building,” Schlichter, Captain’s Cove manager, said about 11 a.m. today.
She was checking a boat to make sure it didn’t drift away. It was still tied to the dock.
Most of Captain Cove’s docks are under water.
Sheila Schlichter, Captain’s Cove manager, looks out and sees docks submerged from the water. “The water is right up to the building,” Schlichter said.
The county has 24 miles of shoreline along Lake Ontario. Some areas are vulnerable to water levels that are about 2 feet higher than normal, and rising.
“It’s going to be horrible,” said Fred Miller, an Orleans County legislator. “We’re going to lose our land.”
He was out surveying the shoreline late this morning with representatives from Congressman Chris Collins. They were joined by Carlton Highway Superintendent David Krull, Murray Highway Superintendent Ed Morgan, and County Legislator John DeFillipps.
The county has been worried about a new plan for regulating the lake levels. The International Joint Commission, which includes representatives from the U.S. and Canada, gained final approval for the plan last year, despite the objections from many south shore communities. The officials in Orleans and on the southshore worried the new IJC plan would result in bigger swings in higher and lower lake levels. Miller said the fear is now coming true.
“This is serious,” he said about the high waters. “Even if it’s minor damage, it could be thousands of dollars.”
The water is getting close to Park Road in Carlton. Officials expect the road could be washed out by tomorrow as the lake rises and the waves get bigger.
Wayne and Niagara counties have already declared states of emergency because of Lake Ontario’s high water level, which has damaged property and flooded some areas by the lake.
Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower last week said boaters need to stay at least 500 feet from shore to avoid creating more waves to the vulnerable shoreline.
The Army Corps of Engineers said the level of Lake Ontario is 18 inches higher than the long-term average for April, with a further rise of 11 inches forecast by mid-May, The Buffalo News reported today.
Waves are pounding against the shoreline in this spot near the Yates-Carlton townline.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 April 2017 at 7:33 am
Provided photos
KNOWLESVILLE – These kids in the 4-H program picked up trash along Route 31 on Monday evening near the 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville. The 4-H Senior Council at the Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Orleans United Drug-Free Coalition worked together on the cleanup.
They picked up six bags of trash on their first roadside cleanup. They have adopted a 2.1-mile stretch of Route 31 from Long Bridge Road to Snell Road.
Pictured, from left, include: Peggy Gabalski, Pat Crowley, John Gabalski, Amelia Sidonio, Grace Gregoire, Joan Gabalski and Jessica Downey.
Crowley serves as project director for the Drug-Free Coalition. Downey is executive director of the United Way in Orleans County.
The 4-H group and DFC members are committed to collecting litter at least four times a year.
Photo by Kurt Wannenwetsch: The SAFE Boat for the marine patrol of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is out patrolling in the water.
Posted 13 April 2017 at 3:21 pm
Press Release, Sheriff Randy Bower
Due to the high water levels on Lake Ontario, Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower is asking boaters to stay as far away from the shoreline as possible.
We are concerned about shoreline erosion and submerged docks, as well as debris close to the shoreline. While State Navigation Law requires a 100-foot No Wake Zone, we ask all boaters to voluntarily observe a 500-foot No Wake Zone on Lake Ontario.
Photo courtesy of Governor’s Office: Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks in Syracuse on Wednesday. He touted his plan to make local governments come together and come up with a shared services plan to reduce taxes.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 April 2017 at 10:14 am
‘Now, every government likes to be its own fiefdom, right? Every government likes to have control of everything itself. It can’t work that way anymore. It is just too expensive.’ – Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaking in Syracuse on Wednesday
The new state budget, passed over the weekend, will make local government leaders across the state meet in each of their counties and work together on a shared services plan to reduce the cost of local government.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said local governments – towns, villages, cities, schools, counties, and fire departments – are at fault for the crushing property tax burden in the state, particularly Upstate.
He wants to see the local governments share more resources, and even consolidate to reduce the layers.
Cuomo, speaking in Syracuse on Wednesday, said local governments account for two out of every three tax dollars in the state through property taxes. He said the state has too many local governments, 10,500 altogether.
“It’s the property tax in the state of New York that is crushing,” Cuomo said. “And we have to get property taxes under control. We tried doing this. I passed a 2 percent property tax cap which made a difference. Property taxes were going up 7, 8, 9 percent. Now they go up 2 percent. The bad news is, they still go up 2 percent.”
Cuomo’s claims have been refuted by associations representing villages, towns and counties. They say the state has many unfunded programs, such as Medicaid, that drive up local costs. Orleans County taxpayers pay about $8 million annually towards Medicaid, about half of the county’s tax levy. Indigent defense, another state mandated program, cost Orleans about $500,000 a year.
Chuck Nesbitt
“This is a state-driven problem,” said Chuck Nesbitt, Orleans County chief administrative officer.
Nesbitt said the county has been a recognized leader in shared services, including a partnership with Genesee County in public health. The two counties have a merged Board of Health and share the same director and other staff.
The county and local towns and villages share manpower and equipment for paving and other road projects, a relationship that has been going on for decades.
Nesbitt and the local officials submitted a shared services plan to the state in 2015 that showed $3 million in savings annually. (See more on those savings near end of the article.)
‘It’s demanding things to be done that we’re already doing.’ Chuck Nesbitt, OC chief administrative officer
Cuomo and the State legislature have empowered the top-ranking county official in each county to bring together all of the local governments and develop shared services plans.
Nesbitt said it’s unclear in counties like Orleans, without a county executive, who would lead the shared services plan. Would it be Nesbitt as chief administrative officer of the county or the chairman of the seven-member County Legislature, currently David Callard of Ridgeway? The county is seeking a legal opinion on the issue.
Cuomo said the local governments can learn from the state in paring costs and sharing services.
“Now, every government likes to be its own fiefdom, right?” Cuomo said in Syracuse. “Every government likes to have control of everything itself. It can’t work that way anymore. It is just too expensive. Not every government needs to have its own purchasing department, its own legal department, its own assessing department, its own fleet management department – find ways to work together. We do this on the state government side all the time.”
County leaders will need to bring all of the local officials together to publicly discuss a shared services plan. Cuomo initially was pushing for that plan to go before the public in a referendum. As part of the state budget discussion, he backed off the referendum. However, the local officials can vote yes or no on the plan. Cuomo said the process needs to conclude by Oct. 15. (Nesbitt said the local officials have until Aug. 1 to develop a plan that goes to the county. Then there are more public meetings.)
“I think people will engage,” Cuomo said about the shared service meetings. “I think they’re very concerned about property taxes. They get it. Upstate New York has the highest property taxes in the United States of America. You bring the power of democracy to this discussion and you’ll see how local governments can actually find ways to save money and get creative, and I’m very excited about that because that can make a dramatic, dramatic difference.”
Orleans County is currently working on a law enforcement study, looking for efficiencies in providing police service in the county among the Sheriff’s Office, and police departments at Albion, Medina, Holley and Lyndonville. Nesbitt isn’t sure if the state shared service push will effect the law enforcement study, if it will continue as a separate effort or if it will be folded into a bigger discussion.
Bryan Hazel, an employee with the Orleans County Highway Department, operates the paver on Hamilton Street in Albion on Oct. 26, 2015 while Tim Banker of the Village of Albion DPW works behind the big machine. The county shares the paver and some of its personnel for paving projects around the county with towns and villages.
The governor and State Legislature would be more effective in cutting property taxes by relieving local governments of paying for many state-mandated programs, Nesbitt said.
“This is more about the governor running for president than finding practical solutions for New York State,” Nesbitt said. “It’s a burning dumpster fire of a proposal. It’s a condescending and insulting proposal.”
The New York Conference of Mayors said the governor’s focus on reducing taxes is misdirected at the local level.
“Municipal government is and will continue to be the shining example of efficient government in New York.,” said NYCOM Executive Director Peter A. Baynes.
Here are some highlights from the “Local Government Tax Efficiency Plan” in 2015 in Orleans County:
In Orleans, the four villages, 10 towns and county government that took in about $27 million in taxes in 2014. The state told the municipalities in each county to identify at least 1 percent in savings for the total tax levies. For Orleans County, that 1 percent represented $273,001.
But the county’s efficiency plan is far greater than that: $3,207,502 in savings or $2,934,501 above the target.
“This is what we must do to survive,” David Callard, chairman of the Orleans County Legislature, said in June 2015 when the plan was complete. “We’re really doing some consequential things.”
Some existing efficiencies at the county level include:
• The partnership with Genesee County, where the two counties share a public health director and three other staff, as well as a joint contract for busing disabled preschool children, has saved Orleans about $328,275 annually.
• Orleans also contracts with Genesee for youth bureau administration services, which saves Orleans $13,490 a year. Genesee also provides tax mapping services to Orleans, saving Orleans $12,500 a year.
• Orleans has also reduced 22 staff positions from Jan. 1, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2014, which has a annual savings of $1,020,058. This reduction does not count the 100-plus workers at the former county nursing home. That site became privately owned in January 2015. Selling the county nursing home and moving those employees from the public to private payroll saved taxpayers $1.5 million a year, according to the county’s efficiency plan.
At the town and village level, savings noted in the report include:
• The Village of Albion counts $36,000 in savings through shared paving services with local towns and the county, and $63,000 by running Holley’s sewer plant.
• Carlton included $1,300 in savings through new energy efficient lighting at the town buildings.
• Clarendon replaced a full-time employee with a part-time employee at annual savings of $14,054.
• The Village of Holley says it saves $40,000 a year through a contract with Albion, having Albion personnel paid to run Holley’s sewer plant rather than Holley staff or an outside company.
• Kendall counts $20,000 in savings through a consolidation of fire districts. Kendall also said it saved $31,200 by sharing an assessor with Carlton, $20,000 by working to establish a health insurance consortium, and $1,000 through more efficient utilities.
• Murray counts $70,000 in savings by combining fire districts.
• Shelby counts $4,762 in savings new water meters that need less manpower, $3,865 in savings for joint park maintenance with Ridgeway and the Village of Medina, $1,165 in savings for joint procurement with Ridgeway and the Village of Medina, $3,026 for jointing water billing with Medina, and $385 in savings for an automatic flushing system.
• Ridgeway sees $2,222 in savings through a joint purchase and ownership of an equipment trailer, $500 in savings through joint purchasing with Shelby and Medina, and $200 in benefit through energy efficient lighting.
• Yates put down $500 in savings through energy efficient lighting at the town hall and highway garage.
Orleans and the local governments have proven they are willing to share resources and cut costs, Nesbitt said.
“The governor’s assertions are untrue,” Nesbitt said. “It’s demanding things to be done that we’re already doing.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2017 at 4:13 pm
David Callard
‘For the remainder of my term I will give emphasis to the heroin and opioid abuse epidemic – a problem that is not only unique to us but threatens the very fabric of our country.’
David Callard announced today he will not be seeking re-election to the Orleans County Legislature. Callard is the current chairman of the seven-member group. He has been a member of the Legislature for nearly 24 years, following four years on the Ridgeway Town Board.
Callard, a Ridgeway resident, is a retired banking executive. He ran for Congress in 1996, losing to a long-time incumbent, John LaFalce.
Callard has led the County Legislature the past eight years, a time when the Legisature sold the county nursing home for $7.8 million, and redesigned the county government, streamlining operations and partnering with Genesee County with a shared public health director, Board of Health and other staff.
Callard and Orleans County officials have also partnered with Niagara County in the Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance, a two-county group that has pushed for Broadband Internet, consistent dredging of harbors, and also opposed the Lighthouse Wind project in Yates and Somerset, and a new plan for controlling Lake Ontario water levels, that NORA fears will lead to more erosion on the south shore.
David Callard of Medina is congratulated by County Clerk Karen Lake-Maynard after he signed the oath of office on Jan. 2, 2014 to serve a two-year term as County Legislature chairman. Legislature Clerk Nadine Hanlon is in back.
Callard issued this statement this afternoon:
“By the end of the year I will have completed 28 years of public service.
The first four years were with the Town of Ridgeway as councilman and supervisor, and the next 24 years with the Orleans County Legislature – the last eight of which were as the chairman. My only desire has been to make life better for the people. As I move on and transition into the future I doubt that my desire to help will change.
This December I will leave office knowing that the county is well positioned for the future. To that extent I will review the state of the county at an upcoming general meeting of the legislature. For the remainder of my term I will give emphasis to the heroin and opioid abuse epidemic – a problem that is not only unique to us but threatens the very fabric of our country.
In the past week I have spoken with the District Attorney, the Sheriff, and the Task Force to facilitate not only enforcement of the law, but in the rehabilitation of the addicted. Our discussions will continue and I anticipate an announcement regarding new initiatives in which we will seek your involvement by the latter part of the month.
We are all impacted by the illegal use of drugs. We are all deeply saddened when somebody dies from an overdose of drugs. Most recently we were devastated by the death of a child of our county employee family.
The District Attorney has informed me that from this day forward, when somebody in Orleans County dies from an overdose, he will pursue State and Federal prosecution for wrongful death against the supplier.
The Sheriff, while enforcing the law, will also lead the effort to strengthen the rehabilitation side of the problem.
The legislature stands firmly in support of these efforts.
Orleans County is small and cohesive enough that it has the potential to accomplish great things. It is already drawing state attention on the departmental level for many innovative efforts. I am now calling upon the people of this county to join in an unprecedented county-wide fight, working with our State and Federal partners, in an effort against the illegal use of drugs to help us secure a better future for our children.”
These photos show some recent highlights of Callard’s tenure as Legislature chairman:
Legislature Chairman David Callard, Legislator and Public Safety Chairwoman Lynne Johnson and former Emergency Management Director Paul Wagner are pictured in May 2014 when the county celebrated a $7.1 million upgrade to its emergency radio system.
David Callard gives Narby’s Superette and Tackle owner Sharon Narburgh a hug following a ceremony on June 26, 2013 when the Point Breeze community received a trophy and check for $25,000 after winning the “Ultimate Fishing Town” competition.
David Callard speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 17, 2014, when the bridge on Route 279 was reopened following repairs. The county took out an $8 million bond to pay for several infrastructure projects, including bridge and culvert work, as well as new roofs and other upgrades to county buildings.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 April 2017 at 5:04 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Lori Grube, a dispatcher for Orleans County since 1998, is pictured at the 911 dispatch center with co-worker Mike Draper taking a call in the background.
ALBION – Public safety dispatchers in Orleans County last year handled 34,447 calls. Many of those calls were at a time of crisis, people reporting heart attacks, strokes, fires and other emergencies.
This week is “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.” Sheriff Randy Bower is a former dispatcher for nearly 30 years. He said the dispatchers provide an essential service for the community.
“In a time of crisis, public safety dispatchers are the calming voice on the other end of the phone line,” Bower said. “They’re ‘the life blood’ of public safety, the true first responders; This is where it all starts.”
Bower provided a breakdown of the calls from 2016 (not counting non-emergency calls) –
• EMS – Clarendon Ambulance, 222; COVA, 2,090; Kendall Ambulance, 160; Medina Ambulance, 2,567; and Monroe Ambulance, 738. Total: 5,777.
The dispatch center has updated furniture with four movable work stations, allowing dispatchers to choose to sit or stand during their shifts. Bower said the county is working to add a fourth work station to accommodate busy times, such as storms and holidays.
He is pleased dispatch now has access to cameras within Medina Central School, and the sheriff said he is working with the other school districts to have accessibility to their cameras during an emergency.
Lori Grube is one of the county dispatchers. She started part-time in 1998 and has been full-time since 2001.
“It’s way more than answering the phone,” she said. “It’s a lot of multitasking.”
Grube, like many of the dispatchers, has been active as a firefighter. She was a member of the Holley Fire Department as an EMT before becoming a dispatcher.
Bower said the dispatchers are all highly skilled, providing life-saving advice in emergencies.
“Please join me in recognizing our public safety dispatchers for all of their hard work, dedication and service to our community,” he said.
Photos by Tom Rivers: This billboard on Route 98 in Albion, by the Oak Orchard Estates mobile home park, is one of several focused on retaining and recruiting volunteer firefighters.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 April 2017 at 11:54 am
Albion firefighters are shown on Sept. 24, 2014, responding to a truck fire outside Pawlak’s Save-A-Lot in Albion. Firefighters were quickly on scene to put out the fire.
Fire departments in Orleans County are stepping up efforts to recruit and retain members this month.
The Orleans County Emergency Management Office is using a $9,000 grant from State Assemblyman Steve Hawley to pay for billboards and ads to draw attention to membership in the 12 fire departments in the county. (Hawley also provided $10,000 to Genesee County for a similar recruitment and retention effort.)
The four billboards are located on Route 98 by Oak Orchard Estates in Albion; Route 31, east of Riches Corners Road in Albion; Route 31, west of Walmart in Albion; and Route 31, east of Bates Road in medina.
The county used the “Is there a Fire in You?” campaign developed by the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York. (Click here for more information.)
The recruitment campaign also includes ads in the Orleans Hub and The Lake Country Pennysaver.
The grant also paid for a presentation from guest speaker Tiger Schmittendorf, a nationally recognized expert in volunteer recruitment and retention. He led a program on March for firefighters at the Clarendon Firemen’s Recreation Hall.
There are currently about 800 active firefighters in the county, which is down from about 1,200 in the 1980s and ’90s, said Dale Banker, the county’s EMO coordinator.
Each of the 12 fire departments in the county also received a large recruitment banner to display, welcoming new members. The banners will be out leading up to the “Recruit NY” events on April 29-30.
The departments at Barre, Carlton and Fancher-Hulberton-Murray are all planning “Recruit NY” open houses on either April 29 and/or the 30th, Banker said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 April 2017 at 4:30 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – June Chippendale, owner of Antiques & Rusty Relics in Fancher, chats with her friend Terri Martinez during today’s Home, Garden & Outdoor Show. The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce has organized the event with 40 vendors at the 4-H Fairgrounds. The show is open today until 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Chippendale is attending her first Home Show as a vendor. She was there to promote an upcoming wine tasting and flea market at Antiques & Rusty Relics on April 22.
“I’m here to pump up business,” she said. “I want to get more people to know where we are on Route 31.”
Chippendale was pleased to make some sales early on Saturday at the Home & Garden Show. She is selling garden flags, enamel buckets, burlap, antiques and other garden items at the show.
Evie Hurt, owner of the Dazzling Dust Bunnies cleaning service, is among the 40 vendors at the Home & Garden Show. Hurt started the business in 2014 and now has four employees.
“This is a way to get face to face with clients,” she said about attending her first Home & Garden Show as a vendor.
Marie Preston and her daughter-in-law, Nadine Valentine, were at the booth for Preston’s Lawncare & Landscaping, which opened two years ago. The business has added a greenhouse on Zig-Zag Road in Albion.
Michael Klepp, a master gardener known as “The Plant Man,” answer a question from Grace Denniston at the Master Gardener’s booth.
Darcia Golda represents Sunrise Bees on McNamar Road in Barre. Sunrise has 1,000 hives and 40 varieties of honey. The business is owned by Eric Doud and Kevin Bezon.
Holly Ricci-Canham, left, is selling copies of her book, “Mom & Pop Farming in Orleans County, New York – The past brought to life.” She is pictured with her mother “Mike” Ricci and husband, Bud Canham, in back. They are chatting with Jane Sidari, right, and Irene Rouse of Albion.
The Home & Garden Show continues on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes a visit by the Easter Bunny from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and an Easter egg hunt beginning at noon for children ages 10 and younger.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 April 2017 at 5:01 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: Jenna Roberts of Roberts Farm Market sets up a display of decorative yard flags in this photo from April 2013 during the Home and Garden Show at the 4-H Fairgrounds. Roberts Farm Market will be among 40 vendors when the event returns Saturday and Sunday.
KNOWLESVILLE – After taking a hiatus last year, the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Home, Garden & Outdoor Show is returning this weekend with vendors showcasing services and ideas for improving homes, gardens and recreation.
There will also be special events over the weekend at the show, including a chicken barbecue on Saturday beginning at noon, a K-9 demonstration on Saturday at 1 p.m. and the Easter egg hunt on Sunday beginning at noon.
The Easter Bunny will also be there for the egg hunt and will be available for photos. The egg hunt will be free to children ages 10 and younger.
“We want to promote local businesses and get people to spend more money in Orleans County,” said Becky Charland, director of the Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a good promotion for businesses and that’s what the Chamber of Commerce does.”
The show will by at the 4-H Fairgrounds on Route 31 and opens at 10 a.m. both days and continues until 6 p.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $1.
There are about 40 vendors committed for the show. There will be raffles and demonstrations on both days.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Robert Batt is the new executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County. He is pictured outside the “Buzz” Hill Education Center in Knowlesville.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 April 2017 at 11:22 am
KNOWLESVILLE – Robert Batt has been deeply involved with the 4-H program at Orleans County since he was 8.
When he aged out of 4-H at 19, he promptly signed up to be a volunteer, working on the Fair Committee for the annual week-long 4-H Fair in late July.
Batt, now 36, is the new executive director for the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County. He wants to push the 4-H program and fair, as well as other Extension efforts that support agriculture, consumer science, nutrition, gardening and ag in the classroom.
Robert Batt is pictured with Alice Mathes, a 4-H club leader, in July 2014, when the two were getting ready for the 4-H Fair. The 4-H program saw a big jump in enrollment in Batt’s three years as an educator.
The Extension board of directors selected Batt last week to be the new director. He was chosen over nine other very qualified applicants, said Ed Neal, the board chairman.
Batt’s hiring wasn’t official until Wednesday when he received final confirmation from Cornell in Ithaca.
“He understands what is going on in Orleans County,” Neal said. “He is very dedicated to his job and he presents himself well.”
Batt has worked the past three years for Extension as a 4-H educator. He started his career at Rainbow Preschool in Albion, working as a teacher for 10 years for The Arc of Orleans County. Batt has his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education.
The 4-H program took a big leap under Batt, including a new partnership with the Kendall school district, Neal said. Batt has proven himself, over and over, Neal said.
“We recognize his talents at the office,” he said. “I think he will do well as the executive director.”
Batt will lead an office with six full-time and three part-time employees. The Knowlesvlle site is also the base for five full-time specialists who work in regional fruit and vegetable teams through Cornell.
Batt said Extension provides many important services to the community, from youth development, to strengthening agriculture and helping residents grow more vibrant gardens that benefit their own health.
“I’m passionate about 4-H and all of the Extension programs,” he said this morning.
Batt was active in 4-H with clubs for rabbits and goats, as well as serving in the Senior Council. He also exhibited numerous animals at the fair. Those experiences were important in shaping his childhood, and remain powerful, positive memories, Batt said.
He wants that same opportunity for hundreds of children in Orleans County.
The Extension is celebrating its centennial this year.
“I’m excited to be a part of this organization, especially as we close out our first 100 years and look forward to the next 100,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 March 2017 at 12:14 pm
Orleans County has been awarded a $448,993 state grant as part of $45 million in funding announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo today to upgrade emergency communications systems around the state.
“In an emergency, every second counts,” Cuomo said in a news release. “This critical funding will improve the quality and efficiency of emergency response capabilities across New York, while supporting the brave first responders who put their lives on the line every day to protect their neighbors and their community.”
Orleans County has a Radio Advisory Committee with representatives from highway departments, fire departments, police and law enforcement and the county’s Emergency Management Office. That group will consider options for how to use the funding, said Dale Banker, the EMO coordinator.
The county upgraded its 911 radio system in 2014 for about $7 million. That system, now three years old, already is a phase behind neighboring Genesee and Monroe counties, Banker said.
An upgrade of the Harris system in Orleans would allow the county’s system to be interoperable with Genesee and Monroe’s systems.
The county might also consider a long-term maintenance agreement with Harris as part of the grant.
The committee will also look at adding a dispatch station at the Public Safety Building. There are currently three stations and a fourth could be added, Banker said. There is also one backup station at the Emergency Management Office on West Countyhouse Road and an additional backup could be sought with the grant funds.
The state is expected to have a second round of grants for communications system improvements. The county committee has a wish list and will weigh how to best spend the money, Banker said today.
“It will definitely enhance our communications system,” he said about the funding.
The State Interoperable Communications Grant, which is administered by the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, has awarded more than $275 million in five rounds to 57 counties and New York City.
Orleans County in recent years has received about $133,000 annually with the grant program.
“It is vital to emergency response to continually upgrade and enhance communications systems including 911 technologies,” said John P. Melville said, commissioner of State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. “This grant funding allows counties and New York City to continue to make improvements to their emergency communications systems to help protect New Yorkers.”
