By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 October 2016 at 8:16 am
Provided photo: The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office has unused medication boxed up and ready to be delivered to an incineration facility after the Drug Take-Back Day last Saturday. Pictured, from left, include: Christopher Shabazz, a correctional officer at the county jail; Scott Wilson, jail superintendent; and Michael Mele, chief deputy.
ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office last Saturday participated in the National Prescription Take-Back Event that was sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The collection event yielded over 600 pounds of unused medication and sharps from five locations in Orleans County.
All collected medications were transported by the Sheriff’s Office to a designated incineration facility for destruction.
The National Prescription Take-Back Event has been very successful in Orleans County and has resulted more than 4,300 pounds of unused medications and sharps being turned in.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will continue to support future collection events with the purpose of safely disposing unused medications and to reduce the potential for criminal diversion, said Sheriff Randy Bower.
On Oct. 22, drop-off sites included the Orleans County Public Safety Building in Albion, Holley Fire Hall, Kendall Fire Hall, Lyndonville Fire Hall and Medina Fire Hall.
“The Orleans County Sheriff’s Department would like to thank all of the Fire Departments that participated in the event,” Bower said. “We would further like to thank the Drug Free Communities Coalition for providing volunteers at each collection site and the Orleans County Public Health Department for assisting in advertising the event.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2016 at 7:24 pm
File photo: The dredging barge is near the breakwall at the Oak Orchard Harbor in this photo from August 2014.
POINT BREEZE – Orleans County legislators want to reignite a push for a dredging plan for harbors on the southshore of Lake Ontario.
The harbors haven’t been dredged on a timely basis the past decade, leaving a buildup of sediment and silt that can make some channels impassable for larger boats.
The Oak Orchard Harbor was last dredged in 2014. It went 10 years between dredgings. County officials said the harbor should be cleared of sentiment every three to five years.
Orleans wants to partner with other southshore counties to come up with a plan for cyclical dredging, said Legislator Lynne Johnson, R-Lyndonville.
Niagara County already is interested in the project, and so is Wayne County. If there are multiple counties in a dredging plan that could help with convince companies with dredging equipment to offer a better price for the sediment removal, Johnson said.
The Army Corps of Engineers has been determining the dredging schedule, and in recent years the Corps has given priority to busier harbors, rather than those that are primary for recreation, such as Oak Orchard’s.
The Oak Orchard Harbor was dredged when federal funds from Superstorm Sandy were directed for the job.
Congress hasn’t set aside money on a regular basis to clean out recreational harbors like the Oak Orchard. During low lake-level years, boats can run aground in the harbor. That happened to the Oak Orchard in 2012.
A clogged harbor makes the county’s fishing and recreational boating industries vulnerable. The harbor generates about $7 million in economic activity for the county, resulting in 117 direct and indirect jobs. It also yields $283,484 in sales tax revenue for the county with the same sales tax for the state, according to a consultant, Frank Sciremammano of FES Environmental and Marine Consultants.
Sciremammano worked with six southshore counties on a plan for regular harbor maintenance and dredging back in 2014. The Army Corps of Engineers has been dredging the Genesee River and the Port of Oswego, which are both commercial harbors, but the recreational harbors have languished.
“We need to have a plan, a cyclical schedule,” Johnson said today. “We don’t want to wait 10 years before we have our harbor dredged again.”
The federal money from the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy took some of the urgency away for the harbor dredging plan. But Johnson said the county wants to push the plan again.
Orleans and Niagara (and perhaps Wayne and others) intend to seek state funding from the Department of State. That money may go to a contractor with dredging equipment, Johnson said.
The Oak Orchard Harbor is important for the fishing industry, which is the county’s top tourism draw. It’s also popular with many recreational boaters.
“We need to capitalize on the tourism and fishing industries,” she said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2016 at 11:24 am
File photo by Tom Rivers: Bill Oliver, a dispatcher for 25 years, talks over the air in this photo from April 2015.
ALBION – Orleans County officials are joining a movement – Rescue 911 – to have the state stop diverting money for dispatch and 911.
The New York State Association of Counties and the NY Sheriffs Association are both stepping up efforts to have the state give back more money to modernize 911 systems so they can better handle text messages and enhanced GPS.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office has two full-time dispatchers working around the clock. Sheriff Randy Bower said the dispatch handles about 30,000 calls annually and serves all of the county.
The state imposes surcharges on cellphone bills that are supposed to raise money for 911 phone systems. New York’s surcharge of about $1.20 per month generated $185 million last year, but only $70 million went back to 911 systems, with the state using a big chunk of the money for its own budget.
The federal government is requiring states and localities to adopt Next Generation 911 standards. Equipment and technology costs associated with New York’s NG911 services are expected to approach $2.2 billion over the next 10 years, NYSAC (New York State Association of Counties) said.
“Unless and until counties have access to a dedicated revenue stream to help pay for the system upgrades and new communications equipment, NG911 will be out of reach for many areas of the state. That’s what this campaign is all about,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario. “In order to meet the expectations of the millions of New Yorkers who are calling and texting 911 from their cell phone, we need to upgrade our systems.”
In the 1960’s emergency phone calls came through dedicated phone lines into the homes, and workers would then notify the fire department, NYSAC said.
As these emergency call services were consolidated under 911, the function was taken over by the state police. Today, most of the state’s 911 emergency communication systems are operated and funded at the county level. However, in the absence of additional resources many counties will be unable to finance public safety upgrades and equipment without a more dedicated revenue stream, Acquario said in a news release.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 October 2016 at 10:13 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Courthouse has a pink tint in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in this photo from last October. The photo also shows the Orleans County Jail and the Presbyterian Church. The dome will shine green for the first time on March 12.
ALBION – The Orleans County Courthouse has been illuminated in pink for breast cancer awareness and purple for domestic violence awareness.
On Mach 12, the dome will glow green at night for the first time in honor of the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts selling cookies. The organization was founded on March 12, 1912 with the first Girl Scout troop in Savannah, Ga.
The Orleans County Legislature approved the request today for green lights to shine on the dome on March 12.
The Legislature also agreed to allow Hospice of Orleans to have a banner on the courthouse lawn from Nov. 1 to Nov. 15 for National Hospice and Palliative Care Month.
Legislators also announced they have received 358 letters urging a speed reduction on Route 18 by the Kendall Junior-Senior High School.
The speed limit is currently 50 miles per hour by the school. Legislator Ken DeRoller, R-Kendall, said there is strong support in the community to lower the speed in the school zone, where DeRoller said there have been 19 accidents in recent years.
The issue will be decided by the state Department of Transportation because it is a state road.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Otto, a K-9 that joined the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department on Oct. 13, was introduced at the Orleans County Legislature meeting this afternoon. Legislature Chairman David Callard, center, presented Otto with some welcome gifts, including dog biscuits, a toy and rawhide. Jeff Cole, a deputy and the dog’s handler, is at left and Sheriff Randy Bower is at right.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 October 2016 at 6:11 pm
Deputy Jeff Cole said Otto will be an asset for local law enforcement. Sheriff Randy Bower is at right and Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer, is at left in back.
ALBION – The newest member of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department received a warm welcome today when Otto, a German Shepherd from Holland, was introduced at the County Legislature meeting.
Otto is 27 months old and already has been trained in tracking. He has been working with Deputy Jeff Cole since the dog arrived at the Buffalo airport on Oct. 13.
Cole and Otto will received more training in the coming months, working with K-9 handler Lt. James Hildreth of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department. Cole said he and Otto will also learn from the Rochester Police Department’s K-9 teams.
Sheriff Randy Bower and Cole both thanked members of the community for donating generously. Bower said 73 donors gave $12,405. That more than covered the $8,500 cost of Otto from Upstate K-9 in Hilton.
The extra money will pay for equipment and some other expenses with having the dog.
Bower said the dog is useful for solving crimes, finding suspects and also for public relations. Otto will join Cole for patrols and for narcotics detection.
Bower said the Sheriff’s Department first had a K-9 in 1997 when then Lt. Chris Bourke, now the undersheriff, served as the handler.
“It’s nice that we can continue it,” Bower said about the K-9 program. “We couldn’t have done it without the community.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 October 2016 at 12:27 pm
Photo – Solarize Orleans: A barn on Eagle Harbor Road in Albion has solar panels mounted on the roof.
MEDINA – The deadline has been extended for homeowners and businesses in Orleans County to sign on for discounted solar power.
Orleans County has been approved for discounted solar in an incentive program. But contracts need to be signed by Nov. 18 to be eligible for the reduced rate.
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce has teamed with a solar installer, Solar by CIR in Lackawanna, for the discounted installation costs and power.
The solar panels could be mounted on older or newer homes, barns, garages or even on the ground if there is enough land for the projects, said Adam Tabelski, project manager.
“There is never a bad time to look at new and innovative ways to reduce you’re your utility bills whether you’re a resident or a business,” Tabelski said today.
Nearly 70 residents and business owners have reached out to Solar by CIR to inquire about solar installations for their homes and businesses, the company said.
To date, contracts on eight of those projects have been signed. The projects are in various parts of the county. The eight projects will add a cumulative production capacity of more than 87.9 kW and save a combined $7,900 on those residents’ electric bills annually, Solar by CIR said.
That is the equivalent environmental impact of taking 13 cars, traveling an average 11,346 miles annually, off the road for one year, the company said.
The participant signup deadline for the campaign has been extended by a few weeks until Nov. 18. The discount offers about two-thirds off the installation costs.
For example, typical home systems cost $15,000 to $21,000 before reductions and rebates. With the lower prices Solarize Orleans negotiates, plus an incentive from NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority), and state and federal tax rebates, a typical homeowner will pay about $5,000 to $8,000, according to Solarize Orleans.
Solar by CIR will host a “Last Call” mixer on Wednesday at 810 Meadworks, 113 West Center Street in Medina, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Anyone who is interested in solar can meet with CIR representatives. For more information, email Melanie McMahan at mmcmahan@cirelectric.com.
For more information, go to the Solarize Orleans website at www.solarizeorleans.com.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2016 at 2:17 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers: An Albion resident on East Avenue has a sign out in support for Donald Trump.
ALBION – The contentious race for U.S. president has resulted in a jump in voter registrations at the Board of Elections in Orleans County.
The BOE has registered 1,963 voters so far this year, bringing the county’s total roll to 23,262 eligible voters.
The increase of nearly 2,000 registered voters is about double the number from 2015 when the county added 1,089 registered voters. (In some cases, the registered voters are just changing addresses or may have a name change.)
About half of the new registered voters in Orleans were processed online through the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
The state Department of Motor Vehicle’s automated online system (click here) processed 214,356 online voter registration applications from October 1 to October 14, including 122,147 from first-time voters.
The number of applications received during those two weeks shattered the previous one month record of 140,602 applications, including 78,432 from first time voters in September.
This sign on Allen Road in Albion proclaims support for Hillary Clinton.
“Our online voter registration system has broken down barriers and enabled hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to participate in the electoral process,” Governor Cuomo said. “These new records demonstrate the ease and success of this system and I am proud these New Yorkers are ensuring their voices are heard.”
Since Governor Cuomo launched the online application system in 2012, the DMV website has processed 822,014 online voter registration applications, including 383,118 from first time voters.
The Orleans County BOE also needs to have enough ballots for the Nov. 8 election. Given the interest in the presidential race, the BOE is having enough ballots for 85 percent of the registered voters. That would be a big increase from the 70 percent that were available in 2012 during the Obama-Romney presidential race.
If the 85 percent isn’t enough, the BOE also has a stack of affidavit and other emergency ballots, said Eileen Aina, a deputy election commissioner.
Provided photo by Landmark Society of WNY – Credit Richard Margolis: The Lake Ontario State Parkway runs near the lakeshore in Orleans and Monroe counties and has been in need of paving and repair in recent years.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 October 2016 at 2:24 pm
Landmark Society calls Parkway a top preservation priority
ROCHESTER – The five top preservation priorities in the region for the Landmark Society of Western New York includes the Lake Ontario State Parkway, a road which residents and elected officials have tried to draw attention to due to deteriorating conditions in recent years.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Lake Ontario State Parkway has two westbound and eastbound lanes. The road is bumpy in spots with cracks and pockmarks, especially just across the Orleans County line in Hamlin. Many of the off-ramps are in bad shape.
The Landmark Society announced its annual list of “Five to Revive.” The group has picked five priorities each year since 2013.
It has previously named the old Holley High School (2013) and Hillside Cemetery and Chapel in Clarendon (2014) to the list. That designation has drawn interest from a developer for the old school in Holley and grant funds for the chapel at Hillside.
The Parkway is 35 miles long, including 12.7 miles into Orleans County. The road ends near the Lakeside Beach State Park in Carlton. The Parkway includes bridges that go over the Oak Orchard River
The Landmark Society noted the road is one of only two state parkways built in western New York. It was constructed beginning in the late 1940s. It was originally planned by Franklin D. Roosevelt to connect Fort Niagara to the Thousand Islands.
“The Lake Ontario State Parkway is architecturally significant as a designed historic landscape in the tradition of earlier parkways in New York State, featuring a picturesque curving route, rustic sandstone bridges and buildings, and park-like landscaping, offering scenic views of Lake Ontario and the surrounding countryside,” the Landmark Society stated.
The bridges over Oak Orchard River were built for the Lake Ontario State Parkway, which ends abruptly 2 miles west of the river.
The organization said the Parkway needs significant investment.
“A part of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail National Scenic Byway, the Parkway could present an opportunity for reuse as a multi-purpose recreational corridor, with road maintenance costs decreased as the Parkway’s use and appeal is diversified to better serve varied groups of users,” the Landmark Society said.
Other sites on the “Five to Revive” include:
Former Rochester Brewing Company complex, Rochester, NY
Downtown Perry Block of Commercial Buildings, Village of Perry, Wyoming County
Dove Block, City of Geneva, Ontario County
The Traditional Trades
In listing the traditional trades, the Landmark Society said there is a shortage of trained professionals in carpentry, masonry, stained/decorative glass, painting, roof repair, metalwork, and window restoration with historic buildings.
“Without a new generation of craftspeople to take over, we are approaching a crisis level of diminishing resources and knowledge to care for our historic resources,” the Landmark Society stated. “Rehabilitation of historic buildings has increased exponentially during the past several decades, providing employment opportunities for craftspeople who are trained in these specific skills.”
The organization said other communities have developed trade schools and preservation skills programs.
“This the fourth year that The Landmark Society of Western New York is announcing the Five to Revive list to call attention to key properties and priorities for revitalization in western New York,” said Wayne Goodman Executive Director.
“The Five to Revive initiative is proving to be very successful and continues to showcase our ongoing efforts demonstrating that preservation and adaptive reuse are effective strategies for revitalization in Western New York,” said Tom Castelein, Vice-President of Preservation on The Landmark Society Board who chairs the Five to Revive initiative.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 October 2016 at 6:10 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Cobblestone Museum was open last Sunday for an antique quilt and textile show.
ALBION – Sales tax collections through the first nine months of the year are off last year’s pace by about 2 percent. When you’re talking more than $11 million, that 1.89 percent difference means $220,080 less for the county government.
The county relies on sales tax to maintain services and ease pressure from raising the property tax.
Orleans isn’t alone in seeing a sale tax drop through the first three quarters of the year. Genesee’s sales tax revenue is down 2.24 percent so far this year, a drop of $639,509 to $27,886,429, according to data from the New York Association of Counties. (Orleans sales tax revenue for the first three quarters adds up to $11,441,534.)
Of the 62 counties (including the five boroughs of New York City), 22 are experiencing declines so far this year with the average decrease 1.8 percent.
“These latest sales tax numbers continue what we have been seeing for the last few years – very uneven sales tax collections,” said Stephen J. Acquario, NYSAC’s executive director. “There appears to be no clear pattern, but downstate is faring better than most regions as well as a few other better performing parts of the state.”
The 40 counties seeing gains are up by an average 2.9 percent, according to NYSAC. New York State’s sales tax share is up 2.8 percent or by $264.1 million to $9.707 billion.
Orleans has the seventh-largest decline as a percentage. Those with higher losses include: Genesee, -2.24 percent; Chemung, -2.63 percent; Hamilton, -4.08 percent; Herkimer, -4.35 percent; Cattaraugus, -4.52 percent; and Washington, -4.96 percent.
There is still another quarter left for sales tax. The holiday shopping season boosts the numbers in the final quarter.
County officials in the statewide organization are fretting about the numbers so far this year.
“Sales tax continues to be a critical revenue source for counties,” said William E. Cherry, NYSAC president and Schoharie County treasurer. “It is an offset to property taxes. Strong sales tax revenues can reduce our reliance on property taxes. That is why we remain concerned about these trends that have unfolded since the beginning of the Great Recession.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 October 2016 at 7:40 am
Provided photos: Samantha Basinait, 11, is pictured at the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office last week with from left: Chief Deputy Michael Mele, Undersheriff Chris Bourke and Investigator Shannon Brett.
Samantha Basinait is a Girl Scout in Troop 82259. She visited several law enforcement departments last Thursday. She brought with her “Survival Kits for Law Enforcement Officers.” There was a note attached to each kit that mentioned all the different candies inside and why they were included.
“It gave us a chance to reflect on why we do what we do and also put a big smile on our faces,” said Sheriff Randy Bower.
Samantha brought these kits to the Orleans County Jail corrections officers, Orleans County Sheriff deputies and investigators, 911 Dispatchers, State Troopers at the Albion Trooper Barracks, and the officers of the Albion Police Department. Additionally she brought the Sheriff’s Department civil staff note pads.
“We at the Sheriff’s Department would like to thank Samantha for her thoughtfulness,” Bower said.
Samantha Basinait is pictured with Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson, left, and Sheriff Randy Bower.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 October 2016 at 11:47 am
MURRAY – It hasn’t been a contentious campaign season for local Republican candidates. Most are unopposed and enjoy solid support from the Republican Party.
Joe Cardone is seeking another four-year term as district attorney. He has served in the role since 1992, and only once has faced an Election Day challenge (back in 1996).
Cardone, a Medina resident, said it is an honor to serve as the county’s top prosecutor. He prosecutes all major felony crimes in the county, and handles violations of probationary hearings, preliminary hearings, grand jury, motion terms, trial of felony cases, justice court responsibilities and oversees the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force.
Cardone was praised during the Republican Rally.
Scott Schmidt
“He is the consummate professional,” said Scott Schmidt, the county’s chief coroner. “He has high ethical standards and he’s taking bad guys off the streets at a record pace.”
Schmidt is one of three Republicans running for coroner on Nov. 8. Katy Owczarczak has been endorsed by the Democrats. She is the only Democrat running for a town or county position in the county on Nov. 8.
Schmidt has served as county coroner for 26 years. A local funeral director, Schmidt is the county’s chief coroner and serves as president of the NYS Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners. He also has served 12 years as a training officer for the National Disaster Medical System’s Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT). He was with DMORT in New York City after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The other Republican coroner candidates include incumbents Charlie Smith and Rocky Sidari. Smith works as a nurse and is a Ridgeway firefighter. Sidari is a past Albion fire chief. He works as a general mechanic at the Orleans Correctional Facility in Albion.
Hawley seeks re-election; Lockport attorney will represent district that includes Shelby
Orleans County is represented by two members of the State Assembly. Jane Corwin currently is the representative for 144th District, which includes the Town of Shelby and portions of Erie and Niagara counties. Corwin isn’t seeking re-election. Michael Norris of Lockport, an attorney and former Niagara County Republican Party chairman, is unopposed for assemblyman.
Michael Norris
Norris, who has a cottage in the Town of Yates, said he will push to support small businesses, farms and veterans. During the Republican rally, he praised volunteer firefighters, and the noted that 64 fire companies, including volunteers from Orleans County, responded to put out a massive fire in Lockport in August.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley, owner of an insurance company in Batavia, has represented the 139th District since 2006. The district includes nine of the 10 towns in Orleans, all of Genesee and a portion of Monroe counties.
Hawley said he will continue to push for a bill that would separate upstate from New York City, and “full repeal of the SAFE Act,” which Hawley said is “unconstitutional.”
Hawley noted he has strong endorsements from the NRA, Unshackle Upstate and has been named a “Friend of Farm Bureau.” He is unopposed on Election day.
State Sen. Rob Ortt also is unopposed. He is finishing his first two-year term as state senator after succeeding George Maziarz, who retired. Ortt, a former North Tonawanda mayor, served in Afghanistan with the Army National Guard. He was unable to attend the GOP rally on Thursday because he was in New York City with the Senate Majority Conference. Ortt was praised for directing state resources to support local police, museums, and libraries. He also is a frequent presence in Orleans.
The rally included candidates for State Supreme Court, including Mary Slisz and Dan Furlong. Slisz noted her uncle, Chuck Slisz, served as a priest for Catholic churches in Hulberton, Holley and Kendall.
Steve Hawley
The Republican candidates for town positions are all unopposed.
They include:
Albion – Arnold R. Allen Jr. for one-year term on Town Board;
Carlton – Karen Narburgh for one-year term as town clerk;
Gaines – Sharon Harding for one-year term as town clerk;
Murray – Theodore Spada Jr. for four-year term as town justice.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 October 2016 at 7:16 am
Hillary Clinton called a demon and devil at GOP rally
Photos by Tom Rivers: Carl Paladino, right, a former gubernatorial candidate in New York against Andrew Cuomo was the keynote speaker during Thursday night’s Orleans County Republican Rally. Paladino is co-chair of Donald Trump’s NY campaign.
MURRAY –Two of Donald Trump’s biggest supporters in New York – Congressman Chris Collins and Buffalo real estate developer and former gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino – urged Orleans County to vote for Trump on Nov. 8, calling it the most important election they will ever face.
Trump would lead a country focused on returning manufacturing and higher-paying jobs to the Middle Class, Paladino said.
“He’s had the success. He’s lived the American dream,” Paladino told more than 200 people at the rally last night at Hickory Ridge Country Club. “Donald Trump wants to help everyone else. He wants to lead the country to a better place.”
Chris Collins, R-Clarence, addresses about 200 people at the Republican rally. Collins in April was the first member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump for president.
Trump will bolster the nation’s defense, stem the flow of illegal immigration and will pick Supreme Court justices committed to the Constitution, Collins told more than 200 people at the rally last night at Hickory Ridge Country Club.
Collins and Paladino are co-leaders of the Trump campaign in New York. They both had harsh words for Hillary Clinton, Trump’s main rival for president.
“This particular woman is a demon and we don’t want her,” Paladino said.
He blamed a sympathetic press for building up Clinton and trying to tear down Trump.
“They are throwing everything but the kitchen sink at him,” Paladino said about the news reporters.
Paladino said “the mainstream media” has been focused on Trump comments from more than a decade ago while ignoring what he said are Clinton’s crimes with handling her email with classified information when she was secretary of state, and what he said were Clinton lies after the attack in Benghazi, Libya when she was secretary of state.
Paladino called Clinton “the devil” and “a scheming person.”
“She says we’re a bucket of losers,” Paladino intoned. “That’s what she thinks of us. This white trash from Chicago, she thinks she’s suddenly an elitist.”
He said Trump is hardly the villain he’s made out to be in the press.
“He doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t drink, he doesn’t gamble,” Paladino. “He likes pretty women, so what.”
Carl Paladino was harshly critical of Hillary Clinton during the GOP Rally on Thursday.
New York is a strongly Democrat-leaning state, but Paladino said upstate can be key to a Trump victory in New York. He said many Democrats are leery of Clinton and could back Trump on Nov. 8, sending a strong message against the big money and corruption in the nation’s capital, Paladino said.
“We’re expecting a wave out of upstate and Long Island, of people who are furious with the phonies in government and the press,” Paladino said.
Collins made news in April as the first member of Congress to endorse Trump. Collins introduced himself Thursday as a “deplorable,” a reference to a Clinton comment about Trump supporters.
Collins praised WikiLeaks for showing corruption in the Clinton campaign and her support for more free trade that would devastate the country. NAFTA, which was passed when Bill Clinton was president, destroyed much of the manufacturing base in Western New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, Collins said.
A picture of Trump is on the front of the yearbook for the Fall GOP Rally.
Collins was in the hardware store earlier on Thursday and he said the public gave him good feedback about Trump.
“The energy is out there, everywhere I go,” Collins said. “We’re going to win this. There are millions of undercover Trump voters.”
Collins has appeared numerous times on national news outlet, speaking on behalf on the Trump campaign.
“I’m proud to be the first member of the House to support him and I’m proud to be representing Trump on TV,” Collins said.
Ed Morgan, the Orleans County Republican Party chairman, also urged support for Trump.
“This is the most important presidential election of our lifetime,” he said.
Political signs for Republican candidates were out at Hickory Ridge on Thursday evening for the GOP Rally.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 October 2016 at 12:37 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Jacki Mowers-Sciarabba, the client advocate at the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, is pictured at the GOMOC office on the third floor of 121 North Main St., Albion. Mowers-Sciarabba helped organize Thursday’s expo featuring many agencies and businesses with services to help people get through winter.
ALBION – A first-time expo in Albion on Thursday will bring many agencies and businesses together to share services and programs that can assist people struggling to pay bills, especially with the costs of heating their homes during the winter.
National Grid runs customer assistance expos typically in cities. The company wanted to do one in Albion so customers would be better aware of services in the community.
Jacki Mowers-Sciarabba, the client advocate at the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, brought the idea of the expo to the Orleans County Human Services Council. Many agencies agreed to be at the event on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They will be at the Care Net Center of Greater Orleans, 111 West Ave. (across from McDonalds).
“The community doesn’t know the services available to them,” Mowers-Sciarabba said. “Winter is coming and it’s going to be hard.”
She said many people know of assistance through the Department of Social Services and HEAP. But there are other programs that can help, especially for senior citizens.
“There is a need for senior citizens to know what’s available to them,” Mowers-Sciarabba said. “But they are in a different mindset. They don’t look for help, so they suffer through it or they go without. I don’t want people to go without because they’re too proud. There are programs in place that can help them.”
Agencies will be at the expo discussing services in childcare, nutrition, healthcare, assisted living, mental health, and other services.
The following agencies or organizations are scheduled to be at the expo: Alzheimer’s Association, Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester, Cancer Services Program of Genesee & Orleans, Catholic Charities, Care Net Center of Greater Orleans, Child Care Resource & Referral, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, Cornell Cooperative Extension (nutrition educator), Early Childhood Direction Center, Early Head Start-Childcare Partnership Program, Empower of New York, Family & Children’s Services of Niagara, Fidelis Care, GCASA Prevention, Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern’s Just Friends program, Living Opportunities of DePaul, Mental Health Association of Genesee/Orleans, National Grid, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center’s Health Home Program, NYSEG, Orleans County New York Connects, Orleans County Office for the Aging, Planned Parenthood of Central and Western NY, Parent Network of Western NY, and WNY 211.
ALBION – The Orleans County Board of Elections is offering voter registration opportunities for county residents outside of normal business hours.
The Board of Elections staff will be at the BOE’s Albion office and at the Ridgeway Town Hall on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 3 to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 2 to 9 p.m. The Town Hall is located at 410 West Ave., Medina. The Board of Elections is located on the west wing of The Villages of Orleans, 14012 State Route 31, Albion.
Local registration gives residents the opportunity to vote in the Nov. 8 General Election and future elections.
The Board of Elections advises that a change to a voter’s party enrollment for next year must be received by the Board of Elections no later than Oct 14. Otherwise, any party change received after Oct. 14 will not take effect until November 2017.
Notice of an address change from any registered voter who moves within the county must be received by the Board of Elections no later than Oct. 19.
Applications for absentee ballots are available from the BOE office in Albion.
Any voters who will be out of the county on Election Day, or if they are ill or physically disabled, may contact the Board of Elections to apply for an absentee ballot. Absentee ballot applications returned by mail to the Board must be postmarked no later than Nov. 1. The last day to apply in person for an absentee ballot is Nov. 7.
Any questions, call the Board of Elections at (585) 589-3274.
Provided photo: Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower is pictured with the prescription drug drop box at the Public Safety Building in Albion. That spot is available for people to drop off unused prescription drugs during normal business hours.
Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower
ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will once again participate in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative.
Sheriff Randall Bower is pleased to announce that the Sheriff’s Office will again participate in this nationwide undertaking, which takes place on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. This is a collaborative effort with the U.S. Department of Justice – Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orleans County Health Department, and the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse (GCASA).
This initiative will allow the public to safely dispose of unused prescription medication, sharps and pet medications. The goal of this event is to provide a safe disposal method that will prevent the contamination of the water supply and most importantly decrease the likelihood of theft and abuse of prescription medications. Upon completion of this event all collected medication will be destroyed in the presence of law enforcement officers at a designated incineration facility.
Collection locations on Oct. 22 include:
• Orleans County Public Safety Building – 13925 State Route 31 – Albion;
• Holley Fire Department – 7 Thomas Street – Holley;
• Kendall Fire Department – 1879 Kendall Rd – Kendall;
• Lyndonville Fire Department – 148 N. Main Street – Lyndonville;
• Medina Fire Department – 600 Main Street – Medina.
This is a great opportunity for the public to surrender unwanted and/or expired medications for safe & proper disposal. Events such as these have dramatically reduced the risk of prescription drug diversion & abuse, as well as increasing awareness of this critical public health issue.
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson at 585-589-4310.
Special thanks to the Holley, Medina, Lyndonville and Kendall FDs for providing space in their facilities for this event.
