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.”

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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.

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.

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.

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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.

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Provided photo: Otto will arrive next week and will soon begin training with Jeff Cole, an Orleans County sheriff’s deputy.

ALBION – A flood of community donations has more than paid for a new K-9 to join the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

The County Legislature last week approved spending $8,500 for a German Shepherd from Upstate K-9 in Hilton. The dog named Otto is 2 years old and has been trained in Holland. Otto is due to arrive Oct. 13 at the Buffalo airport.

He will join handler Jeff Cole, a deputy at the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office the past decade. Cole and Otto will receive training together in tracking, obedience, article searches, criminal apprehension, as well as drug detection. Cole said the dog could be in service, at the earliest, on Feb. 1.

The Sheriff’s Office has received $9,465 in donations so far, with a $2,500 grant from the Walmart Community Grants Team the biggest donation. But Cole said many residents and businesses have donated to allow the Sheriff’s Office to move forward in acquiring the dog.

“It shows how much the community cares,” Cole said today.

The donations beyond the $8,500 cost for the dog will go towards equipment and training for the K-9 unit.

Cole said Otto will be an asset for local law enforcement for patrols and for narcotics detection.

“He is a phenomenal dog,” Cole said. “We’re very fortunate we were able to get him. A lot of other police departments wanted him.”

Those wishing to donate to the K-9 unit should make checks payable to the “Orleans County Treasurer” with a notation in the memo portion “For Sheriff K-9 Fund.” Checks should be mailed to the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, 13925 State Route 31,Suite 400, Albion, NY 14411.

Provided photo: Pictured today at Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension from left inlude Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Executive Director Deborah Roberts; BOCES 2 Asst. Superintendent for Accountability, Assessment and Technology Dr. Michelle Ryan; BOCES 2 District Superintendent Jo Anne Antonacci; Senator Rob Ortt; and Orleans/Niagara BOCES District Superintendent Clark Godshall, Ed.D.

Press Release, State Sen. Robert Ortt

KNOWLESVILLE – During a ceremonial check presentation today, Senator Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) delivered a total of $80,000 in state funding to support educational programs, services and projects throughout Niagara, Orleans and Monroe counties.

The Orleans/Niagara Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) received $45,000 for its nationally-recognized adult health care programs offered at both its locations in Sanborn and Medina. The funding will go toward purchasing medical equipment and supplies, hospital beds, and computerized manikins used for scenario-based simulations.

Adult/Continuing Education health care programs offered at O/N BOCES include Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN), Certified Nursing Assistant, Phlebotomy and Home Health Aide. With a high need for employees in the health care field, O/N BOCES is hoping the addition of new, state-of-the-art medical equipment will bolster the number of students in these programs.

Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES was presented with a $15,000 ceremonial check to expand its library instructional services for its students. BOCES 2 will purchase educational tools and technology that will provide the 34,000 students it serves with hands-on experiences and 21st century skills for college and career readiness.

Specifically, BOCES 2 plans to buy additional e-books, so that more students can access its collection, LEGO Robotics kits to teach kids about coding and how it works, MaKey MaKey Invention Kits to turn ordinary objects into touch pads that connect to the Internet, and green screen kits to superimpose images. The technology will enhance creative thinking skills and problem solving skills in students and help them find solutions to everyday situations.

Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension received $20,000 in funding that will be used to implement the Ag in the Classroom and Community Program. Working with school districts and community organizations in Orleans County, the non-profit plans to teach kids, ranging in ages from 3 to 18 years old, about agriculture. The program provides kids with a better understanding of where their food comes from and how it’s produced, and aims to build an interest in agricultural science-related career paths.

The funding was secured by Senator Ortt in the 2016-17 State Budget in addition to state aid secured last year.

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Orleans County has the highest percentage of people in poverty in the nine-county Finger Lakes region, according to a new report from the Rochester Community Foundation and ACT Rochester.

In Orleans County, 15.5 percent of the county’s 42,000 residents were living in poverty in 2014, up by 3.4 percentage points. The rate is much higher in the villages of Albion and Medina. The report states that 20.5 percent of Medina’s 5,962 residents live in poverty. In Albion, the rate is 26.8 percent of 5,799 people in the village, a rate only topped by 27.5 percent in the Village of Webster and 33.8 percent of the City of Rochester. (Medina and Albion are two of nine villages in the nine-county region with poverty rates above 20 percent.)

The federal poverty level in 2016 is $11,880 for a household of one, $16,020 for a household of two, $20,160 for a family of three, and $24,300 for a household of four.

Orleans leads the region at a 15.5 percent poverty rate. Other counties aren’t too far behind: Monroe and Yates, 15.4%; Livingston, 14.7%; Seneca, 13.0%; Genesee, 12.6%; Wayne, 11.9%; Ontario, 10.4%; Wyoming, 10.2%.

“Rising poverty threatens our children and our future,” said Jennifer Leonard, president and CEO of the community foundation. “These unwelcome statistics underscore the importance of the coordinated, strategic actions we’re taking to lift our community’s trajectory.”

Ed Fancher is executive director of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. He said the agency has seen an increase in people needing help paying bills and providing food and basic needs for their families. Many of the people have jobs, but their wages aren’t enough to cover their bills, Fancher said.

“Most of the people who are poor don’t want to be poor,” Fancher said. “Day to day they are doing the best they can to get through.”

Community Action runs a food pantry and tries to help people facing utility shut-offs and other emergencies.

“We’ve seen an uptick in people at our front door,” Fancher said. “We see a lot of people who are struggling day to day to keep going.”

There are anti-poverty initiatives and funding, but Fancher said the state tends to direct most of those funds to cities.

The report from the Rochester Community Foundation and ACT Rochester notes that Orleans County’s population shrunk 5 percent from 2000 to 2014. Orleans has the highest rate of single parenthood in the region, and higher proportions of Orleans residents rely on some form of public assistance, particularly the Medicaid health insurance program for low-income and disabled residents. Despite those statistics, student performance on state tests is strong and the high school graduation rate exceeds the region and state, according to the report.

Here are some highlights on Orleans County in the poverty report.

• The child poverty rate in Orleans has increased since 2000 and is now tied for 2nd highest in the region at 23 percent.
• In 2010-14, 17% of Orleans households consisted of married couples with children, an 8-point decline from 2000.
• Orleans had the smallest share in the region of married couples with children, and the largest share of single parents with children in 2010-14.
• In 2014, tourism revenue per resident was $560, well below the state ($3,160) and region ($1,280). Only Wayne County had lower revenue per resident than Orleans.
• In 2010-14, 43% of families were headed by a single parent, above the nation (35%), state (37%), region (39%), and every other county in the region.
• 

  There were some positives in the latest poverty report about Orleans County, including growth in manufacturing jobs. This photo from September 2014 shows a 48,000-square-foot addition taking shape at Brunner International in Medina.

  In 2014, there were 27 cases of child abuse and neglect per 1,000 children under 18, more than the state (17) and region (15). Only Seneca and Yates had higher rates than Orleans in the region.

• The teen pregnancy rate in 2013 was 4.0%, higher than the state (3.7%), region (2.9%), and every regional county.
• The voter registration rate in Orleans fell from a peak of 83% in 2005 to 73% in 2014, below the regional and state rates of 79% and 76% respectively.

• Orleans also had relatively lower voter turnout with just 29% of registered voters casting ballots in the 2014 midterms, below the region (35%) and every county in the region. Turnout fell by 5 points from 34% in the 2010 midterms.

• In 2014, the unemployment rate in Orleans was 7.6%. It fell from a high of 9.7% in 2012, but the 2014 rate was higher than the nation (6.2%), state (6.3%), region (5.8%), and every other county in the region.

• Total jobs in Orleans fell slightly from 2013 to 2014 (0.1%), in contrast to increases in the state (1.8%), nation (1.9%), and region (0.8%).
• The manufacturing sector in Orleans grew by 27% from 2001 to 2014 – an extraordinary achievement, given large losses in the nation (23%), state (33%) and region (34%). Orleans was the only county to experience more than a 5% increase in manufacturing jobs over that period.
• In 2014, the average salary in Orleans was $38,800, an increase of 10% from 2000. This compares to an increase of 6% nationally, 7% for the state, and no change for the region. However, Orleans’ salary in 2014 was lower than the nation ($51,400), state ($65,900), and region ($45,100).
• Orleans has had extraordinary growth in prekindergarten participation, and has the highest rate in the region. In 2014, 64% of eligible Orleans children were enrolled in prekindergarten, higher than the state (44%), region (40%), and every other county. The rate rose by 52 points from 2001, outpacing the state and regional increases (both 29 points).
• In 2010-14, the median household income in Orleans was $48,000, the lowest among the counties in the region and well below the nation ($53,500), state ($58,700), and region ($52,300).

• Median income in Orleans fell by 11% from 2000 to 2010-14, a larger drop than the state (5%) and region (6%).

For more on the report, click here.

File photo by Tom Rivers: The county is also planning to add shore power for the Marine Park on the Oak Orchard River.

ALBION – Last year the docks were redone with a new composite deck surface. This year a new playground opened at the Orleans County Marine Park on Route 98 in Carlton.

The upgrades aren’t done. The county is looking to upgrade shore power for boaters at the park.

The County legislature last week authorized spending $22,820 to Labella Associates in Rochester to study ways to upgrade electricity for the docks, and also to prepare bid documents for contractors interested in the project.

The county may also look to have cable television available for boaters if it’s not cost prohibitive, said Jim Bensley, the county’s Planning Department director and manager of the Marine Park.

The park has 72 boating slips and has been at near capacity this season, Bensley said. The park opens on April 15 and closes Oct. 30.

Bensley said the electricity could be upgraded this year after Oct. 30. If cold and snowy weather comes in November, the work could be completed next spring before April 15.

The state has provided a $81,500 grant towards the Marine Park upgrades, which have been estimated at $166,000. That includes the playground, new decking, electricity, and WiFi improvements.

The Legislature approved other expenses last week, including:

• $48,350 to Mader Construction of Elma to refinish and repair the Public Safety Building’s exterior stucco.

• $13,500 to CID LLC of Rochester to paint the stairs at the Fire Training Tower at the Emergency Management Office on West County House Road.

• $28,750 to Grove Roofing Services of Buffalo for a new asphalt roof on the second floor of the Public Safety Building.

• $26,250 to purchase six mobile data terminals from Island Tech Services in Ronkonkoma, NY, with the terminals to be used by the Sheriff’s Department. The mobile data terminals are being paid for by a state grant.

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File by Tom Rivers: Marcy Downey performed several popular songs from the 1950s and 1960s during a concert Feb. 19 at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina, as part of the library’s Finally Fridays concert series during the winter. Lee-Whedon has hosted that series for 15 years.

ALBION – The four public libraries in Orleans County once again are seeking a funding increase from the county to the level of $1 per person or $42,883.

The libraries in Albion (Hoag Library), Holley (Community Free Library), Lyndonville (Yates Community Library) and Medina (Lee-Whedon Memorial Library) currently 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.

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.

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

“With a poverty rate in Orleans County of 15.5 percent, not every family can afford to buy books, pay for Internet access, or enroll their children in educational summer camps,” Kristine Mostyn, assistant director at Lee-Whedon, told the county officials.

She noted the recent summer reading program attracted 2,230 participants who combined read 3,604 books. She said the libraries partner with local agencies, parks programs, businesses, museums, zoos and other organizations for programs.

Betty Sue Miller, director at the Hoag Library in Albion, said the library is a critical resource for many in the community who would otherwise not have Internet access. The four libraries and others in three counties share materials as part of the NIOGA library system, Miller said.

Sandra Shaw of the Community Free Library said the local libraries “are living, breathing entities that change with time and technology.” The libraries provide basic computer training, and show patrons how to use some of the latest gadgets, from e-readers, iPads, and MP3 players.

Catherine Cooper, the Lee-Whedon director, said libraries are under constraints of the tax cap, which set a target cap of 2 percent increases annually, although it has been smaller than that in recent years because the cap is tied to inflation.

“It’s quite difficult,” Cooper said today about staying under the cap. “The amount you are allowed to raise is not very much.”

If there was an increase in county support, Cooper said libraries would likely use the funds to offer more materials and programs.

The county budget is typically adopted in late November or early December.

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ALBION – It will be a quiet local election season this year after highly contested races a year ago, highlighted by the three-way race for Orleans County sheriff.

This year, the district attorney is the highest-ranking position on the local ballot. Joseph Cardone of Medina has served as DA since 1992. He is endorsed by the Republican Party and doesn’t face opposition for another four-year term.

There are three four-year terms as coroner on the ballot. Republicans have endorsed incumbents Scott Schmidt (also backed by the Democratic Party), Rocco Sidari (also backed by the Conservative Party) and Charles Smith for the position. Katy Owczarczak has been endorsed by the Democrats.

The election for coroner is the only contested race for local candidates.

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.

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