By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 September 2016 at 3:40 pm
ALBION – Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower wants to add a second full-time animal control officer. Kathy Smith, the lone full-timer, handles the job with some part-time help.
“I don’t know how one person can do it,” Bower told town and county officials during a recent meeting of the Association of Municipalities.
The county currently spends about $77,000 for animal control, with the 10 towns contributing $30,000. Animal control is technically a town responsibility, according to the State Department of Agriculture & Markets.
County officials don’t want an increase in county tax dollars going to a service that, by state law, should be run by the towns.
Bower is proposing the towns triple their current contributions towards the service to $90,000 combined to allow for additional animal control officer. Ridgeway and Albion currently pay the most among the 10 towns, about $5,000 each.
Bower said a second full-time officer would ensure weekend coverage and improved service. The county handles the bulk of the animal control calls. The Village of Medina had an animal control officer, but bowed out of the service earlier this year when Police Chief Jose Avila retired. He tended to many of the animal control calls.
The Village of Albion also keeps a part-time animal control officer with Harry Papponetti to bolster the service in Albion.
The county is limited in the tax cap and doesn’t want to use that small cushion for a service that is a town responsibility, said Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer.
Without an increase in money from the towns, Nesbitt said the county may have to scale back animal control if it’s a tight budget year.
The towns and county are all working on their budgets for 2017. Those spending plans are typically approved in November or early December.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 September 2016 at 3:28 pm
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature issued a proclamation declaring September as “Hunger Action Month.” Legislator Don Allport, left, reads the proclamation with, from left: Annette Finch, community service director for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee; Phil Shippers, director of member programs & services for Foodlink; Morgan McKenzie, member services manager for Foodlink; and Legislator Ken DeRoller.
Shippers said Foodlink has provided 737,000 pounds of food to residents in Orleans County. Community Action has a year-round food pantry and other emergency services for residents.
County legislators also issued a proclamation for “Sheriff’s Week” from Sept. 18-24. Legislator John DeFillipps reads the proclamation while joined by Sheriff Randy Bower and Legislator Lynne Johnson. Bower said his office has several activities planned for the week.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 September 2016 at 5:55 pm
GOMOC delivers about 700 couches, refrigerators, other items a year
Photo by Tom Rivers: Laverne Bates executive director of the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, stands by the furniture truck that has been sidelined due to engine trouble, bad brakes and other breakdowns.
ALBION — A popular local program that connects used donated furniture and appliances with needy recipients has come to a standstill.
The Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern has been using a 2004 GMC Savana van. The vehicle has about 160,000 miles and needs another engine, and other costly repairs totaling $8,000.
“It’s been in deteriorating mechanical health,” said Laverne Bates, executive director for the Ministry of Concern, which is known as ‘The Agency of Last Resort.”
The Ministry of Concern would prefer to buy a used vehicle for about $10,000. That could get a delivery truck with about 100,000 miles.
The Ministry of Concern doesn’t have the money for either repairs or another vehicle. Donations from the community will be needed to get the furniture program back on the road.
The delivery vehicle has been sidelined for three weeks now. Thursday morning two people called to donate items. There are about 100 people on a waiting list for furniture and appliances – refrigerators, stoves, washers and dryers.
“These are costly items that can be nearly impossible for poor and working poor families to afford new and even harder to locate in second-hand stores,” Bates said.
The furniture program is the costliest effort by the Ministry of Concern. It accounts for about $50,000 of the agency’s annual budget of about $180,000. Two part-time employees run the furniture program, which on average makes deliveries to 23 families each month or nearly 300 a year.
Bates and Nyla Gaylord, GOMOC’s grant writer, say there is a rising number of working poor in the community who can use the furniture and appliances that are given by others.
The Ministry of Concern provides the important service of picking up the items and matching them to a different owner. GOMOC also has a storage area on Platt Street for many of the items.
Bates said the program often comes through with dressers and beds for families, including those who have suffered fires, flooding and infestations. Sometimes families are in transition due to domestic violence, job loss or other family issues, he said.
Bates was happy this morning when a check for $100, the first donation towards the van, arrived in the mail.
Donors should send checks marked “Furniture Truck” to GOMOC, 121 N. Main St., Albion, NY 14411. For more information on GOMOC, visit www.ministryofconcern.com, or call the agency at (585) 589-9210.
Provided photos: State Sen. Robert Ortt, center, is pictured with Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower, left, and District Attorney Joe Cardone.
ALBION – State Sen. Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) stopped in Orleans County today to deliver three checks for $40,000 in state funding to support public safety efforts and educational programs in Orleans County. He also presented a check for $15,000 for a museum in Spencerport.
During a check presentation ceremony in Orleans County, Ortt presented the Sheriff’s Office with a $10,000 check, and the District Attorney’s Office with $15,000. The funds will be used to purchase new equipment for public protection efforts, Ortt’s office said.
Additionally, Senator Ortt presented the Medina Railroad Museum with a $15,000 check to paint two railroad passenger dining cars.
The railcars will be used to educate the public about the historic 20th Century Limited express passenger train that operated on the former New York Central Railroad. The dining cars are expected to be open to the public this winter.
Ortt also announced $15,000 in Monroe County for the Spencerport Deport and Canal Museum, a site that helps tell the story of the Erie Canal.
The money can be used to assist with educational services and programming, purchasing materials, renovations, operations, or events that serve the community.
Ortt, right, is pictured at the Medina Railroad Museum with, from left: Spencerport Deport and Canal Museum President Ted Rauber; Spencerport Deport and Canal Museum Director Nora Venezky; Medina Railroad Museum Board President Rick Henn; and Medina Railroad Museum Director/Founder Martin Phelps.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 August 2016 at 4:40 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers A Holley fire truck and firefighter are near the scene of a gas leak on Thursday morning in the Village of Holley. Residents who signed up for the “Orleans Aware” notification system were told to shelter in place with their windows closed.
HOLLEY – On Thursday morning more than 500 people were sent notifications through their phones about a big gas leak in the Village of Holley.
The village residents were told to shelter in place, close their windows and not turn their electricity on or off. This was the first time Orleans County emergency management officials deployed the system while in the field.
Dale Banker, the county’s emergency management director, was in Holley, and called a colleague to post information on street closings and safety instructions for village residents. That was sent through the “Orleans Aware” app.
The county introduced that app on May 25. It includes information about hazardous weather, detours, evacuation routes, emergency shelters and the option for families to create their own disaster ready plan for their home.
Some Holley residents complained on the Orleans Hub Facebook page that there should be a robo-call emergency notification system because many didn’t know about the shelter in place message. Banker said Orleans Aware functions as a real-time notification system.
It just needs more people to sign up. Orleans and Genesee were the first two counties to introduce the mobile app on May 25. The county has used the app to send out notices about the Route 98 construction in Albion and Gaines, railroad crossing improvements, and other road projects.
For more information on Orleans Aware, click here and here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 August 2016 at 12:24 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Panek Coatings of Albion was up early today painting the Orleans County Clerks’ Building and the County Courthouse. The historic buildings are getting a fresh coat of paint.
Panek is painting the two buildings, both named to the National Register of Historic Places, for $106,450.
Panek has several employees working on the project which started in late July.
Panek’s painters use lifts to get the high spots on the buildings.
Provided photo – Chris Bourke is shown with K9 Cim.
ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is pushing to re-establish its K-9 unit following the retirement and death of Cim, a drug-detecting dog.
Cim was diagnosed with cancer last year and cancerous tumors were removed in the summer of 2015. Cim was retired from service in December after long-time handler Chris Bourke became undersheriff on Jan. 1. Bourke was a lieutenant in the Sheriff’s Office.
Cim had an additional surgery this past spring, and succumbed to cancer in June.
“Cim was an excellent working dog with a great personality,” Bourke said.
The dog was trained in patrol, drug detection, obedience, tracking and article search.
“Cim was a great liaison for the Sheriff’s Office and performed many demonstrations for groups and schools,” Bourke said.
The Sheriff’s Office is re-establishing the K-9 Unit and recently named Deputy Jeffrey Cole to be the new handler. Bourke said the Sheriff’s Office has located a canine and is in the process of evaluating the dog. The Sheriff’s Office also will be looking to upgrade the 9-year-old K-9 patrol vehicle.
Many community members and local businesses have expressed interest in contributing to this cause, Bourke said. The Orleans County Sheriff’s has established an account to facilitate the donations which will be used for purchasing and training the canine and deputy, outfitting the vehicle, training aides, and other equipment needed for the K-9 Unit.
“Any contribution for the canine unit is greatly appreciated and accepted as they minimize the impact of this great resource on the Orleans County taxpayer,” Bourke said.
Checks should be made 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.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 August 2016 at 2:03 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers Zachary Boos was one of three inmates to earn his high school equivalency degree while taking classes in the Orleans County Jail. The graduates were celebrated Friday during a program at the jail. “Thank you everybody for allowing us to move forward in life,” Boos said. “I really appreciate it.”
ALBION – Three inmates were praised during a graduation ceremony at the Orleans County Jail on Friday. The inmates passed the rigorous Test Assessing Secondary Completion, the much-harder replacement of the former General Educational Development (GED).
The two-day test on July-25-26 measured students’ skills in English, math, science, social studies and reading.
Ryan Adkins, Zachary Boos and Michael Borrero all showed a tremendous desire to learn and pass the test, said their teacher Jeff Smith, an adult literacy instructor with the Orleans/Niagara BOCES, which runs the program at the jail.
“They all had the ‘want to’ and the will,” Smith said. “All I had to do is point them in the right direction.”
Jeff Smith, a teacher in the county jail, congratulates his students for earning their degrees. In addition to Adkins, Boos and Borrero passing the test, two other inmates, Shawna Weis and Nancy Kertstetter, passed the test in March.
“This was not easy,” Smith told the graduates. “This is a major accomplishment. It’s not an end-all, but it’s a door of opportunity.”
Ryan Adkins was the first inmate to speak and he thanked his grandmother and others for not giving up on him.
“I want to thank everybody for giving us a chance,” Adkins said during the program at the jail. “It was really hard.”
Ryan Adkins holds a certificate showing he earned his high school equivalency degree. He is pictured with, from left: Dr. Clark Godshall, superintendent of the Orleans/Niagara BOCES; Sue Diemert, Orleans/Niagara BOCES Literacy Specialist; Jeff Smith, adult literacy teacher; Sheriff Randy Bower; and Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson.
Albion Central School ran the adult literacy program in the jail for many years before contracting with BOCES this past school year. The Orleans/Niagara BOCES also runs a similar program in Niagara County at the jail in Lockport.
Smith was working in the Niagara jail before coming to Albion to work with Orleans inmates. Godshall said Smith has a good rapport with the students, pushing them to learn and stay motivated.
Michael Borrero said he appreciates the chance to earn his degree while in jail. “I want to thank everyone for putting the hard work into it,” he said.
Scott Wilson, the jail superintendent, addressed the graduates, and said there futures are now much brighter after earning the degree.
“We hope this will be a stepping stone for you guys,” he said.
Smith, the adult literacy teacher, suggested having a graduation ceremony for the inmates, and the jail superintendent and sheriff both supported the idea.
Sheriff Randy Bower addresses the graduates and urges them to keep working to improve themselves.
“They key here is to keep it up,” Bower told them. “Don’t ever stop working.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 August 2016 at 2:41 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers – Sheriff Randy Bower talks with deputies and members of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office last week when Jim DeFilipps was recognized at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds as NY Deputy of the Year.
ALBION – Sheriff Randy Bower was elected last November with some bold initiatives, including drug treatment services for inmates in the County Jail.
Bower said the Sheriff’s Office has met many of his goals in his six months of office, including a new Sheriffs Transition Addiction Management Program (STAMP), which provides inmates with drug and mental health counseling. Inmates approved for the program also receive Vivitrol, a drug that helps block opiate cravings.
Bower went over some of the highlights of his first six months in office in a report last week to the Orleans County Legislature.
• The Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the Erie County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division K9 Unit to have a drug-sniffing dog come through the jail to search for drugs. Bower said it has made the jail safer and been a deterrent for people trying to smuggle in contraband.
• In the first months of the year, deputies have made 526 traffic stops, served 501 papers, responded to 317 motor vehicle accidents and 167 alarms, executed 57 warrants, and responded to 18 assaults, 45 burglaries, 106 larcenies, 116 calls for harassment or aggravated harassment, and 61 overdoses or psychiatric calls.
• The Sheriff’s Office has pushed to bring a “STOP DWI” traveling display to local school districts. The display includes victim statements, personal items from crashes, newspaper clippings and aftermath accounts.
Provided photo – Chief Deputy Michael Mele and Holley Principal Sue Cory are pictured with the STOP DWI “Courage to Serve” traveling display at the Holley school in April.
• The Sheriff’s Office has collected more than 1,000 pounds of prescription narcotics during drug take-back days. There is a drug take-back bin in the lobby of the Sheriff’s Office and Bower said he wants drug take-back collections sites to also be available at the Albion, Holley and Medina police departments.
• The Sheriff’s Office has boosted participation in community events, including DWI crash simulations at local school districts during prom and graduation season.
• The Orleans County Marine Division added patrols along the Erie Canal, using an $8,000 state grant. The Marine Division also patrols 24 miles of Lake Ontario shoreline and Lake Alice.
• On June 15, the Sheriff’s Office and County Highway Department erected a roadside sign on Gaines Basin Road in memory of Deputy David Whittier, who was struck by a drunk driver on the road. He died on Sept. 8, 1989. Bower said Whittier is believed to be the only Orleans County deputy to die in the line of duty.
Photo by Tom Rivers – This sign was installed on Gaines Basin Road, about a quarter mile south of Route 104. The marker is a memorial for Deputy David Whittier, who was fatally injured here in 1989.
• The Sheriff’s Office added a part-time animal control officer, Ariel Strickland, to help with a high call volume, Bower said. Starting June 1, the county assumed animal control duties in the Village of Medina.
• Bower, in his campaign for sheriff, wanted public safety dispatchers to have access to school cameras in case of an emergency inside schools. Medina has partnered with dispatch to allow access to its cameras, and Bower said he is working to have all school districts in agreement by the start of the new school year.
“The men and woman of the Sheriff’s Department have really stepped it up,” Bower told county legislators in highlighting the initiatives.
The sheriff has other goals including establishment of a K9 service to be led by Deputy Jeff Cole. Bower also said he is pursuing grant funding for a bomb-sniffing dog.
Bower has also reached out to the faith community and has about a dozen chaplains, from a diversity of faiths and denominations, available to assist staff on calls.
“A lot has happened and we’re excited about some of the new programs being developed,” said David Callard, Legislature chairman.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 July 2016 at 2:33 pm
ALBION – The paint has been flaking off the historic Orleans County Courthouse in recent years.
The iconic building, the centerpiece of the Historic Courthouse Square, will soon be repainted. The County Legislature on Wednesday approved a bid from Panek Coatings of Albion to paint the building, as well as the neighboring County Clerks’ Building, for $106,450.
Construction of the courthouse was completed in 1858 in the ornate Greek Revival style. The dome is 36 feet wide.
The courthouse and 34 other buildings are part of the Courthouse Square Historic District, which was included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Most of the $106,450 bid by Panek is focused on the courthouse, but the Clerks’ Building will also be painted. That building was built in 1888 and brought the Eastlake architectural style to Albion’s Courthouse Square.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 July 2016 at 2:29 pm
The unemployment rate in Orleans County fell to 5.0 percent in June 2016, that’s down from 6.2 percent in June 2015, according to the state Department of Labor.
The state-wide unemployment rate was 4.5 percent last month, compared to 5.2 percent in June 2015.
The DOL reports there were 17,200 people working in Orleans last month, compared to 900 unemployed. That compares to 17,300 working in June 2015, and 1,100 who were unemployed.
The unemployment rates for other nearby counties include: Niagara, 4.8; Monroe, 4.3; Erie, 4.4; Genesee, 3.8; Wyoming, 4.1; and Livingston, 4.4.
Columbia County has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in the state at 3.2 percent, and the Bronx has the highest at 7.0 percent.
The state DOL reports the state’s private sector job count increased by 120,700 since June 2015. In June 2016, the number of private sector jobs in the state was an all-time high at 7,918,400, according to the DOL.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 July 2016 at 2:27 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Main Street lift bridge in Albion is slated for rehabilitation in 2018-19 as part of the DOT’s capital plan. The Albion bridge, plus the one on Route 19 in Brockport, are scheduled for $7.8 million in rehab work.
ALBION – A five-year capital by the State Department of Transportation includes repairs to the lift bridge on Main Street in Albion, $13 million to rehab six other canal bridges in Orleans County, and money to pave the Lake Ontario State Parkway.
Orleans County officials have been pressing the state to spend money to fix bridges and pave the Parkway. The DOT plan includes more than $14 million for Parkway work and nearly all of it is in Monroe County.
The Parkway paving includes $8.97 million to pave the parkway from Route 19 east to Payne Beach, and $5.2 million to pave the Parkway from Route 19 in Hamlin to Route 237 in Kendall. The Parkway paving projects are slated for 2017-18.
Some of the other projects in Orleans, identified in the capital plan, include:
• $430,000 in preventive maintenance for 8 bridges in Orleans County (2016-17)
• $3.13 million to pave Route 98 in Albion (2017-18)
• $13 million to rehab six bridges over the Erie Canal in Orleans County (2017-18)
• $1.63 million for Holley pavement preservation on Route 31 and 237 (2018-19)
• $7.8 million for lift bridge rehab on Route 98 in Albion and Route 19 in Brockport (2018-19)
• $1.35 million for bridge rehabilitation on Route 104 over Oak Orchard Creek (2019-20)
State Senator Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) highlighted the list of projects. He said he was pleased to see several canal bridges in the five-year DOT capital program plan.
In addition to the bridge construction work, the state will install sensors on weight restricted canal lift bridges to monitor the structural integrity and to better assess appropriate corrective measures, Ortt said.
“For years, our local roads and bridges have been dangerously underfunded by the state,” Ortt said. “For the first time in more than a decade, the State Legislature has achieved true parity in transportation funding between upstate and downstate – the DOT and the MTA – with $27.1 billion for each entity over a five-year period.”
There are 16 lift bridges on the canal and seven of them are in Orleans County. There are more than a dozen other steel truss canal bridges in Orleans that are about a century old.
“This money is a good start to help fix the structural problems in our region,” Ortt said. “The infrastructure improvements to the two canal lift bridges will contribute to economic growth while maintaining the safety of the individuals who use them, including our farmers and emergency personnel. We need reliable infrastructure to stimulate the economy, create jobs and protect future generations.”
A complete list of DOT projects can be found by clicking here.
Photo courtesy of Sharon Gavenda – People are pictured at Point Breeze during sunset on Thursday.
The severity of the drought conditions in Orleans County and Western New York has intensified, according to a weekly update released Thursday by the United States Drought Monitor.
Last week Orleans County was considered to be in “moderate drought.” Now, much of the county is in “severe drought,” according to the Drought Monitor.
State-wide, 11.39 percent of the land mass is considered in severe drought, while 44.39 percent is in moderate drought and 89.57 percent is considered at least abnormally dry, which is an improvement from a week earlier when 93.67 was considered at least abnormally dry.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 July 2016 at 9:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – More than 700 cyclists passed through Orleans County on the 18th annual “Cycle the Erie Canal” ride. The 8-day trip started Sunday in Buffalo and ends 400 miles later in Albany.
The group started in Medina this morning and headed east to Rochester. The top photo shows cyclists looking over granola bars and other snacks and drinks provided for free by the Albion Merchants Association. many community members donated to the bounty to make the cyclists feel welcome on a hot day.
After riding about 10 miles this morning, cyclists take a break in Albion. Many of the riders ventured up down Main Street to visit some of the historical sites in Albion, including the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church, which was open early for tours.
Mike Kennedy of Troy (pictured) is riding in the canal trek for the 14th time. About a third of the cyclists are repeat riders in Cycling the Erie Canal.
“I’m hooked,” Kennedy said about the annual trip. “After this many years I have a great many friends.”
Kennedy works as a sous chef for the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy. He said training for the annual cycling trip provides motivation to exercise.
Deborah Fortune of Troy was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. After fighting the disease for a year, “I decided to do things I always wanted to do.”
That included climbing the fire towers in the Adirondack and Catskills mountains. She decided to do the long canal ride. She is using the ambitious trip to also raise funds for Make-A-Wish. Click here to see her fund-raising page.
Patricia Fahy, a member of the State Assembly from Albany, is making the canal trip with her daughter Eileen Bequette. Fahy is also on Assembly committees for the environment and tourism. She is using the 400 mile-trip to experience the canal communities and brainstorm ways to better promote the canal and the communities along the historic waterway.
“This is a great way to learn about New York,” she said in Albion this morning.
Some of the cyclists stop in Albion for a break and also to take photos of the lift bridge and some of Albion’s historic downtown buildings.
It was a calm morning to be out riding along the canal.
This rider heads east in Albion.
After staying overnight in Medina, the cyclists rode to Rochester today. They stopped in Holley which is an official hospitality stop on the trip.
Holley had a sampling of baked goods, fruits, coffee, water and other snacks and beverages.
Greg Francese, assistant director of the ride for Parks and Trails (organizer of Cycling the Erie Canal), said the strong reception in the canal communities makes a big impression on the cyclists.
“it speaks to the generous spirit of the communities,” Francese said in Holley.
These cyclists cross the lift bridge in Holley after visiting Holley’s Canal Park.
These two cyclists met on Cycling the Erie Canal last year. They have become friends and they promote dancing each day on the canal.
Linda Ranslow of Pittsford, left, rode the bike trip last year for a big achievement the year she turned 60. Dennis Doyle of Camillus took the ride after retiring. They both said they wanted to meet new friends and ended up meeting each other the first day. They have stayed close ever since.
Ranslow is blogging about the bike ride. Click here to see her blog.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 July 2016 at 8:00 am
Six-concert series concludes in Holley
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Old Hippies perform a concert from on top of a house boat on Sunday evening in Albion. The band, which is calling itself itself “The Traveling Towpath Troubadours” for the canal concert series, played in Medina earlier in the day. It also performed in Lockport Friday and Saturday, and Middleport on Saturday evening before arriving in Medina on Sunday.
The Troubadours will play in Holley today (Monday) at noon and also at 6 p.m. at the village’s canal park.
The Troubadours include Bill McDonald, Kay McDonald and Vinny Pastore. The band played the canal concert series for the first time last summer, and returned with an expanded schedule this year. The Old Hippies are pictured with the Ingersoll Street lift bridge in the back.
The boat is tied up between the two lift bridges in Albion for the Sunday evening concert.
Vinny Pastore plays the violin with the Orleans County Courthouse visible in back.
The band performed on a sunny evening with calm water on the canal.
Vinny Pastore, Kay McDonald and Bill McDonald entertain the crowd in Albion.
The band is trying to promote the historic Erie Canal as part of the concert series.
Bill and Kay McDonald are perched high on the house boat during their concert Sunday evening.
A local band – Crandall, Wood, and Main – opened for the Troubadours.
