Photo by Tom Rivers
GAINES – Icicles hang from Tillman’s Village Inn at around noon today.
The National Weather Service has issued a freezing rain advisory for Friday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The advisory includes Orleans County and much of Western New York.
The Weather Service warns that roadways will likely be slick especially on elevated surfaces, including bridges and overpasses.
Photos courtesy of Peggy Barringer – Peggy Barringer went out looking for a Snowy Owl on Sunday. She has taken photos before of a Snowy Owl at the Genesee County Airport in Batavia. The Albion resident headed to airport Sunday afternoon and was pleased when she saw an owl perched on a fence.
More snow is on the way. The National Weather Service is warning that 8 to 15 inches of heavy snow could accumulate in Orleans County, the Niagara Frontier and Western Southern Tier from 7 p.m. today until 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Weather Service says 4 to 8 inches are expected this evening and tonight, with another 4 to 7 inches on Tuesday.
The visibility could be less than a quarter of a mile at times. The worst travel conditions will occur around the time of the Tuesday morning commute, the Weather Service said.
Barringer also took this photo of snow-covered berries in front of the entrance of Orchard Manor in Medina.
Provided photo, Community Action – Community Action of Orleans and Genesee was awarded a $3,200 grant from the Kelly for Kids Foundation for 2016. Bonnie Malakie, director of Children and Youth Services at Community Action, receives the check last month from Jim Kelly, the Hall of Fame quarterback for the Buffalo Bills.
The Kelly For Kids Foundation awarded 34 grants to Western New York not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organizations to help fund their initiatives. Kelly for Kids was founded in 1987 by Jim Kelly to assist children in need in the Western New York area.
Community Action was nominated for this grant by Danielle Rotundo, of Terry Hill’s Golf Course, Restaurant and Banquet Facility.
This grant, specifically for the Batavia Head Start Program, will allow for partnering with parents to support them in being their child’s first and most important teacher. With this grant, Community Action will offer classes/workshops and materials for parents of Head Start children to assist them in working with children at home. The classes will focus on increasing children’s literacy and math skills.
The Kelly for Kids grant will also be used to conduct two Head Start family events (children, parents, and siblings) that focuses on making literacy and math fun through interactive games, stories, refreshments, and materials/resources that can be taken home for future use.
Helping parents understand that learning about literacy and mathematics can be “fun for the family” will also engage them in a meaningful way. A similar program is being funded through the Albion Rotary Club in the 2015-16 year for Head Start and Albion Central School District.
The Batavia Head Start program serves children and families age birth-5 throughout Genesee County, who meet the eligibility requirements. This is a highly regulated program with an emphasis on preparing children for school and future life experiences. Parent engagement in the education of their child is vital.
Photos by Kristina Gabalski – Kim Hazel (left), Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension agriculture and horticulture senior adminsitrative assistant, and Nutrition Educator Natalie Heller sign the Nutritious Gatherings Pledge at the OCCCE offices in Knowlesville.
KNOWLSEVILLE – Hitting the drive-through to pick up donuts for sharing at the office can be a very easy thing to do, said Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H Educator Robert Batt. But it only takes a few more minutes to stop at the grocery store and select healthier choices like fruit, fresh veggies and cheese.
Extension staff in Orleans County are signing a Nutritious Gatherings Pledge – which will hang in their office at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville. The Extension staff members commit themselves to have “healthy foods for staff gatherings including breaks and meetings.”
Those healthy food options include cheeses, apples, nuts, hummus, yogurts, carrots, other fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy baked goods.
Batt said staff members realized they were frequently snacking on donuts and pastries at the office with some unpleasant results. The habit was making them feel sluggish in the middle of the workday and even packed on pounds.
Horticulture Educator Katie Oakes, for example, noticed she gained weight after starting at Extension last spring, Batt said. The staff recently decided things needed to change and the idea for a nutritious eating pledge surfaced.
Nutrition information and help in making healthy choices is available from Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program.
Natalie Heller, Nutrition Educator for the Extension’s Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), says she is excited about the change. “We all want to eat healthy and feel good,” she explained.
Physical activity and movement also play a part in living a healthy lifestyle at work, Heller said.
“We take a 15-minute break every day and walk on the Fitness Trail (located on the fairgrounds),” she said. “It helps with mental clarity and gives you more energy.”
Sweet treats are not completely banned under the pledge, but limited to special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, awards, holidays, new hires and retires.
“That’s what we’re trying to teach our 4-H’ers,” Robert Batt said. “Treats are for special occasions.”
He said the Nutritious Gatherings Pledge helps staff members to be role models for 4-H’ers and also for other agency workers.
“We are challenging other agencies in Orleans County (to take the Nutritious Gatherings Pledge), to see if they are up to the challenge,” Heller said.
She noted that there are lots of possibilities for healthy snacks including salsa, pitas, whole grain chips, “options that are satisfying but healthier than having brownies,” Heller said.
A Healthy & Homemade 2016 Nutrition and Fitness Calendar is one of the many helpful sources of nutrition/healthy eating information available from the Extension.
Healthy baked goods fit under the pledge as well. The staff recently tried pumpkin muffins and also enjoyed healthy dips like fruit and peanut butter dip to go with fresh fruits and vegetables.
“You can use applesauce instead of oil in recipes and whole grain flour – or a mix of while and whole grain flour,” Heller said.
She is available to visit agencies and offices to make presentations on nutrition and healthy eating and can be contacted at 585-798-4265 ext. 24/ email: nah93@cornell.edu.
The Extension, through the Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program, is offering a free nutrition programs at various locations around the county.
Each location will run for eight sessions:
Salvation Army – Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – this session began Feb. 10;
Clarendon Town Hall – Fridays 11 a.m. to noon – starting Feb. 19;
Eastern Orleans Community Center (diabetes classes) – Mondays 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. – starting Feb. 22;
Hoag Library: Thursdays 11 a.m. to noon, starting Feb. 25;
Yates Community Library: Tuesdays 11 a.m. to noon, starting March 1;
Lee-Whedon Memorial Library: Tuesdays 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., starting March 1.
March is National Nutrition Month and Heller encourages everyone to chose nutritious food, fun and fitness. The Free Nutrition Program can provide help in making nutritious choices. The sessions will include food tastings, recipes and give-aways.
Photos courtesy of Kurt Wannenwetsch
MURRAY – There have been numerous accidents today in Orleans County due to slick roads and treacherous winter weather at times.
The top photo shows a vehicle on fire off Hindsburg Road in Murray at about 11:30 a.m. There was another vehicle on fire later in the afternoon in Clarendon on Route 31A between Manning and Hibbard roads.
Dispatchers said there weren’t any injuries in those incidents. There were accidents without serious injuries reported today on Kendrick Road in Carlton, 31A in Albion between Lewis and Culver roads, Roosevelt Road (Route 18) in Kendall, and on 31A in Barre near Eagle Harbor Road (involving two tractor trailers).
Firefighters respond to the scene of a car on fire late this morning off Hindsburg Road.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Samantha Roskowski, executive director for the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce, is pictured inside the Chamber office at 102 North Main St., Suite 1. Today was the last day the office will be open full-time. It will be open 9 to 11 on weekday mornings until closing March 31.
ALBION – The organization that promotes businesses and events in Orleans County will do so without an office. The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is closing its office on Main Street in Albion.
Today was the last full-time day for the office. It will be open 9 to 11 on weekday mornings until closing on March 31.
The Chamber will maintain an on-line presence, and its director and volunteer board members will continue to work hard promoting businesses in the county, said Samantha Roskowski, the executive director.
She will work remotely, either from home or at other locations in the county. She is the Chamber’s lone employee. Not being committed to office hours at a building will allow her to be out more in the community, working with businesses.
She said few people stopped by the Chamber office anyway. The office is next to Five Star Bank at 102 North Main St. The Chamber has many brochures spread out on tables, highlighting museums, attractions and events in Orleans County.
But Roskowski said only 30 to 40 people a year would come into the office looking for information. She instead wants to build a more robust on-line presence for the Chamber, with an easy-to-navigate directory of members in the county.
“We’re trying to adapt and stay relevant,” Roskowski said this afternoon. “We’re trying to provide the best service for our members.”
The Chamber will save on rent by going without an office. She said other Chambers have made the same decision to function without an office and redirect energy into the on-line presence and other services for members and the community.
The Chamber had considered a shared office with the County Tourism Department, but county officials opted instead to have Tourism in the Orleans County Administration Building on Route 31, the building that includes the DMV and Department of Social Services.
Roskowski said the Chamber may revisit an office again someday. If it goes that route she would prefer to share space with another organization.
The Chamber will work to clear out its materials and files by March 31, the end of its lease with Five Star. The Chamber also is planning one of its biggest events, the Home and Garden Show on April 16-17.
Roskowski said the community can expect the Chamber to be active and visible in the community, even without an office.
“We’ll be just as available as before,” she said today from the office. “I just won’t be here physically.”
For more on the Chamber, click here.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill warning and lake effect snow warning for Orleans County.
The lake effect warning continues until 10 p.m. today when up to 7 to 13 inches could fall in Orleans and Niagara counties.
The wind chill warning is in effect from 5 a.m. Saturday until 10 a.m. Sunday.
Today will have a high of 23 degrees but temperatures will fall to 3-below tonight, according to the Weather Service. Saturday there will only be a high of 0 with temperatures falling to 7-below. Sunday is forecast for a high of 10 degrees and a low of 7.
A wind chill warning is issued when a strong wind combines with cold temperatures to create dangerously cold conditions for exposed skin. The wind will make it feel like it is 25 degrees below 0 or colder for several hours.
The National Weather Service says the snowfall could be up to 15 inches in Orleans, Niagara and Monroe counties from today through 4 p.m. on Thursday.
The Weather Service had issued a lake effect advisory, predicting up to 4 to 7 inches by 4 p.m. Thursday. But that has been upgraded this morning to a snow warning with 4 to 8 inches today, 2 to 4 inches overnight, and 1 to 3 inches on Thursday for 7 to 15 inches total.
Provided photo – Nyla Gaylord is the new director of development for the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern.
ALBION – The Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, known by many in the community as “The Agency of Last Resort,” has appointed Nyla Gaylord as director of development.
In this newly created position for GOMOC, Gaylord will focus on securing new sources of funding, recruiting volunteers, and program development.
“The Ministry of Concern, like so many small not-for-profits, is struggling to manage the impact of reductions in funding,” said Laverne Bates, executive director. “(The new position) will enable us to focus on securing funding for current operations and expand services.”
Gaylord, a resident of Clarendon, most recently worked as the director of development and community relations for Hospice of Orleans, Inc. She has worked as a grant writer and with other not-for-profit agencies.
“It is such a pleasure to work locally and see all of the great things being done in Orleans and Genesee County – yet there is so much more that can be done,” Gaylord said. “I believe that the Ministry of Concern has an important role to play in improving the lives of the poor and working poor in our communities.”
The Ministry of Concern grew out of a grass roots effort of local churches which organized in 1968 to respond to the needs of farmworkers and the poor.
Today, nearly a half century later, the agency serves residents who face crises, from shut-off notices for utilities to not having basic furniture.
GOMOC runs a program where donations of used furniture are delivered to families in need. The Just Friends, E-3 Team Youth Mentoring program provides mentors (coaches) to youths in need of positive adult connections. Emergency services are provided to help when other resources are not available. To donate or volunteer, call 589-9210 and speak with the new director of development.
GOMOC’s office is in downtown Albion at 121 North Main St. – the third floor of the Albion Visitors’ Center. Assisting people with utilities is the biggest category of need for GOMOC in Orleans County. GOMOC served 1,281 clients with utility bills in 2014.
The breakdown of other cases in Orleans includes 664 with furniture and appliances; 247 for holiday assistance; 223 for personal care items, food and baby supplies; 92 for prescriptions; 79 for school supplies; 50 for gas and transportation; 25 for emergency shelter and housing; and 136 for other.
For more on the Ministry of Concern, click here.
Press Release, United Way of Orleans County
ALBION – The United Way of Orleans County is pleased to announce three new members to its Board of Directors.
Cathy Balys of Holley and Rebecca Mannella of Medina were voted in last month. Carol D’Agostino of Kendall joined last summer.
Cathy Balys
Balys is manager of financial reporting and analysis for the Catholic Family Center in Rochester. Mannella oversees the ICU/Respiratory Therapy Department and Out-Patient Lab for Orleans Community Health. D’Agostino is principal of Kendall Junior/Senior High School.
“These women not only represent different geographic areas of our county, but they also bring a range of expertise and new ideas to our Board,” said Jessica Downey of Albion, Board President. “It’s fantastic to have them join us!”
Rebecca Mannella
Orleans United Way, which merged Eastern UW and Western UW four years ago, focuses on community improvement in three impact areas: education, health and income (jobs). A funding application process each fall helps the board select partner agencies that most effectively fulfill community needs.
Funds collected from individuals and employees at workplaces county-wide are distributed according to evidence-based results. The 2016 campaign goal is $279,104.31, coinciding with three major routes criss-crossing Orleans County.
Latest reports showed the campaign about 60 percent complete with five months remaining. This year’s campaign officially ends June 30.
Carol D’Agostino
“The local emphasis of our United Way is so important and, I think, misunderstood by some people,” said Executive Director Marsha Rivers of Albion, who serves as the organization’s lone full-time employee. A part-time financial coordinator, Tiffani Ford of Waterport, keeps the books. Volunteers – including the 14-member Board – do all the rest. “Our Board is a group of local leaders using local dollars to help local causes – we’re neighbors helping neighbors.
“Our affiliation dues to United Way Worldwide, because of our small size, are very modest – we get a ‘big bang for our buck.’ With UWW, we can identify with a widely known, well-respected brand while also taking advantage of community-building resources from all over the world, applying best practices right here at home.”
Photo by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Regular unleaded gas was selling for $1.99 a gallon today at the Crosby’s in Holley. I didn’t think I would ever see gas fall below $2 again.
In December 2014, just over a year ago, gas was selling for about $3 a gallon. In the spring 2014, the prices were closer to $4 a gallon. Prices nationally on average went over $3 per gallon in 2010 and did go below $3 until December 2014.
AAA reported on Monday that the average price for regular unleaded gas in the U.S. was $1.783, while the average price in New York was $2.054. AAA says gas prices are their lowest since January 2009.
John DeFilipps
John DeFilipps was recognized in Albany on Tuesday during the annual legislative conference for the New York State Association of Counties.
DeFilipps, a Clarendon resident, was elected to the Orleans County Legislature in November 2013, and was re-elected to another two-year term this past November.
He graduated from NYSAC’s County Government Institute, an educational program established by NYSAC in conjunction with Cornell University. The Institute provides an educational program for county elected and appointed officials, to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of county officials. The Institute allows the public officials to engage in informed, constructive and civil discussions on the current challenges they face as public servants.
“The County Government Institute’s vigorous curriculum prepares county leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the intense demands of local government leadership today,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario.
DeFilipps joined the County Legislature following 12 years on the Clarendon Town Board. He owned a convenience store and gas station in Clarendon for 10 years before joining the Town Board. He worked 28 years at General Motors in Rochester before retiring about nine years ago. He also helped develop the Red Rock Ponds RV Resort in Murray.
DeFilipps is on the Orleans Economic Development Agency board and he said the agency has the county well positioned for new businesses and expansions with shovel-ready sites. DeFilipps is an at-large legislator from the east side of the county.
He said the NYSAC program improved his knowledge of government and he met people with innovative thinking.
“It has made me a more effective representative,” he said.
The Institute’s curriculum includes extensive course work on government ethics, building consensus in a political environment, principles of county budget and finance, and public sector labor/management relations. The courses are supplemented with electives, training sessions, and continuing education courses designed to support county leaders in serving their constituents to the absolute best of their ability.
For more on NYSAC, click here.
Photos by Tom Rivers – Firefighters work to put out a fire at the corner of Bennetts Corners Road and Fourth Section Road (Route 31A) in Clarendon on Jan. 6.
January was the second-biggest month in terms of traffic for Orleans Hub since the on-line news site started in April 2013.
Last month, Orleans Hub had 715,769 pageviews, a daily average of 23,089. Only in September, during an intense primary election season, has the Hub had more pageviews. We had 765,677 that month, a daily average of 25,523.
We also topped 7,000 as a daily average for unique visitors. That’s only the second time we’ve been over 7,000. We had a 7,054-average in January. September remains the record for highest daily average for unique visitors with 7,671.
Here are the top 5 most-viewed stories in January.
1. 2 arrested in Albion for kidnapping, robbery in separate incidents
2. Former public defender from Medina gets 5 years in prison
3. Fire Destroys Garage in Albion
Firefighters work to put out a fire on Jan. 2 at a garage at 140 South Clinton St. in the Village of Albion
ALBION – Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s push to raise the minimum wage from $9 to $15 would cost New York hundreds of thousands of jobs and add to the onerous tax structure in the state, Orleans County legislators said on Wednesday.
New York just raised the minimum wage in three steps over three years from $7.25 to $9. That increase resulted in job losses in the county, the County Legislature said in a formal resolution opposing the proposed minimum wage hike.
“This proposed increase in minimum wage will also create pressure on local governments, as employers, to increase wages in order to attract workers,” legislators said.
Cuomo wants to raise the minimum wage to $15 in New York City on Dec. 31, 2018 and on July 1, 2021 for the rest of the state.
County legislators said the state’s tax cap only allows a 0.12 percent increase in taxes next year due to inflation. That is less than the 2 percent cap that was advertised by Cuomo and the State Legislature.
The wage pressure from Cuomo makes puts local government under strain to meet the tax cap. Legislators said local governments would likely be forced cut non-mandated programs for youth employment and senior citizens.
County Legislator Lynne Johnson serves on the board of directors for Orleans Community Health, parent organization for Medina Memorial Hospital. A $15 minimum wage would be a jolt to the hospital’s bottom line, she said.
“It is one more thing that could cripple our only county hospital,” she said.
Legislator Don Allport said the big jump in the minimum wage would force a lot of local businesses to close or not hire workers.
The County Legislature is sending its resolution to Cuomo and state legislators, asking the state officials to reconsider the proposal.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Orleans County Legislator Bill Eick presents a special recognition award to Dennis Piedimonte who is retiring after 18 years as an elections commissioner.
Piedimonte was appointed as the Republican elections commissioner 18 years ago, succeeding Bob Batt.
Piedimonte and Helen Zelazny, the former Democratic elections commissioner, saw the county through implementation of the Help America Vote Act of 2002. HAVA resulted in the end of the old lever voting machines and transition to new electronic machines that scanned ballots.
Piedimonte said he enjoyed working in the elections office with Zelazny, who was later succeeded by Janice Grabowski. Clara Martin and Eileen Aina have been deputy election commissioners, with Martin switching about a month ago to become confidential secretary for Sheriff Randy Bower. Dorothy Morgan is the new deputy elections commissioner.
“It’s been a wonderful 18 years,” Piedimonte said at Wednesday’s County Legislature meeting. “We never once had an argument in the office. There were never any loud voices. I don’t know how many places can say that.”
The Legislature appointed Sylvia Shoemaker of Carlton to serve as elections commissioner. Shoemaker worked for the county for 17 years as a welfare fraud investigator. She is currently vice chairwoman of the Orleans County Republican Party. Her husband, Jim Shoemaker, is on the Carlton Town Board.
Sylvia has worked part-time the past four years as clerk in the BOE.
“I think she is an excellent selection,” said Legislature Chairman David Callard. “She served the county for many years already and did a wonderful job.”
Shoemaker will be paid $18,860 for the part-time position.
Orleans County legislators Fred Miller, left, and Bill Eick, right, are pictured with the county’s elections commissioners, Janice Grabowski, second from left, and Sylvia Shoemaker, who starts her new job on Feb. 1.
