ALBION – The Orleans County Republican Party has endorsed Joe Cardone for another four-year term as district attorney.

Cardone of Medina has served more than two decades as the county’s top prosecutor.

“He’s done a great job,” said Ed Morgan, the county’s GOP chairman.

There are only four positions on the ballot in county elections this year. Besides Cardone, three coroners are up for election. The GOP Committee endorsed the incumbents: Charlie Smith of Ridgeway, Scott Schmidt of Medina and Rocky Sidari of Albion.

Schmidt is the current president of the New York State Association of County Coroners and Medical Examiners. Smith and Sidari are both active firefighters.

Provided photo – Members of the Middleport Community Choir rehearse this week for their upcoming concerts in Orleans County.

MEDINA – The Middleport Community Choir and The Middleport Belltones have two upcoming performances in Orleans County.

The choir will present “Down By The Riverside”on Sunday, May 15, and Friday, May 20. The May 15 performance will be at 4 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Medina. The May 20 performance will be at 7 p.m. in at Gaines-Carlton Community Church located at 14585 Ridge Rd. in Albion.

“I really wanted to perform a concert that would be fun for the choir and audience,” said Ric Jones, director of the community choir. “This performance is sure to get everyone’s toes tapping. It is full of recognizable spirituals and gospel songs.”

Besides the Middleport Community Choir, the concert will also feature The Middleport Belltones, under the direction of Debby Clark. The performance will also feature numerous soloists from the choir, a drummer, and a bassist.

A free will offering will be taken during the performance. For more information about these performances, please contact Jones, the musical director, at (716) 523-0846.

Jones is the owner of Imagine Music Publishing. In addition to being the musical director of the Middleport Community Choir, he also serves as musical director of the Brighton Symphony Orchestra and The Genesee Chorale. He is also the organist at St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church in Medina and Trinity Lutheran Church in Wolcottsville.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Ric Jones, director of the Middleport Community Choir, is shown here on Dec. 7, 2014, leading the Genesee Chorale in a concert at the First Presbyterian Church in Albion.

The Middleport Belltones is directed by Debby Clark, who has been an organist for over 35 years. During that tenure, she has accompanied and directed numerous cantatas. Under Clark’s direction, the Middleport Belltones have travelled to Germany in 2002, 2008, and 2015.

Clark currently enjoys being a substitute organist for several churches. In addition, she has been an office facilitator for a financial advising firm for over 17 years.

The Middleport Community Choirs are “a community of churches that sings from the heart.” They are two choirs: the vocal choir (The Middleport Community Choir), and the hand bell choir (The Middleport Bell Tones).

The Middleport Community Choir is a voluntary organization made up of approximately 40 active members from Middleport, Medina, Gasport, Lockport, Akron, and Lyndonville. Their performance repertoire consists of a variety of mediums, including sacred, secular, Broadway, and contemporary choral works.

File photo by Tom Rivers – Dollinger’s Motel in Albion is decorated with lights in this photo from December 2013. Dollinger’s is among the lodging businesses in Orleans County that collect a 4 percent tax, in addition to the sales tax, from their customers.

ALBION – Lodging providers in Orleans County are invited to a May 19 seminar by county officials to discuss marketing strategies, network with other businesses, and learn about bed tax compliancy.

The county has about 25 lodging providers, which include motels, bed and breakfasts, lodges and vacation rentals.

The 4 percent occupancy tax generates about $35,000 for the county to promote tourism, dollars that are matched by the state in the I Love NY program.

The May 19 seminar will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the home of Gene Haines, 14361 Ontario St. That home, the former Barbary Coast, is next to the Oak Orchard Lighthouse at Point Breeze.

Lynne Menz, Orleans County tourism director, will lead the seminar, which will include County Attorney David Schubel and representatives from the Orleans County Legislature and Chamber of Commerce.

“This is not an enforcement tool,” Menz said about bed tax compliance. “It’s a learning tool.”

Menz is planning other seminars this year for tourism stakeholders, including travel businesses, event planners and museums.

Reservations for the May 19 event are required by May 17. To RSVP, email lynne@orleanscountytourism or call Menz at 585-261-3890.

Participants are welcome to bring brochures to exchange with other lodging providers.

District attorneys in New York State will get about $30,000 a year raises after the state followed the NYS Commission on Legislative, Judicial and Executive Compensation recommendation for salary increases.

The state had previously agreed to pick up salary increases for district attorneys, but the recent state budget didn’t include those increases that account for an extra $1.6 million throughout the state.

Counties already had their budgets in place, and they continue to have limited room for additional costs due to the state-imposed tax cap, Orleans County legislators said.

They joined counties around the state in passing a formal resolution for the state to pick up the increase in salary.

Many state legislators, including State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, support the state paying for the increase.

“Our hard-working district attorneys deserve this recognition, the invaluable work that they provide make our communities safer and better places to live,” Hawley said. “Mandating that counties pick up this cost however is a direct burden on our middle-class families and I’m glad my bill will provide the proper compensation for our public servants while also protecting the hard-earned money of our taxpayers.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – About 30 people gathered outside the Orleans County Courthouse at noon for the National Day of Prayer, which was created in 1952 by Congress and signed into law by President Harry Truman.

The Rev. Tim Lindsay, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Albion, leads the group in a prayer. Many of the prayers were directed towards the community and country’s leaders.

Some of the prayer participants lifted their hands in seeking God’s direction and blessing for Orleans County and the United States.

The Rev. Dan Thurber, right, is pastor of the Oak Orchard Assembly of God in Medina. His father, Stanley Thurber, is next to him. The elder Thurber also led Oak Orchard as pastor for many years.

The vice president of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Employees Association says all of its members currently live within the county.

The union represents about 60 employees – correction officers, jail cooks, civil clerks, and dispatchers. They ratified a three-year contract with the county providing 2 percent annual raises. The contract also requires residency within Orleans County for workers hired after April 27, 2016.

Chris Caufield, vice president for the union and a corrections officer, said the union members supported the residency requirement because they already live within Orleans.

“The union was of the opinion that New York State Public Officers Law allows the county to require us to maintain residence in the county without negotiation,” Caufield said today. “That notion, coupled with the fact that every member currently resides in Orleans County, the union membership did not have a problem with agreeing to this contract with that requirement included. We viewed this as something the county could enforce anyway, regardless if we agreed to do so. Essentially, we didn’t feel like we were giving anything up.”

County officials pushed for the residency requirement because they wanted more community commitment for employees to county taxpayers.

Chuck Nesbitt, the county chief administrative officer, said the county will likely push for the residency requirement in other county contracts.

ALBION – A new contract that gives 2 percent annual raises to about 60 employees in the Sheriff’s Department will also require any new employees live in Orleans County.

The County Legislature approved the contract for 2016-2018 last week, following ratification by a union representing workers in the county jail, civil clerks and dispatchers at the Sheriff’s Department.

This is the first contract where the county is making new hires to live in the county, although some department heads currently have that requirement.

“We feel we will get a better product for the community if the employees are invested in the community,” said Chuck Nesbitt, the county chief administrative officer.

County officials pushed for the residency requirement because many of the corrections officers and other civilian staff live outside of the county. The existing employees won’t be required to move within Orleans to keep their jobs. The contract includes employees hired beginning on April 27, when the Legislature approved the deal.

Nesbitt said the county may implement the residency requirement in other union contracts.

“It will probably be a continuing theme,” he said today.

File photo by Peggy Barringer – Peggy Barringer took this photo in January 2014 of a full moon over the Orleans County Courthouse and the County Clerks Building. County officials may shift some of the government offices from the Clerks Building to a possible addition to the County Administration Building on Route 31.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature was asked to not leave the current legislative chambers for a possible new site on Route 31.

The county is exploring putting an addition on to the County Administration Building. It might put the Board of Elections, Public Health Department, and Legislature staff and offices in the new addition.

The county voted last week to hire the Wendel firm in Williamsville to examine the feasibility of the project. Wendel will be paid up to $30,000 for the work.

Bruce Schmidt, a local attorney and the Gaines town justice, said the Legislature shouldn’t move from its current chambers, where the body has met since soon after its inception in 1980. The Legislature replaced the former Board of Supervisors, which met in the first floor of the county courthouse in space now used by Family Court.

The county judge used to have Family Court in the Clerks Building, which was known as the Surrogate’s Building. The building was built in 1888 in the Eastlake Style and is part of the Courthouse Square historic district, which is named to the National Register of Historic Places.

“This building is of a historic nature,” Schmidt told county legislators last week. “This body is of a historic nature.”

Schmidt said the Legislature should stay in the Courthouse Square and not leave for a site that is outside the village, the county seat.

“Creative thinking could keep us here,” Schmidt said.

Legislature Chairman David Callard responded to Schmidt that the historic building wouldn’t disappear if the Legislature left for the new space on the possible addition.

That site might also include conference and training rooms. Schmidt said the Legislature could use existing conference and training rooms at local schools or the library.

Callard said nothing has been determined with the Legislature’s future location. The study is just exploratory, he said.

“How we utilize the building hasn’t been determined,” he said.

The Legislature used to meet the second and fourth Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. in the upper floor of the Clerks Building. However, last year the Legislature changed to having only one meeting a month on the fourth Wednesday.

The walls of the legislative chambers include many photos of the former Board of Supervisors and members of the County Legislature.

“It is significant to this building and for this Square for the Legislature to stay here,” Schmidt said.

ALBION – Orleans County has hired a firm to examine the feasibility of a solar energy project on county-owned property.

The Orleans County Legislature last week agreed to pay $10,500 to the Wendel firm in Williamsville to study if a solar array would benefit the county.

Orleans officials see potential in a project because of current incentives for utilizing renewable energy.

The county could lock in its electricity rates for 30 years with a large-scale project and also sell back electricity through the solar effort.

“Right now the incentives are at a maximum and the technology continues to improve,” Legislature Chairman David Callard said. “The time may be right.”

Wendel would look at publicly owned land, including sites owned by the Orleans Economic Development Agency, for a possible project, Callard said.

ALBION – Motorcyclists held a rally on Sunday in front of the Orleans County Courthouse to remind the public to be careful and look out for motorcycles. Chuck Persons, president of the Orleans County chapter of ABATE, addresses the group that gathered in the rain in front of the courthouse.

There are about 100 members of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education in Orleans County. The group promotes driver safety among its members, and tries to educate other motorists to be extra vigilant in sharing the road with motorcyclists.

State Sen. Robert Ortt thanked motorcyclists for many of the causes they support, including the Patriot Guard, where they provide an escort and presence for a member of the military killed in the line of duty. Motorcyclists also raise funds for many important causes, including Camp Rainbow in Orleans County.

“I want to thank all of you who are big supporters of our veterans,” Ortt said. “That’s what separates many of you from the general public.”

Ed Morgan, right, represents State Assemblyman Steve Hawley at the rally. Morgan and Ortt both said the new state budget includes a big state investment in roads and bridges that should improve safety of motorcyclists and other drivers.

After the rally outside the courthouse, motorcycle riders took off on a ride to the Vets Club in Medina. The awareness ride is usually 50 miles throughout the county, but was shortened to 10 miles on Sunday due to the rain.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Brian Armison of Centerville in Allegany County competes with his team of powerful horses in Saturday’s “Pull of Champions” at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

This was the third year the Fairgrounds hosted the horse pull for the New York State Horse Pullers Association. About 25 teams of horses, including many of the top teams from the U.S. and Canada, competed in the event, which kicks off the horse-pulling season.

Armison is on the board of directors for the NYS Horse Pullers Association. The association used to hold the “Pull of Champions” at the state fairgrounds in Syracuse. It was moved to Knowlesville in 2014 through the efforts of horse pull competitor Nick Nesbitt of Waterport as well as the support of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County.

Armison said the Fairgrounds in Knowlesville has proven a good fit providing a more central location for horse pulling teams, as well as a supportive host. He praised 4-Hers for selling food and the Extension staff for maintaining a nice dirt track.

“They’re super accommodating,” Armison said. “They even send us a thank you note.”

A team owned by Dennis Weinberger from Reading, Michigan, captured first place in the lightweight division. Weinbegrer, in black hat, also won the title in 2015 at “The Pull of Champions.” He said the horses need strength and stamina to compete at such a high level. His team won by pulling a dynamometer, 16 feet, 7 inches when the dynamometer was weighed down with an additional 4,400 pounds. The dynamometer, in the final pulls, can simulate 160,000 pounds.

Danny Smith from Cummington, Massachusetts, gets a horse ready for competition. This horse was part of a team of two that combined weighed less than 3,425 pounds. There were 25 teams competing in either the lightweight division (3,425 pounds or less), or the heavyweights for teams that exceed 3,425 pounds.

Charlie Blanchard of Winchester, New Hampshire, puts the harnessing equipment on his horse. He is partners with Danny Smith of Massachusetts.

Josh Wickum of Menomonie, Wisc., leads his team in the finals of the lightweight division. Wickum’s team finished second overall in the division.

4-H kids and volunteers sold food and other concessions at the pull. This photo shows Gail Ebbs and 4-Her Jordan Boccacci selling cotton candy.

The Armison Brothers from Centerville – Caleb, left, and Chris, right – get their team ready for the pull. The brothers, who are Brian Armison’s nephews, just jogged the horses as a warmup for the pull.

About 800 people attended the horse pulls on Saturday. The crowd size and numbers of teams continues to grow with the event since it was moved to the 4-H fairgrounds in Knowlesville.