By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Tom Drennan is pictured directing traffic on Route 98 in Albion in August during the Metro 10, a 10-mile race. After a 23-year career with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Drennan said he will retire.
ALBION – After a close election defeat on Tuesday, Tom Drennan said he will retire “with my head held high.”
Drennan posted a statement on Facebook, thanking his supporters and saying he looks forward to the future.
“We will take a few days to regroup and then move on,” he wrote on Facebook this morning. “As I look out the window I see a beautiful sunrise. Just like we knew there would be.”
Drennan, the chief deputy of the Sheriff’s Office the past nine years, lost to Randy Bower in the race for sheriff, 3,951 to 3,507. Bower received 47.6 percent of the vote on the Republican and Conservative lines.
Drennan ran under the Independence and Reform party lines and received 3,507 votes or 42.2 percent of the total.
Don Organisciak, a retired Medina police officer and investigator, was backed by the Democratic Party and received 847 votes or 10.2 percent.
Drennan said he ran on his qualification in an “Experience Matters” campaign. He was challenged within the Sheriff’s Office by Bower, a public safety dispatcher the past 29 years.
“#1 I am a cop and not a politician,” Drennan said in a Facebook post last night. “Tonight the people of Orleans County spoke and they want to be led by a politician. I wish them the best.”
Many of the deputies, corrections officers and staff in the Sheriff’s Office openly campaigned for Bower, although Drennan also had many supporters in the department.
“To the satisfaction of some at the OCSO I will be retiring soon,” Drennan said. “I have had a great career and will be walking out with my head held high and it will be someone else problem to figure out.”
He thanked the community for a rewarding career.
“To the residents of Orleans County it has been an honor and privilege to serve and protect the past 23+ years,” he wrote. “As one door closes another door opens. I wish all of you safety and happiness in the future.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Randy Bower, right, and Chris Bourke celebrate late on Tuesday night after Bower won the sheriff’s election. Bourke, a lieutenant in the Sheriff’s Department, is Bower’s choice to serve as undersheriff.
HOLLEY – Randy Bower celebrated a stunning victory for Orleans County sheriff on Tuesday night with many of his co-workers who are dispatchers, deputies, and corrections officers at the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department.
Bower, 50, has been a public safety dispatcher for 29 years. On Jan. 1, he will be the new Orleans County sheriff, succeeding Scott Hess who is retiring.
Bower topped Tom Drennan, 3,951 votes to 3,507, with Don Organisciak getting 847.
Drennan has been chief deputy for nine years and a 23-year member of the Sheriff’s Department. He ran a campaign on “Experience Matters.” He had support from past sheriffs and key leaders in the law enforcement community and Republican Party.
Bower had the backing from most of the deputies and the unions in the department. They wore red shirts, “Bower for Sheriff,” and they were highly visible at community parades and events in support of Bower.
“I think the people are ready for a change,” Bower said after the results came in Tuesday night. “Now we have to go to work for the people of Orleans County.”
Bower gained more momentum after forcing a Republican Primary and winning by 21 votes over Drennan on Sept. 10. Bower also had the Conservative Party line.
Randy Bower and his supporters had a big presence in Lyndonville during the Fourth of the July parade.
Drennan stayed in the race on the Independence and Reform lines, while the Democrats backed Organisciak.
Bower said he will be the “People’s Sheriff.” He said he reached across party lines, including to Democrats, and attended numerous community events the past 10 months. He intends to keep up that pace in the community.
He recently met with church leaders at predominantly black congregations, including the Royal Church of God in Christ in Carlton, Glad Tidings Baptist Church in Medina, and The Lord’s House in Waterport.
Bower was joined by Lt. Chris Bourke, Bower’s choice for undersheriff, at many of the community events and church visits.
“We felt these are people who feel ignored and we want to reach out to all people,” Bourke said at the Bower election headquarters at Hickory Ridge Golf Course. “All people in the county should be involved in the process.”
Bower and Bourke have worked together for nearly 30 years. When Bower decided to run for sheriff, courting town and county Republican Committee members in the spring, he reached out to Bourke for undersheriff.
They ran as a team. Bourke said he was confident Bower could be an effective sheriff back in the spring when they began the campaign. Bower’s work ethic and optimism over a grueling campaign has Bourke even more confident the new sheriff will be a a strong leader.
Bower named team leaders for the campaign, and challenged them to get 21 people out to vote on Tuesday. The goal was originally 20, but Bower raised it to 21. That was his margin of victory in the Republican Primary.
Randy Bower leads a meeting of supporters in August at the St. Mary’s Athletic Club in Albion.
Bower led frequent campaign rallies, but they were also work meetings, where he gave tasks to his campaign volunteers and discussed his strategy for sharing the campaign message and getting out the vote.
Dennis Piedimonte, an election commissioner, has known Bower since he was a kid. Piedimonte was impressed with Bower’s skills during the campaign.
“He is organized,” Piedimonte said. “He knows how to motivate people.”
Bower has been paralyzed from the waist down since he was in a car accident at age 18. He hasn’t let the accident keep him from an active life.
He said he lives a blessed life with his wife Robin and their two grown children, Jessica and Jacob.
Bower said during the campaign he loved his job as a dispatcher. But he felt compelled to lead the department. His plan includes more community policing, particularly for the rural schools in Kendall and Lyndonville.
Bower also said he will push for drug treatment programs in the county jail. That message connected with many residents, Bower said, because so many families have felt the pain of a loved one battling drug addictions.
“We got to help them,” Bower said Tuesday night. “They are our people.”
Bower is a high-energy person, who led a turnaround as Holley’s girls basketball coach a few years when his daughter played. The team went from winless to the playoffs.
Bower said he has support from the employees for his vision for the department. Many of the deputies, corrections officers and dispatchers actively campaigned for him.
“We’ll set a pace,” Bower said. “They know my philosophy and they’ll work for me.”
Bower had a busy Tuesday, driving to all 10 towns. When he got out of his vehicle, he said many passing motorists waved and gave him honks of support. He was warmly greeted with handshakes while making stops throughout the county.
Jim Halstead, a retired deputy, worked with Bower for 20 years. Halstead said the department will rally behind Bower.
“He’s going to be an outstanding leader,” Halstead said. “He’s not going to be distracted by the pride thing.”
Halstead also worked with Bourke, who was Halstead’s shift supervisor. Bourke is a respected manager in the department, Halstead said.
“He makes you feel like you’re working with him,” Halstead said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Albion voters can cast their ballots at the Hoag Library, one of the polling locations in Orleans County. To see a list of polling locations, click here.
A hard-fought campaign for Orleans County sheriff will conclude today when residents go to the polls and pick among three candidates: Don Organisciak, a Democrat; Randy Bower, a Republican and Conservative; and Tom Drennan, who is backed by the Independence and Reform parties.
It has been a contentious race going back to the spring. Drennan, the chief deputy for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, was endorsed by the Orleans County Republican Committee on May 7.
However, Bower, a public safety dispatcher, mounted an aggressive charge during the summer and won the Republican Primary on Sept. 10 over Drennan by 21 votes, 1,671 to 1,650. Bower has been highly visible at community events in recent months, from church chicken dinners to the Orleans County 4-H Fair.
Drennan has stayed in the race and also has been showing no signs of let up before Election Day with meet-and-greet events as recently as Sunday in Carlton.
Organisciak is a retired Medina police officer and investigator. He is currently a part-time Medina school bus driver. He, too, held meet-and-greet events last week and has attended numerous community festivals and events since the summer.
The sheriff’s race isn’t the only county contest on the ballot today.
Two incumbent county legislators have opposition. Republican Don Allport faces a challenge from James White, a 21-year-old Democrat, for a county-wide legislator position from the central towns. Republican Lynne Johnson is challenged by Paul Lauricella, vice chairman of the County Conservative Party, for a District 2, which includes Yates, Ridgeway and a portion of Shelby.
Other county candidates are unopposed, including David Callard for at-large legislator (west); E. John DeFilipps for at-large legislator (east); William Eick for District 1 (Barre, Clarendon and most of Shelby); Fred Miller for District 3 (Albion and Gaines); and Kenneth DeRoller for District 4 (Kendall, Murray and Carlton).
A county coroner, Rocky Sidari of Albion, also is on the ballot. The former Albion fire chief is unopposed and backed by the Republican, Conservative and Reform parties.
Here is how the Hoag Library main meeting room looked at about 7 a.m. today, with several spots set up for voters to cast their ballots.
The candidates for town positions include:
Albion
Matthew Passarell (R,C) is unopposed for town supervisor and Sarah Basinait (R, D) is unopposed for town clerk. There is a three-way battle for two Town Board positions. Darlene Benton, a Democrat, joins the ballot with Republican Paul Fulcomer and Anthony (Jake) Olles, who is backed by the Democrats and Republicans.
Michael Neidert and Jed Standish are vying for highway superintendent. Neidert is backed by the Democrats and Republicans. He won a Republican primary over Standish, who is running under the Reform and “All In For Albion” independent party.
Barre
There is a race for town supervisor with incumbent Mark Chamberlain, a Republican, challenged by Cyndy Van Lieshout, a Democrat. Republicans have backed Larry Gaylard and Sean Pogue for Town Board, and Democrats are challenging them with Joe Grabowski and Richard Bennett, a former county legislator.
Dale Brooks is unopposed for highway superintendent after winning a Republican primary. Maureen Beach (R, D) is unopposed for town clerk.
Carlton
The Republican candidates are unopposed on the ballot, including Gayle Ashbery for town supervisor; John Fitzak and Dana Woolston for Town Board (4-year terms); Marcus Coville for Town Board (2-year term); and Patricia Russell for town justice. Frank Lauta is mounting a write-in campaign for Town Board.
Clarendon
There is a three-way race for highway superintendent. Larry Swanger, the incumbent, won a Republican Primary on Sept. 10 with four candidates. Swanger is on the ballot today with the Republican, Independence and Reform lines. He is challenged by Tracy Bruce Chalker (Conservative, Labor Force) and Frederick K. Seeman III (A & K Party).
The other Republican candidates are all unopposed, including Richard Moy for town supervisor, Thomas M. DiFante and Kevin Rombaut for town justices, William Campbell and Allen Robinson for town councilman, and Susan Colby for town clerk.
Gaines
The Republican Town Board candidates – Carol Culhane for town supervisor, and Mary Neilans and Richard DeCarlo for councilmen – are challenged by a Democratic Party team including Patrick Swiercznski for town supervisor, and Bill Lattin and Pete Toenniessen for councilmen. Ron Mannella is unopposed for highway superintendent and is running with five political party lines.
Kendall
It’s quiet in the Kendall town elections with the candidates all unopposed, including Anthony Cammarata for town supervisor, Barbara Flow and Margaret Lynn Szozda for Town Council, and Warren Kruger for highway superintendent.
Murray
The candidates are all unopposed including John Morriss for town supervisor, and Lloyd Christ and Edwin Bower for councilmen.
Ridgeway
Town Supervisor Brian Napoli and Town Justice Joseph Kujawa are unopposed. Three people are seeking two spots on the Town Board, including Mary Woodruff and Sarah Fisher, who have the Republican line. Incumbent Paul Blajszczak is running under the independent “Badger Party.”
Shelby
The big race in Shelby is for highway superintendent, with incumbent Michael Fuller challenged by Ed Houseknecht, the former county highway superintendent and Medina Department of Public Works superintendent. Fuller has the Republican, Independence and Reform party lines, while Houseknecht is backed by the Conservative Party.
The other Shelby candidates are unopposed, including Merle “Skip” Draper for town supervisor; Kenneth Schaal, Jr. and Dale Stalker for Town Council; Dawn Keppler for town justice; and Darlene Rich for town clerk.
Yates
After winning a close Republican primary for town supervisor, incumbent John Belson faces a write-in campaign from Jim Simon. There is also a three-way contest for two town council positions. Wesley Bradley and John Riggi are backed by the Republican Party and Glenn Maid is running with the Conservative Party. Town Clerk Michele Harling and Highway Superintendent Roger Wolfe are unopposed.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Randy Bower was elected the new Orleans County sheriff today, over Tom Drennan and Don Organisciak, ending a hard-fought race that saw Bower come back to win after missing out on the Republican Party endorsement in May.
Bower had the Conservative line and then won the Republican primary over Drennan in September. The primary was close and went to the absentees. Bower would win by 21 votes.
But today, Bower had more distance between Drennan, 3,951 to 3,507. Retired Medina police officer and investigator Don Organisciak was backed by the Democrats and received 847 votes or 10.2 percent of the total.
There are about 450 absentee ballots. Bower has a 444-vote lead.
Orleans Hub will have more on the race later.
Here are other unofficial results of key local races:
Orleans County Legislature: Lynne Johnson: 1,147
Paul Lauricella: 552
Don Allport: 4,543
James White: 2,244
Town of Albion Highway Michael Neidert: 845
Jed Standish: 340
Albion Town Board (elect 2) Jake Olles: 803 Darlene Benton: 526
Paul Fulcomer: 520
Barre town supervisor Mark Chamberlain: 322
Cyndy Van Lieshout: 229
Barre Town Board (elect 2) Larry Gaylard: 298 Richard Bennett: 285
Sean Pogue: 268
Joe Grabowski: 201
Clarendon highway superintendent Larry Swanger: 453
Tracy Bruce Chalker: 232
Frederick Seeman: 58
Gaines town supervisor Carol Culhane: 432
Patrick Swiercznski: 252
Gaines Town Board (elect 2) Mary Neilans: 445 Richard DeCarlo: 361
Bill Lattin: 347
Pete Toenniessen: 209
Ridgeway Town Board (elect 2) Mary Woodruff: 706 Sarah Fisher: 656
Paul Blajszczak: 208
Shelby highway superintendent Michael Fuller: 601
Ed Houseknecht: 361
Yates town supervisor John Belson: 352
Jim Simon: 338
Yates Town Board (elect 2) John Riggi: 457 Wes Bradley: 412
Glenn Maid: 310
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Nearly 700,000 pageviews for news site during month
Photo by Tom Rivers – A fire broke out at a farmhouse for six year-round employees at Watt farms on Oct. 24. The damage was extensive and the building will have to be knocked down.
Orleans Hub had one of its biggest months for traffic in October with 682,735 pageviews, a daily average of 22,074. We also averaged 6,906 daily unique visitors, which was also one of our best months since the Orleans Hub started in April 2013.
The election has sparked reader interest, particularly with letters to the editor. We had 33,219 pageviews for the letters last month, or just over 1,000 each day.
Crime and a big fire at a historic farmhouse were among the top stories of the month. However, an article about a gravestone donated to Hillside Cemetery in Holley for Lillian Bentham, a survivor of The Titanic, proved very popular with readers.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Brigden Memorials in Albion donated this garve marker for Lillian Bentham, who survived The Titanic. Two men form Holley perished when the ship sank in April 1912.
Here are the five most popular stories from October (the ones with the most “clicks”).
Sports had its second-biggest month ever with 37,204 pageviews, with coverage highlighted by the playoffs. However, the top sports story of the month was a feature on a new Wall of Fame for Medina varsity football players. (Click here to see “‘Pinky’ Loughlin Memorial Wall of Fame to induct first members Friday.”)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Main Street clock in Albion is pictured after dusk on Friday.
ALBION – Tonight is the end of Daylight Savings Time and people should turn their clocks back an hour.
The American Red Cross also reminds people to take simple steps to make sure their household is prepared for emergencies.
“It’s important for everyone to make sure their household is ready,” said Chuck Marra, executive director of the Western New York Chapter. “A disaster like a home fire can happen anywhere, at any time. We urge people to take these steps now and know what they should do if an emergency occurs.”
Check smoke alarm batteries. When turning the clocks ahead, take a few minutes to replace the smoke alarm batteries and push the test button to make sure the alarms are working. It’s also a great time to check carbon monoxide detectors.
Install smoke alarms. If someone doesn’t have smoke alarms, install them. At a minimum, put one on every level of the home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Check local building codes for additional requirements.
Practice an escape plan. Make sure everyone in the family knows how to get out of every room and how to get out of the home in less than two minutes.
Get a kit. Keep disaster supplies in an easy-to-carry bag to use at home or carry in case ordered to evacuate.
Make a plan. Have all household members plan what steps they should take if an emergency occurs.
Be informed. Learn what emergencies can occur in the area and how officials notify residents should a disaster occur.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Bill Lattin signs a copy of his new book, “Halloween Pictures and Pranks,” for Albion resident Kim Pritt during a book launch party and photo exhibit this evening at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church.
Lattin retired last Dec. 31 as Orleans County historian. He has been working on the book about Halloween, and includes submitted photos and essays of recollections and pranks from local residents.
Lattin also shares some personal photos, including one of him dressed as Tootsie for Halloween. He also divulges some of his own tricks during Halloween.
Lattin and organizers of the event at Pullman encouraged people to attend in costume, and Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon town historian, dressed as a historical marker, noting that Lattin had written another book about local history.
The book launch party included a presentation by Joe Struble, retired archivist from the George Eastman House. He shared some historic photos about Halloween from the Eastman House collection.
The book is available for $10. It can be purchased from Bindings Bookstore and the Pullman church in Albion. Proceeds from sales of the book go the Pullman Memorial Repair and Restoration Building Fund.
A grant from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council and additional support from businesses and sponsors helped make the book possible.
One of the images in the book shows this group at a Halloween party in 1943. Front row: Cary Lattin (standing), John Larwood, Avis Lattin, Robert Brown, Katherine Church, Fred Miller, William Phillips. Seated on floor: Ward Wilson. 2nd row: Jean Jackson, Geraldine Larwood, Doris Phillips, Dorothy Miller, Agnes Wilson, Angie Brown, Grace Phillips. 3rd row: Albert Mason, Ruth Mason, Marcus Phillips, John Jackson, Sanford B. Church.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Some of the turbines that peak at about 400 feet high are pictured in Sheldon, Wyoming County. The turbines proposed for Yates and Somerset would reach 570 feet high.
ALBION – Orleans County legislators may be taking a wait-and-see approach with a proposed wind energy project in Yates and Somerset, but the county officials aren’t holding back their opinions on the loss of local control in deciding the fate of the project.
“Every New Yorker should be outraged with Albany stepping on local governments,” said Legislator Don Allport, R-Gaines.
The state has previously allowed the local governments to have the final say with wind turbines, landfills and other projects.
But the state has created a Siting Committee for large-scale wind turbine projects, including the proposed “Lighthouse Wind” from Apex Clean Energy in Yates and Somerset.
The seven-member Siting Committee is to include two members from the local project area. The committee will be chaired by the state Department of Public Service and includes the leaders of four other state departments: Department of Environmental Conservation, NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority), Empire State Development and the Department of Health.
State officials have five of the seven votes.
“People should be outraged that Albany can sit there and dictate what goes into a town or village,” Allport said at Wednesday’s County Legislature meeting. “Every citizen in New York, regardless of where they live, should be outraged.”
The Town of Albion likely wouldn’t have been able to stop Waste Management from building an 80-acre landfill in the late 1990s if the state had changed “home rule” and didn’t give the localities the final say in the process, Allport said.
The Legislature expects to pass a formal resolution condemning the state’s shift in the Article X process, giving the final vote to the Siting Committee. Legislature Chairman David Callard said the county will try to get all 10 towns and four villages in the county to pass similar resolutions.
“The Orleans County Legislature will take on the fight,” Callard said. “We’re going to take on the fight because really it’s a matter of principle and it affects the towns and villages.”
Callard and the Legislature have declined to weigh in on the Apex project specifically. Callard wants to see the results of a town-wide survey on the wind project before the Legislature votes whether to support or oppose it.
The Niagara County Legislature passed a formal resolution against the project after a survey by the Town of Somerset showed strong opposition to the project.
Yates officials are working with a member from Save Ontario Shores, a citizens group opposed to the wind turbines, and Apex Wind Energy on the survey. SOS did its own survey earlier this month and found 77.9 percent of the 421 respondents opposed the project.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – This photo is looking south on Waterport Road from Stillwater Road on Wednesday, when it was raining for most of the day.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory today for Orleans County and much of Western New York. The advisory is in effect until 11 p.m.
Southwest winds from 25 to 35 miles per hour, with gusts up to 55 mph, are expected. The strong winds could make travel difficult for high-profile vehicles and could take down tree limbs, resulting in power outages.
Today is forecast for a high of 52 degrees with showers likely.
This photo shows Clarks Mills Road, a dirt road in Carlton along Oak Orchard River, during the rain on Wednesday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Don Organisciak
HOLLEY – William Murphy, the former Holley chief who worked at small and large police departments in a 30-year law enforcement career, would be Don Organisciak’s first choice for undersheriff, the candidate for sheriff said on Wednesday.
Organisciak, a retired Medina police officer and investigator, is endorsed by the Democratic Party in the Nov. 3 election for sheriff. He faces Randy Bower (Republican and Conservative lines) and Tom Drennan, who is running under the Reform and Independence lines.
Bower has said Chris Bourke, a lieutenant with the Sheriff’s Office, would serve as undersheriff and Drennan last week said Brett Sobieraski, a sergeant with the Rochester Police Department and a Kent resident, would serve in the role if Drennan is elected.
Murphy, an Albion native, started his career with Holley in 1985. He went on to work at the Albion, Rochester and Greece police departments and then retired. However, he took the opportunity to return to Holley as police chief about 7 ½ years ago.
He led the department with 10 part-time officers until Sept. 1.
“He would be my first call,” Organisciak said about Murphy.
The sheriff candidate said Murphy’s experience with small, medium and large departments would be an asset. Murphy has been an officer and worked in management, Organisciak said.
“He has a good background,” Organisciak said. “If I had to leave the office or go out of town, I would feel comfortable leaving him in charge.”
Organisciak has said the election should be about the sheriff. However, he wants the public to know if he is elected he will have a qualified and experienced undersheriff in the post.
“I want someone I can trust, someone with a level head, someone who can communicate with the staff and the citizens, and Bill can do that,” Organisciak said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Tom Kuryla, commissioner of the Orleans County Department of Social Services, is pictured in the hallway outside the DSS offices on the second floor of the County Administration Building on Route 31. He started as DSS commissioner in 2010, and welfare fraud recoveries and cost avoidance have doubled since then.
ALBION – The raid at the Murray Superette on Tuesday, when three people were arrested in a food stamp trafficking scheme, is the latest sign Orleans County officials, including the district attorney and law enforcement agencies, are taking welfare fraud very seriously.
Three Salamaca brothers – Alexander, Myron and Olec – were all arrested on Tuesday and jailed on $20,000 bail. Police believe their fraud could reach into “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
The Salamaca family owns the Murray Superette on Route 104. Police say store owners and some employees accepted customers’ food stamps for cash at 70 percent to the customer, and then allowed customers to purchase items not authorized by the food stamp program, including cigarettes and lottery tickets.
At least 50 people have been identified for using their food stamp benefits in exchange for cash and that number should grow, said District Attorney Joe Cardone.
The arrests on Tuesday followed 15 months of investigation, including work from the county’s Welfare Fraud Unit in the Department of Social Services. The two full-time investigators, Marie Snyder and Scott Twitchell, have a solid understanding of the social services programs, and know the red flags that can show welfare fraud, DSS Commissioner Tom Kuryla said.
“If there is welfare fraud, we’re going to find out,” Kuryla said. “We owe it to the taxpayers to show that we’re working on their behalf, too.”
Kuryla joined the Orleans County DSS as commissioner in 2010, after being deputy commissioner in Seneca County, where he oversaw the fraud investigations.
The Orleans fraud numbers have doubled in the past five years.
Year
Fraud recovery
Cost Avoidance
2009
$39,313
$352,938
2010
$40,417
$968,742
2011
$75,984
$1,423,272
2012
$84,472
$1,598,814
2013
$83,100
$1,610,684
2014
$88,613
$1,799,478
2015*
$52,013
$1,401,658
Source: Orleans County DSS. The 2015 data represents the first nine months of the year.
The county added a second full-time investigator in 2013. Orleans County leads similar-size nearby counties in welfare fraud detection and recovery.
Wyoming County investigators prevented an estimated $1,343,000 in unentitled benefits in 2014, and also recovered $62,000 in fraud, according to an April 18, 2015 article from The Daily News in Batavia. That report also said Genesee County prevented $787,716 in improper benefits and recovered $20,000 in fraud in 2014.
When the investigators with Orleans DSS detect fraud, they will often work with local law enforcement, which makes the arrests.
Tom Drennan, chief deputy of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, went over the game plan for making arrests and executing search warrants with about 20 officers from several agencies on Tuesday morning when the Murray Superette was raided and three people charged in a food stamp trafficking scheme. Drennan and the officers are pictured at about 6:30 a.m. at the Gaines Town Hall. Orleans County’s Welfare Fraud Unit has been involved in the case.
Some of the candidates for county-wide offices have said the county isn’t doing enough to crack down on welfare fraud. Kuryla said the county is a leader with its efforts and is doing everything “reasonable” to detect fraud and prevent it when people seek public assistance.
He said there has been some pushback from people who don’t like seeing people arrested, denied benefits or forced to pay back assistance.
“Some people think we’re beating up the poor,” Kuryla said. “That is not the case. We want to give people the appropriate assistance that they need. We’re absolutely trying not to hurt anybody who deserves benefits.”
An improving local job market and the county’s welfare fraud crackdown has brought down the county’s overall welfare caseload and cost, Kuryla said.
The caseloads for Family Assistance and Safety Net (assistance for people without children or who have been on welfare for more than 5 years) have been reduced from 758 in 2014 to the current level of 592, Kuryla said.
The reduced caseloads should reduce the county’s welfare costs by at least $200,000 this year, “conservatively,” Kuryla said.
“The numbers are coming down,” he said. “Many people realize it’s easier to get a job than to come in here and try to fool them.”
He said identifying the fraud takes people with their sole focus on looking for the red flags, and responding to referrals from the public and a hotline. Kuryla said county officials are discussing adding a third welfare fraud investigator to keep up with the workload and pursue more leads.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Fundraising target – $279,104.31 – reflects major routes and connections in community
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – United Way of Orleans County wants to emphasis community connections in the 2016 fund-raising campaign. The organization, to emphasize that theme, picked three major state routes – 279, 104 and 31 – in the county for the campaign goal.
On Thursday evening, honorary campaign chairman Charlie Nesbitt and United Way executive director Marsha Rivers unveiled the campaign goal during a reception at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery. The $279,104.31 not only incorporates the major thoroughfares in the county, but those numbers could serve as donation targets for community members.
In the 2015 campaign, United Way also used “104” to motivate donors. That number represents a $2 donation 52 weeks a year. Rivers urged some donors to try to reach $279 in giving to the United Way for the year. Or perhaps first-time donors might want to begin supporting United Way at the $31 level.
The campaign raises funds for 19 partner agencies, as well as many more programs designated by donors.
Charlie Nesbitt, the honorary campaign chairman, addresses a group of agency leaders and United Way supporters during a campaign kickoff on Thursday evening.
“Thank you to the agencies for dedicating some part of your life to helping your neighbors,” Nesbitt, the former state assemblyman, said during the campaign kickoff.
The Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern is one of the agencies that benefits from the United Way campaign. The United Way funding is used for the Just Friends mentoring program and also for crisis services, said Jacki Mowers-Sciarabba, the client advocate in Orleans County and Just Friends coordinator for the agency.
“With more money we could help more families keep the heat on during the winter,” she said. “These are senior citizens, children and families.”
The Cornell Cooperative Extension uses United Way funds for a “Choose Health” program, where a staff member teaches children about making good choices and healthy living. That can include reading labels on food packages and portion control while eating.
Jessica Downey, as assistant vice president at Claims Recovery Financial Services in Albion, is president of the United Way board. She said United Way has an impact throughout the county, supporting agencies that work with people of all ages.
“I love how close-knit the community is,” Downey said. “We’re loyal to each other and help each other out.”
The United Way board of directors is pictured at Thursday’s kickoff. The group includes, front row, from left: Jessica Downey, Assistant VP for CRFS; Executive Director Marsha Rivers; Melinda Maedl, Business Community Liaison for Iroquois Job Corps; Carol D’Agostino, Principal for Kendall Junior-Senior High School; and Virginia Kropf, Reporter for The Daily News.
Back row: Jackie Gardner, VP at Claims Recovery Financial Services; Patrick Weissend, Assistant VP & Branch Manager for Tompkins Bank of Castile in Medina; Bill Hungerford, President of Takeform Architectural Graphics; Jerome Pawlak, Owner of Pawlak’s Save-A-Lot; Jason Smith, Superintendent of Lyndonville Central School; and Dave Cook, Territory Manager for Innovative Solutions.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Pete Rhim, an employee with Baxter International, is out volunteering with the Day of Caring today through the Orleans County United Way.
Rhim and volunteers set up a perimeter of plastic timber around the playground for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee on East State Street in Albion. They set a vapor barrier on the grass and were then going to put a layer of recycled tire mulch on top.
Jamal Smith, a student at the Iroquois Job Corps Center in Medina, carries weeds to the garbage while working on the landscaping at a residence for The Arc of Orleans County on Hamilton Street in Albion.
Jamal Smith, left, and fellow Job Corps student Kyawshwe Aye work on the landscaping at The Arc residence. They were getting the ground ready for a fresh layer of mulch.
They were volunteering as part of the Day of Caring today.
Christian Candelaria measures wood to 6 feet. Christian, a Job Corps student, helped build frames and display areas for the Cornell Cooperative Extension. The display areas will be used to show 4-H projects.
Job Corps carpentry students Selena Ortiz, right, and Estephanie Moreno put the frames on the new display boards inside the Trolley Building at the fairgrounds..
There were about 30 volunteers out in the Day of Caring today. They also worked on projects at Hospice of Orleans County in Albion and The Arc’s Stork Street residence in Medina.
Besides Job Corps and Baxter International, volunteers from Takeform Architectural Graphics in Medina, Orleans County Adult Learning Services and Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern worked on community projects.
Provided photos – Warren Kruger (operating backhoe) works with Jim Blackburn (left) and Jim’s father Gary Blackburn in upgrading the pavilion at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.
Press Release, Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension
KNOWLESVILLE – For many, the Curtis Pavilion along the creek at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds includes memories of friends, family, and smells of chicken dinners cooked over an open flame during the annual county fair.
The Thursday evening fair tradition is a homecoming event for many, and fairgrounds Property Committee members, Gary Blackburn and Vince Flow III and the father-son team of Warren and Stephen Kruger, have worked throughout the year to preserve the pavilion that was built in 1973 for future generations.
They received support from Oak Orchard Concrete of Medina, which donated the concrete to stabilize the poles. The Town of Kendall also provided use of a backhoe to the fairgrounds for excavating the soil surrounding the poles.
The team coordinated their schedule to ensure they did not interrupt events at the fairgrounds and would meet in the late afternoon and work through the evening hours.
Work on the main structure is nearing completion and there are plans to continue with stage improvements next year. Warren, Stephen, and Oak Orchard Concrete will be presented with the Friend of Extension award at Extension’s annual meeting on Dec. 1 in recognition of their efforts.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Candidates asked about adding school resource officers, body cams, and boosting diversity among officers
Photos by Tom Rivers – Steven Aldstadt, president of SCOPE in New York, serves as moderator of a candidate forum on Wednesday evening for the three people running for sheriff, including from left in back: Tom Drennan, Don Organisciak, and Randy Bower.
ALBION – In a candidate forum organized by the New York Revolution and the Orleans County chapter of SCOPE, two groups staunchly opposed to the SAFE Act, the first question for three candidates for sheriff didn’t waste any time on the controversial gun control law.
Candidates Randy Bower, Don Organisciak and Tom Drennan were all asked if they would enforce the SAFE Act.
Bower and Drennan said they wouldn’t. Organisciak said he would.
Most of the law, passed by the State Legislature in January 2013 after a mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school, was just upheld by a federal court.
Drennan, the chief deputy for the Sheriff’s Office, said the law “needs to be repealed.” He told 200 people at the candidate forum that he wouldn’t push officers to enforce that law if he is sheriff.
“We won’t be knocking on anybody’s door, checking their guns and ammunition,” he said.
Bower, a public safety dispatcher who won the Republican primary over Drennan last month, noted that every Orleans County town and village board, as well as the county Legislature, opposed the SAFE Act and have called on its repeal.
“As sheriff I work for the people,” Bower said at the forum at the Elk’s Club. “If you don’t want it enforced, I won’t enforce it. The sheriff works for you, the people.”
Don Organisciak speaks during a sheriff candidate forum.
Organisciak, a retired Medina police officer and investigator, said he would be obligated to enforce the SAFE Act as sheriff. He is endorsed by the Democratic Party.
“It’s a big issue,” he said about the SAFE Act. “The SAFE Act is a law and I have to enforce the law as sheriff.”
The candidates were asked numerous questions in the forum that lasted about 80 minutes. They were also allowed to make opening and closing statements.
Bower said he would push for a drug treatment program in the county jail, and more community policing, especially in the rural areas. He wants the Sheriff’s Office to have a stronger relationship with local school districts. Ideally, he said two officers would be assigned to work in each school district.
“We spend a lot of money protecting everything else but our children,” Bower said. “We need to be in our schools.”
Randy Bower answers a question during the candidate forum.
After a 30-year career in Medina, Organisciak worked two years as a school resource officer in Lyndonville. The school district had several bomb threats before Organisciak was brought in and he said those issues went away by the end of his two years.
He also developed a rapport with students, and that helped solve other crimes. He would favor a school resource officer in each district. Only Medina has an officer now in the schools with the school district paying towards an officer’s salary from the Medina Police Department.
Organisciak said the county should pay for a school resource officer for Kendall because that district doesn’t have a village police force. The other communities might work out paying for an officer through the school district or the village police department, he said.
Drennan said he meets regularly with the school superintendents and there is talk about the schools making an office available for officers, who could also stay for lunch and get to know students.
Organisciak said he is running for sheriff to give residents a choice in the election, and to also put his 30-plus years of experience to work for the county. He would make professionalism his main mission for the Sheriff’s Office, making training and proper equipment a priority for the officers and staff.
“I want to bring back the professionalism,” he said.
Tom Drennan, a 23-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, has worked his way up through the ranks, including the past nine years as chief deputy.
Drennan lost a close Republican primary by 21 votes. He remains a candidate through the Reform and Independence parties.
He said he has the experience and commitment to take the Sheriff’s Office to a higher level of professionalism. He wants to make the Sheriff’s Office an accredited agency through the state. That would establish procedures and standardization for deputies and staff, Drennan said.
Organisciak also said he would support accreditation because it would make the Sheriff’s Office more efficient and reduce insurance costs. Bower said he wasn’t convinced about the accreditation because he doesn’t want the state dictating how the Sheriff’s Office is run.
Both Drennan and Bower have said who would serve as their undersheriff. Bower named Chris Bourke, a lieutenant with the Sheriff’s Office with three decades of experience. Drennan on Monday announced Brett Sobieraski, a sergeant with the Rochester Police Department and a Kent resident, would serve in the role if Drennan is elected.
Organisciak said he is interviewing people for undersheriff and may make an annoucement next week. His choice as undersheriff will have law enforcement experience, he said.
Organisciak and Drennan said the election is for the sheriff.
“You’re not voting for the undersheriff,” Organisciak said. “You need to lead by example.You’re the sheriff.”
Mattie Zarpentine, a leader of New York Revolution, said the group wants to help educate voters about the candidates and encourage people to vote on Nov. 3.
Drennan reluctantly named an undersheriff because he said the issue was becoming a distraction. Sobieraski has a 27-year career in law enforcement, starting with the Lockport Police Departmentand then the past 23 years with the Rochester Police Department, including the past 15 as a supervising sergeant with the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team.
Sobieraski also has been a training officer, and Drennan said the Sheriff’s Office has several new deputies who would benefit from training and mentoring from Sobieraski.
Drennan said he would be an active leader for the Sheriff’s Office, and would be capable of helping with investigations and other issues.
“This whole race should be about the sheriff,” Drennan said. “The sheriff can’t rely on the undersheriff doing the work for him.”
Bower said Bourke is well known among residents, business owners and highway workers. Bourke is accessible and would be a leader with community policing, Bower said.
Bower said he is striving to build a team in the Sheriff’s Office that would serve the community from law enforcement, emergency communications, the jail, animal control, and the civil division.
The candidates were asked about turnover in the Sheriff’s Office, with some deputies leaving to work for other departments.
Organisciak said the Sheriff’s Department used to be the top destination for law enforcement in the county, but that started to change about 15 to 20 years ago. Some deputies left the Sheriff’s Department to work for either the Albion or Medina Police Departments. Others left to work in neighboring counties.
Organisciak said the county needs to be committed to training and the proper equipment to keep deputies.
“I would bring professionalism, integrity and loyalty back so it is a place men and women want to come to work,” he said.
Don Organisciak answers a question in the debate. Mattie Zarpentine, front left, and Steve Aldstadt are in the front table with a crowd of about 200 behind them.
Drennan said the county hasn’t been as competiive with pay, not only with surrounding counties but also with Albion and Medina police. That gap has narrowed in recent years, he said. The Sheriff’s Office should at least be able to match the pay of the local village police departments, he said.
However, some nearby counties pay a third more to double the pay offered by the county.
“We’ve made some adjustments with pay,” Drennan said. “We’ll never meet Monroe, Niagara or even Genesee, but we have to at least pay what the villages do.”
Bower said boosting morale for the employees will be a top priority.
“We will make it a place where the men and women really want to work,” he said.
The candidates were also asked about increasing diversity among deputies and staff, and the possibility of the Sheriff’s Office taking over all local law enforcement or perhaps more shared services with the village police departments.
The candidates all said they favor a diverse staff. Drennan said there are several deputies who are women. He would welcome officers who are black, and urged them to take the Civil Service exam and apply.
The county is pursuing a grant that would study shared services among existing police departments and the Sheriff’s Office, with the possibility of dissolving the village police and having the Sheriff’s Office expand its work.
Bower and Organisciak said they worry the village residents would get less service in such a scenario. They would only back it with village approval.
Drennan said the Sheriff’s Office could handle the added work with more deputies and staff. He said the Sheriff’s Office would have to add police substations outside Albion in such a scenario, which he said might make the most sense for the county’s policing services.
The three canddiates all said they were open to body cameras on officers because they cameras can help prove cases or make cases stronger when evidence is presented to the district attorney. The cameras also would raise the level of professionalism.
“It’s a good tool to help officers get up to another level,” Organisciak said.
All three candidates also said they would work to uphold the Constitution and would bring a strong work ethic to the job.
