State responds to Orleans Hub article about county reaching deal to collect TV’s and other e-waste

Statement from NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

ALBANY – The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation would like to provide information and address the inaccuracies regarding the NYS Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act (Act) which appeared in the Orleans Hub article entitled “County approves deal to collect TV’s and other e-waste” dated August 27, 2015. (Click here to see that article.)

Since the Act was implemented in 2011, NYS consumers have the opportunity to recycle a wide variety of electronic waste (e-waste), such as computers, computer peripherals, televisions, small scale servers and other small electronic equipment in an environmentally responsible manner, through the use of manufacturers’ e-waste acceptance programs.

In fact, from 2011 through 2014 over 350,000 pounds of e-waste has been collected across the state for recycling/reuse.

Under the Act, manufacturers of covered electronic equipment (CEE) are required to provide free and convenient recycling of e-waste to consumers across the state. The Act allows manufacturers to utilize a variety of methods to accept e-waste from consumers (i.e. collection sites, events, mail back programs, etc.), which means there may not be a physical e-waste drop-off location available to all consumers.

In accordance with the Act, manufacturers are required to run a year-round, continuous e-waste acceptance program and are required to collect a minimum weight of e-waste based upon their market share. There is no limit to the amount of e-waste a manufacturer or their affiliated recycling partners may accept. The state has not “capped the amount of discarded material companies have to accept each year” as stated in the article.

Consumers wanting further information on how to properly recycle their e-waste should visit DEC’s webpage for consumers by clicking here.

Also available on DEC’s website is a listing of registered electronic waste collection site locations sorted by county. Click here to see the list.

Illegal dumping of e-waste should be reported to local authorities. The Department will pursue enforcement action when necessary. Any questions regarding the Act or how to properly recycle e-waste should be directed to DEC’s E-waste Team at: ewaste@dec.ny.gov or 518-402-8706.

The county-wide vote totals for Randy Bower and Tom Drennan were nearly the same out of 3,149 votes, with Bower holding a slight 27-vote edge in the race to be the next Orleans County sheriff.

However, some towns strongly favored Drennan while Bower collected an overwhelming majority in others. Some towns were almost a 50-50 split in the Republican vote.

Here is the voter breakdown in each of the 10 towns:

Source: Orleans County Board of Elections

Bower is a public safety dispatcher who lives just outside the Village of Holley in Murray. His 146-vote lead in Murray was the biggest difference in any of the 10 towns.

However, Drennan was the most dominant in any town with his showing in Kendall, his hometown. Drennan, the chief deputy in the Sheriff’s Office, won 74.3 percent or 168 of the 226 votes in Kendall.

In Murray, Bower won 70.5 percent of the vote. Bower had his second strongest showing in Clarendon, where he won 62.8 percent of the vote.

Both Bower and Drennan are from the eastern end of Orleans County. Drennan dominated Kendall, and Bower had big leads in Murray and Clarendon.

The central towns of Albion, Barre, Gaines and Carlton were all close.

Drennan was stronger than Bower in the west end, mainly due to a big showing in Shelby, where he got 60 percent of the vote. Yates and Ridgeway were almost evenly split.

The county Board of Elections has 233 absentee ballots out in the race and had received 157 by Thursday. The ballots will be counted Tuesday at 9 a.m., although more could come in by a Thursday deadline. The final results need to be certified on Friday, Sept. 18.

If you’re wondering about voter turnout for the Primary, it was 31.4 percent or 3,157 votes out of the 10,037 registered Republicans. That vote total includes eight write-ins.

Bower has slight lead; Absentees will be counted Tuesday

Too close to call. After more than 3,000 Republicans voted in a primary today for sheriff, neither Randy Bower or Tom Drennan can claim victory.

Bower received 1,588 votes for a slight lead over Drennan with 1,561.

The Board of Elections reported it sent out 233 absentee ballots, with 157 returned. Election Commissioner Dennis Piedimonte said he expects some more will come in the next few days. The absentees will be opened at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

Regardless who wins the primary, both candidates will be on the Nov. 3 ballot. Bower, a dispatcher the past 29 years, has been endorsed by the Conservative Party. Drennan, the chief deputy in the Sheriff’s Office, has the Independence and Reform Party lines.

Former Medina police investigator Don Organisciak has the Democratic Party backing, making it a three-man race to succeed Scott Hess, who is retiring as sheriff on Dec. 31.

In Yates, town supervisor race will go to absentees

Some candidates who forced primaries today were able to pull off upsets, defeating the endorsed Republicans.

In Albion, highway department employee Michael Neidert won the primary over incumbent Highway Superintendent Jed Standish and another challenger, Chris Kinter. Neidert received 256 votes, to 168 for Standish and 94 for Kinter.

In Barre, the Republican Committee endorsed Bert Mathes for highway superintendent to succeed the retiring Dale Ostroski. But Dale Brooks, the current DPW superintendent for the Village of Albion, won the primary with 118 votes compared to 74 for Mathes.

Two other incumbent highway superintendents claimed victories today.

Mike Fuller won in Shelby over Ed Houseknecht, the former Medina DPW superintendent and Orleans County highway chief. Fuller was backed by 243 voters, compared to 172 for Houseknecht.

In Clarendon, incumbent Larry Swanger faced three challengers. He received 153 votes, compared to 88 for Tracy Bruce Chalker, 46 for Craig Nicosia, and 39 for Frederick Seeman III.

In Yates, the race for town supervisor will go to the absentee ballots, which will be counted on Tuesday at 9 a.m. Incumbent John Belson holds a slim lead over challenger Jim Simon, 145-139.

In a three-person battle for two Yates Town Board seats, incumbent Wes Bradley received the most votes with 177 while another endorsed candidate, John Riggi, received 163. Political newcomer Valerie Pratt, who forced a primary, came in third with 122 votes.

Simon, Riggi and Pratt campaigned together in opposition to a proposed wind turbine project in Yates and Somerset.

The other primary race included three people running for two spots on the Carlton Town Board. John Fitzak and incumbent Dana Woolston were the winners. Fitzak had the most votes, 192, followed by Woolston with 165 and Frank Lauta with 118.

Photos courtesy of Orleans/Niagara BOCES – Building Trades teacher Anthony Molinaro, left, speaks with NYS Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia, as part of a tour that also included Niagara Career and Technical Education Center Principal Anedda Trautman and Orleans/Niagara BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Clark Godshall.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

SANBORN – After visiting schools in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Sweet Home school districts, New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia made her final stop on Wednesday at Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ Niagara Career and Technical Education Center.

Dr. Clark Godshall, superintendent of Orleans/Niagara BOCES, invited Elia and representatives from the component districts in Orleans and Niagara counties to visit the center to give the commissioner a chance to address issues facing administrators and teachers in education.

She talked to the audience about teacher evaluations, the Common Core, state standardized testing and then answered questions from the audience members.

Dr. Clark Godshall is pictured with Commissioner Elia and Orleans/Niagara BOCES Board of Education member Edward Grabowski, who represents the Medina school district.

Elia also had a chance to tour the career and technical education center and talk to teachers and students about the benefits of career and technical education.

One Building Trades students shared that even though she was planning on going to college, she wanted the skills so that she could work construction in the summer months to make money to help her pay for tuition. Commissioner Elia told her it was a wise choice to learn a skill and shared with the teachers her own experiences as an educator.

Dr. Godshall said that the commissioner shared with him how impressed she was with the programs and the success rate of the students.

“She was invigorated with her discussions with the staff, students and the component districts and enjoyed her interaction with them,” Godshall said. “We appreciate the time she spent with us.”

Computer Technology teacher Joe DeMerle, next to Niagara Career and Technical Education Principal Anedda Trautman, talks to Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia, as part of a tour with Director of Career and Technical Education Joseph Steinmetz and Orleans/Niagara BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Clark Godshall.

Photo by Tom Rivers – An Albion school bus turns from Platt Street onto East Park Street this morning on the first day of the 2015-16 school year for Albion Central School.

Press Release
Sheriff Scott Hess

Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess wants to remind everyone that all area schools are back in session following the summer recess. School buses are back on our roadways, and students will be walking along streets and highways and/or waiting for their buses.

“This is the time of year when we ask motorists to be especially watchful in residential areas, along school bus routes, and in school zones,” Hess said. “Children and traffic are often a deadly combination because kids often make impulsive decisions that can result in grave consequences. Drivers must never assume that children walking to or from school will make responsible, mature decisions.”

The NYS Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee recommends the following:

Please watch carefully for children near school buildings, in areas where school buses are traveling, or where there are signs for school zones or bus stops.

Motorists please remember that if you are approaching a school bus from either direction, and its yellow lights are flashing, the bus is preparing to stop.

If the red lights are flashing on the school bus YOU MUST STOP! It’s the law and the penalty for violating it is severe.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office wishes everyone a safe return to school and continued safety throughout the school year!

File photos by Tom Rivers  – This 9-11 flag was raised outside the Elks Lodge on West State Street after a memorial service this morning in Albion.

ALBION – Friday will mark 14 years since terrorists attacked the United States, claiming nearly 3,000 lives when they crashed airplanes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in rural Pennsylvania.

Larry Montello, a leader in the American Legion locally, has been planning Sept. 11 memorial services in Orleans County since 2005.

“Everybody is getting relaxed and forgetting about what happened that day,” Montello said. “It’s part of history.”

He will lead a service at 10 a.m. Friday at the Elks Club on West State Street in Albion. Congressman Chris Collins, State Sen. Robert Ortt, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley and County Legislator Don Allport are expected to attend and speak at the event.

Orleans County Legislator Don Allport, left, teams with State Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Larry Montello, a leader with the American Legion, in raising the 9-11 flag.

Police officers, firefighters and paramedics also will attend and light candles in memory of 343 firefighters and 60 police officers who were killed in the attacks.

There also will be a candlelight vigil at 6 p.m. Friday by the courthouse. The ladder trucks from the Albion and Medina fire departments will hold a giant American flag as part of the vigil.

Montello and supporters of the event had a spaghetti dinner about a month ago to raise money for wreaths for the ceremony, and small flags to be handed out at the vigil.

Montello said the community is welcome to attend the memorial service and vigil.

Some of the Republican candidates for town offices have won the backing of the Democratic Party during recent caucuses.

Two of those candidates, Michael Neidert and Dale Brooks, have both forced Republican primaries on Thursday for town highway superintendent positions.

Neidert has challenged incumbent Jed Standish for Albion highway superintendent. Neidert has worked as a motor equipment operator the past 18 years for the Highway Department. The Primary on Thursday in Albion also includes Chris Kinter, who has 18 years experience with construction and runs his own business.

Standish has been highway superintendent for the past 16 years.

Regardless of the results on Thursday, Neidert will be on Nov. 3 ballot under the Democratic Party line.

Dale Brooks, the current superintendent for the Department of Public Works in the Village of Albion, also has the Democratic line for Barre town highway superintendent. He forced a Republican Primary against Bert Mathes, an employee with the Orleans County Highway Department. They are both seeking to succeed Dale Ostroski, who is retiring Dec. 31.

Other Democratic endorsements include:

Albion: Sarah Basinait for town clerk, Jake Olles for Town Councilman, and Darlene Benton for Town Councilwoman. Basinait and Olles both have been endorsed by the Republican Party.

Republicans also backed Paul Fulcomer for the Town Board, which sets up a three-way battle for two positions on Nov. 3.

Barre: Besides Brooks, Democrats backed Cyndy Van Lieshout for town supervisor, Maureen Beach for town clerk, and Joe Grabowski and Richard V. Bennett for Town Board.

Beach has the Republican endorsement for town clerk. The Republican Party also backed Mark Chamberlain for town supervisor, and Sean Pogue and Larry Gaylard for Town Board. Mathes has the GOP endorsement but faces the Primary challenge from Brooks on Thursday.

Kendall: Democrats endorsed Margaret Lynn Szozda for Town Board. She already has the GOP line.

The other Republican candidates are unopposed including Anthony Cammarata for town supervisor, Barbara Flow for Town Council, and Warren Kruger for highway superintendent.

In Shelby, Democrats are backing Darlene Rich for town clerk. Republicans aren’t running a candidate against her.

The other Republican candidates include Merle “Skip” for town supervisor, Kenneth Schaal, Jr. and Dale Stalker for Town Council, and Dawn Keppler for town justice. Mike Fuller and Ed Houseknecht are battling for the GOP line in a Primary on Thursday for highway superintendent.

Democrats have until Sept. 17 to file their nominations for candidates. The Gaines Democratic Party Caucus is scheduled for Sept. 14, The Board of Elections Office said no other town caucuses are scheduled before the Sept. 17 deadline.

Orleans Hub had one of our biggest months for traffic in August with 648,264 page views, an average of 20,912 each day of the month.

We also averaged 6,684 daily unique visitors. Both stats are up from July, when we had 6,569 daily unique visitors and 617,809 page views.

The top five stories (the ones with the most clicks) for August include:

1. Man drowns after jumping off Kenyonville bridge

Photo by Tom Rivers – Firefighters and law enforcement agencies search for a man who jumped off the Kenyonville Road bridge in Carlton on Aug. 6. A man, 67, from Ohio drowned after jumping into the water. He was visiting the area on a fishing trip.

2. Sheriff identifies 4 injured in Albion accident

3. 4 injured in Albion accident

4. Extreme makeover at Kendall Jr./Sr. High School

5. 2 from Orleans die in Bergen car accident

Mike and Cheryl Wertman also have stayed busy this summer covering local sports. The top sports story for the month was coverage of the season openers in the youth football leagues. Click here to see “Albion Varsity Eagles, Medina Broncos win youth football season openers”.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Mehkyron Drisdom picks up big yardage on a pass reception during the Albion Varsity Eagles season opening win on Aug. 15 over Akron.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Paul Fulcomer accepts a check for $6,000 from the Albion Rotary Club last week. Becky Karls, right, helped plan the Rotary Golf Tournament that raised the money to go towards a van to transport veterans to medical appointments.

ALBION – The director of the Veterans Service Agency in Orleans County will retire on Nov. 28 after 13 years of helping veterans and their families receive benefits through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Paul Fulcomer works to bring money to veterans from the VA, but also is active in planning services to honor veterans and also leads a volunteer-run van transportation service that takes vets to medical appointments.

Fulcomer is proud of the van transportation service that operates with five used vans. He thinks Orleans County is the only county offering such a volunteer-run service.

Last year, volunteers took 1,743 veterans to medical appointments with the vans. There are 33 volunteers in the van service, either driving or helping to arrange appointments.

“The people of Orleans County step up and help the veterans out,” Fulcomer told the County Legislature last week.

Donations help pay for the vans. Last week the Albion Rotary Club presented a check for $6,000 to go towards replacing one of the five vans. The Rotary Club also donated $5,000 in 2014 for the van service. This year’s golf tournament was able to raise more for the van service.

Fulcomer and his office helped return $20.3 million to the veteran community in Orleans County last year, he told county legislators in a report last week. That includes $11,467,000 for compensation and pension, $7,961,000 for medical care, $755,000 for rehabilitation and vocational services, and $178,000 for insurance and indemnities.

In addition, Fulcomer acts as the veterans’ burial officer in the county and was responsible for nine veterans’ burials last year.

The county cost for the Veterans Service Agency is $87,592. Fulcomer said his office returns $232.45 to the community for every $1 spent by the county for the Veterans Service Agency.

There are 3,239 veterans in the county and about 2,500 widows. Fulcomer’s office made 13,825 contacts last year with veterans, widows and children of veterans.

ALBION – A Medina woman was sentenced today to six months in jail and five years probation for fourth-degree grand larceny.

Carly S. Wells, 25, allegedly racked up $28,000 in fraudulent purchases and/or cash withdrawals on someone else’s credit card.

Special prosecutor Kevin McKain, Orleans County Court Judge James Punch and the victim in the crime agreed to $26,091 in restitution. Wells paid a $2,500 down payment by sentencing today.

“This has been a tremendous ordeal, not only financially,” McKain said about the impact on the victim from the crime. “She has been affected emotionally by this scheme.”

Wells did not speak during sentencing. Her attorney Kirk Okay said she has taken responsibility for the crime. He asked that she not be sentenced to jail.

“The sooner Carly can get back to work, the sooner restitution can commence and all concerned can move on from this episode,” the attorney said at sentencing.

Punch said Wells used “a series of deceptions” in obtaining the trust of the victim and then defrauding her of her money.

The judge said some jail time was necessary.

“You are completely self-centered and a user of people and a breacher of trust from people who have put their faith in you,” Punch said.

Wells will be required to pay back the money in 48 installments once she is out of jail.

In other cases in court today:

A Medina resident was given a conditional discharge and sentenced to time served in jail, a $200 surcharge and 6-month suspension of his driver’s license.

Jason Fidanza, 41, of Slade Road allegedly sold hydrocodone and another prescription narcotic in Ridgeway on June 18.

Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone said he was dismissing charges of third-degree welfare fraud and first-degree offering a false instrument against a Ridgeway woman.

Kathy Mungenast allegedly accepted $5,267 in welfare benefits she was not entitled to from July 1, 2012 to Nov. 30, 2013. She allegedly filed false paperwork to access those benefits, according to the District Attorney’s office.

However, the case proved difficult to establish how often Mungenast wasn’t home and visiting a boyfriend, Cardone said.

The judge arraigned an Albion man on third-degree grand larceny. Reilly D. Climenhaga, 28, of Gaines-Waterport Road allegedly stole $6,000 worth of jewelry and money from a house on Allen Road. The judge kept bail at $500.

The judge assigned Wesley Askew, formerly of Orleans County, as a level 3 sex offender, the highest possible risk for re-offending.

Askew, 47, has been in prison since May 2009 for second-degree rape. He is currently an inmate at Great Meadow Correctional Facility. He could be released as soon as Oct. 24.

Provided photos

ELBA – A historical marker on Route 98 about the Elba Mucklands was reinstalled with a fresh coat of paint on Thursday.

The muck is turning 100 years old this year. It started in 1915 when the Oak Orchard and Tonawanda swamps were drained. The muck continues to be highly productive agriculture soil.

Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon town historian, has cleaned up many of the local markers in need of fresh paint.

This marker is located by a big drainage ditch for the muck, just south of the Barre town line.

The marker was installed in 2002 as part of the 200th anniversary celebration for Genesee County. Here is how the marker looked before it was repainted.

Ierlan also repainted a marker for a cobblestone house on Ridge Road near the Cobblestone Museum.

Orleans County Historian Matt Ballard is pictured with the marker by the cobblestone house on Thursday.

Ierlan said residents are welcome to donate painting supplies or money for the marker facelifts.

She estimated it costs up to $30 to prime, paint and clear coat the markers. People could donate to the Clarendon Historical Society at the Clarendon Town Hall, 16385 Church St. or to the Cobblestone Museum on Ridge Road in Gaines.

People could also drop off Rustoleum #7727 royal blue quart or pint, #7747 sunburst yellow quart or pint, and a spray can of Rustoleum metal primer gray or white for the post. Ierlan also uses Rustoleum glossy black and a spray can of clear glossy.

Ierlan also painted this sign in the Brockville hamlet in Murray. It was reinstalled earlier this month.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Tom Drennan greets some of his supporters, including Michael Hanlon at left, during a chicken barbecue dinner this evening at the Elks’ Club in Albion. Drennan, the current chief deputy at the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, is running for sheriff and faces a Republican Primary on Sept. 10 against Randy Bower.

ALBION – Tom Drennan’s supporters showed up in force today to buy chicken barbecue dinners and lend support for the chief deputy seeking to become the next county sheriff.

Drennan has worked 23 years for the Sheriff’s Office, starting as a road patrol deputy in September 1992. He has been promoted to lieutenant, criminal investigator, major and chief deputy.

He is running a campaign with a message that “Experience Matters.” He faces Randy Bower in a Republican Primary on Sept. 10. Drennan has the Republican Party endorsement. Former Medina police investigator Don Organisciak has the Democratic Party endorsement for the Nov. 3 election.

Drennan’s supporters include a who’s who of local law enforcement leaders, including District Attorney Joe Cardone. The DA says he can’t endorse a candidate, but he said Drennan would be an asset for the county as sheriff.

“I’ve worked with Tom for 23 years,” Cardone said. “There hasn’t been a major investigation he hasn’t been involved with. He brings years and years of experience and good judgment to the job.”

Tom Drennan was out directing traffic on Route 98 during the 10-mile race in Albion, the debut of the Metro 10 that included about 400 runners.

David Green, a retired sheriff, served in that role for 20 years as a Democrat. Green is now the vice chairman of the Democratic Party and has taken some heat from Democrats for backing Drennan.

Green said he has known Drennan since he was a young boy. Green was friends with Drennan’s parents, the late Jack and Helen Drennan.

“I have known him and his family for 50 years,” Green said at the Drennan benefit this evening.

Green was sheriff when Drennan was hired 23 years ago. Green said Drennan has received many promotions and completed numerous training classes, developing contacts in the law enforcement community.

“The other two (Bower and Organisciak) are both good guys,” Green said. “But I think Tom is the best prepared. He’s worked hard to get to this point.”

Four members of the civilian staff at the Sheriff’s Office, who all work with Tom Drennan, serve up chicken barbecue dinners. The group includes, from left: Sandy Wolfe, Nicole Spohr, Debbie Hughson and Allison Lavigne. Karen Narburgh also is pictured at the end of the line. The group served 700 dinners today.

Allison Lavigne works as civilian staff in the office with Drennan. She and her civilian co-workers helped serve the chicken dinners today. They support Drennan to lead the Sheriff’s Office.

“He’s one of the most honest and respectful people I’ve ever met,” Lavigne said. “I believe he has the county’s best interest at heart. It’s not personal for him. He’s thinking of the county.”

Rocky Sidari, a former Albion fire chief, has 25 years with the Fire Department. He also started as a county cornorer in January, and he said Drennan has been helpful since Sidari started the new job.

“Whenever we had a serious fire, he’s been there,” Sidari said. “He’s dedicated and professional. It doesn’t matter the call, he’ll jump in. Honestly, I think he’d be one of the best sheriffs we’ve ever had.”

Drennan greeted people at the Elks door during the benefit. He said he’s pleased with the campaign and the encouragement from the community.

“The support has been awesome,” he said. “It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s been enjoyable.”