Closing of Brown’s Berry Patch’s retail operation is most viewed

Photo by Tom Rivers – Brown’s Berry Patch announced on March 3 it would close its retail operation, a popular site along Route 18 in Carlton for about three decades.

ALBION – The top story in Orleans Hub’s second year was about a farm shutting down its retail operation. Brown’s Berry Patch announced on March 3 it would close its ice cream stand, gift shop and popular playground.

The story went viral on social media across Western New York. It was the most viewed story in Orleans Hub’s second year with 23,585 “clicks.” That popularity is indicative of Brown’s Berry Patch’s reach in the region. The site on Route 18 in Waterport has won numerous awards as an agri-tourism draw.

Bob and Deborah Brown are retiring from the business. The Browns will continue the fruit farm that has been in the family for more than 200 years.

Only one other time has Orleans Hub had a story break the 10,000 mark. “A love story until the very end” also topped 10,000 clicks and was a world-wide phenomenon. The story featured Ed and Floreen Hale and their 60-year marriage. That story on Feb. 16, 2014 had to be taken off our server because it was so popular and kept crashing our system.

Here are the top 10 stories in Orleans Hub’s second year:

1. Brown’s Berry Patch will close retail operation

2. Father of 12 leaves legacy of love in Medina

3. Crooked Door closes in Albion

4. Firefighters battle to put out blaze in Carlton

5. Friends raise funds for funeral of 22-year-old Albion man

6. Man arrested after manhunt in Holley

7. Teen dies in apparent accidental shooting

8. Bear is spotted in Kendall

9. Albion doctor has license revoked

10. Doctor says billing irregularities at Medina hospital

ALBION – Two long-time employees at the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department are vying to be the next sheriff.

Scott Hess, Orleans County’s sheriff for nearly 12 years, will retire after Dec. 31, ending a 31-year career in law enforcement.

Chief Deputy Tom Drennan and Randy Bower, a public safety dispatcher, are both meeting with Town Republican Committees around the county, seeking their support for their campaigns. The full county GOP Committee will meet on May 7 to make an endorsement.

The sheriff oversees the criminal investigations, the road patrol, marine patrol, jail, dispatch, animal control and a civil division. There are about 100 employees in the Sheriff’s Department.

ALBION – The Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance is very supportive of Governor Cuomo’s $500 million initiative to bring broadband access to the entire state.

This is a problem that both of the counties have been working diligently on for the past three years, said Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson, who is the lead county representative on the alliance.

Presently, both Niagara and Orleans counties have approximately 50 percent broadband coverage, NORA officials said.

Recognizing that the lack of broadband availability hampers business and educational development, NORA has taken the initiative to survey broadband coverage and identify vertical assets as first steps in bringing countywide broadband to the area.

Orleans County representatives were heartened with the visit of David Salway, director of the NYS Broadband Program Office, to the county last week, said David Callard, chairman of the Orleans County Legislature.

At that conference Salway heard the need for expanded coverage for rural businesses and residents.

In June, Johnson and Callard will be attending a broadband conference in Albany along with Niagara County Legislator David Godfrey.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The Lyndonville Central School campus is pictured last week by the waterfalls near Route 63.

The numbers are in and they look good for local school districts. The state budget would give the five local school districts about $3 million more in operating aid, a 4.3 percent increase.

State-wide, the governor and legislative leaders agreed to 6.1 percent increase or $1.4 billion more to $23.5 billion in education aid.

The five local districts would get a combined $71,673,201 in operating aid, a $2,942,582 increase.

School leaders throughout the state have been waiting the past 10 weeks for school aid numbers. The governor typically includes those in the January budget proposal. State legislative leaders have historically bumped up the numbers from the governor.

Local school districts were penciling in 0 percent increases as part of their budget preparations. Local school budgets will be finalized in April, with the plans going before voters on May 19.

The districts in Orleans County all will see boosts in aid.

Here is a breakdown of the state aid for local school districts:

 
Source: NYS Division of the Budget

Medina would see about a half-million dollar increase in operating aid.

“We are pleased with the projection of state aid as we used very conservative estimates trying to plan for unknown revenue streams,” said Jeff Evoy, superintendent of Medina Central School.

The $337,220 increase for Lyndonville is good news, said Jason Smith, district superintendent.

“The district is pleased to see the state reduce the Gap Elimination Adjustment, and we are also pleased with our state aid increase,” Smith said. “We will work with our Board of Education to utilize this increase to reduce our reliance on reserves and explore ways to enhance our academic programs.”

An issue to be resolved in Albany is Cuomo’s controversial push to link the aid to revamped teacher evaluations. The governor wants 50 percent of a teacher’s evaluation to be tied to student performance on standardized tests. Right now, 20 percent of a teacher’s evaluation is reflected in those test scores.

“I have some serious concerns with the proposed changes to the teacher evaluation system, specifically forcing districts to negotiate an agreement in order to receive additional state aid increases,” Smith said. “This has been tried before, and was not successful.”

Robert Reidy Jr., executive director of the New York State Council of School Superintendents and Timothy Kremer, executive director of the New York State School Boards Association, issued a joint statement about the new teacher evaluation law within the New York State Budget.

“The well-known definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result,” the two said. “Since 2010, legislation to change the teacher evaluation system in New York has been passed three times. The proposals currently under consideration as a part of state budget negotiation will be the fourth attempt in five years.”

Reidy and Kremer said the governor forced new teacher evaluation protocol during the budget deadline in 2012, and that led to deficiencies in the evaluation system the governor now opposes.

Reidy and Kremer also are critical of push to have independent evaluators, instead of school administrators, do the reviews for teachers.

“Introducing an unaffiliated ‘independent’ evaluator to this practice would undermine the one successful piece of the current evaluation law,” Reidy and Kremer said. “Together these proposals represent yet another costly unfunded mandate on local school districts, while jeopardizing their ability to access needed state aid.”

Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Laura McBride, author of “We Are Called To Rise,” led a book discussion about her novel tonight at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina.

McBride of Las Vegas wrote the 13th book to be featured as “A Tale for Three Counties,” a community reading project in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties.

McBride led presentations on Thursday in Batavia at Genesee Community College and Richmond Memorial Library. She had lunch today with winners of a writing contest through The Daily News of Batavia.

She met with readers at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library for two hours today. On Saturday she will lead a discussion at 2 p.m. in Perry at the elementary-middle school auditorium.

Jan Albanese of Albion, left, gets her picture taken with Laura McBride.

“We Are Called To Rise” focuses on an immigrant boy whose family struggles to assimilate in Las Vegas. A woman wrestles with an imploding marriage and troubled son. A wounded soldier recovers from an injury.

The book was used in 18 classes at GCC.

The topics in the book – returning veterans and PTSD, domestic violence, refugee family adjustment, police brutality and child advocacy – may all sound grim, but McBride writes a story that is “remarkably tender, touching and ultimately optimistic and uplifting,” said Catherine Cooper, the director of the Medina library. She introduced McBride to about 75 people for tonight’s presentation.

McBride, a community college teacher, took a sabbatical to write the book. She wanted people to see beyond the stereotypes of Las Vegas as a gambling mecca and to see the shared humanity of people across different backgrounds and cultures.

She praised the “Tale” community for its hard work in organizing the reading initiative. Leslie DeLooze, a community services librarian at Richmond Memorial, is co-leader of the effort.

She said organizations, businesses and individual sponsors keep the program, which costs about $15,000, going strong. She was pleased to see the enthusiastic turnout so far for McBride. That includes about 125 people for each of her talks in Batavia, and then about 75 in Medina.

For more on the “Tale” program, click here.

About 75 people attended McBride’s discussion at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library tonight.

Project would make Orleans system interoperable with neighboring counties

Photo by Tom Rivers – Dale Banker, Orleans County emergency management coordinator, talks on his radio during a fire on Monday at a garage on Fancher Road in Clarendon.

ALBION – Orleans County has completed a $7.1 million upgrade to its emergency radio system, it’s first big overhaul in about two decades.

The county wants to continue to improve the system and will seek a $1.9 million state grant to make the system interoperable with emergency communication systems in Monroe, Niagara and Genesee counties.

The funding would also add vehicle repeaters for deputy patrol cars, giving them a stronger radio signal. In addition, the project would include bidirectional antennas and equipment for stronger signals inside school buildings at the five local districts as well as the BOCES site in Shelby.

“This would definitely enhance public safety,” Dale Banker, the county’s emergency management director, told county legislators during a conference about the grant on Wednesday.

The state has $50 million available through the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. Counties are welcome to submit applications by April 15.

The four counties – Orleans, Genesee, Monroe and Niagara – could coordinate their applications, and that effort would increase their chances for funding from the state, said Dan Sullivan, a salesman with Harris RF Communications.

The state has capped the grants to counties at $3.5 million. Orleans will seek $1.9 million.

The county’s new system provides at least 95 percent coverage in the county. The additional upgrades could take that to 99 percent.

“It’s an enhancement of an already state-of-the-art system,” Sullivan said.

ALBION – Orleans County legislators voted today to hire lobbyist for $60,000 a year to advocate for county interests in the state capitol.

The decision to hire an outside public affairs firm was a first for the county, which wants to be more aggressive in pursuing grant funding and state resources.

“For quite some time, the Legislature has been concerned that the county’s legislative and budgetary priorities have often been overlooked in Albany,” said Legislature Chairman David Callard. “This has been particularly true as it relates to getting our priorities funded through the Regional Economic Development Council process.”

The county has retained Park Strategies, LCC, an Albany-based lobbying firm founded and chaired by Al D’Amato, the former U.S. senator who represented New York.

Orleans wants to push for more state funding for roads, bridges and infrastructure. Park Associates is well connected to leading state legislators and policy makers in Albany, said Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer.

The firm, he said, will push for infrastructure funds, Broadband funding, a grant for additional upgrades to the county emergency radio system to make it interoperable with neighboring counties, and other projects.

The county is a member of the New York State Association of Counties, but that group advocates for the overall good of all counties. NYSAC doesn’t push for projects and specific needs for member counties, Nesbitt said.

The county also is represented by State Assemblyman Steve Hawley and State Sen. Sen. Robert Ortt, whose districts include more than Orleans.

Nesbitt said the county has tried to advocate on its own behalf in recent years, and hasn’t secured the full grant amounts and other state assistance it has requested.

“We felt it was time to bring in some professional support,” Nesbitt said.

Orleans County has fared poorly per capita in the Regional Council awards. While nearby counties typically land several grants in excess of $100,000, Orleans and its municipalities see little of those funds.

In 2013, Holley received the only grant in the county: $65,776 for a canal park improvement project. Last year the county was expecting a $160,000 state grant for projects at the Marine Park. The final award was only $81,500.

“We need to align the needs of the county with available state programs and funding streams, and then make the case to both – the Regional Economic Development folks and decision-makers in Albany – that Orleans County deserves its fair share,” Nesbitt said.

The agreement with Park Strategies runs from March 26, 2015 to March 25, 2016. Nesbitt said county officials would evaluate the agreement in about a year to see if it was fruitful for the county.

“Working in concert with Park Strategies, I’m confident we will be well served, and more importantly, we will go a long way to ensuring that county residents get a return on the tax dollars they send to Albany every year.”

ALBION – A bulletproof vest likely saved the life of Deputy James DeFilipps during a shootout on Saturday at about 3 a.m. with James Ellis.

DeFilipps was shot twice in the abdomen, but the vest prevented the bullet from seriously injuring the deputy. DeFilipps only suffered minor injuries. He is at home and in good spirits, Chief Deputy Tom Drennan said today.

Drennan attended today’s Orleans County Legislature meeting and he thanked the county for providing the resources to purchase the vests for deputies. Each patrol car also has rifle and deputies are trained to use it in active shooter situations.

The vests and rifles “were huge factors in the incident,” Drennan told legislators today.

DeFilipps, after being shot twice, fatally shot Ellis, a Wyoming County resident who pulled a handgun on an ex-girlfriend in Shelby. Ellis was then chased by law enforcement before crashing his vehicle into a telephone pole on Route 31A in Clarendon.

Drennan said Ellis open fired on responding officers, including deputies Josh Narburgh, Kevin Colonna and Brian Larkin. Ellis also fired at state troopers Scott Gregson and Kevin Bentley and Holley police officer Guy Burke.

Drennan said the officers and dispatchers involved in the situation should be recognized by county officials for performing their jobs in a very stressful situation. Legislators agreed commendations are in order.

KNOWLESVILLE – Orleans County officials and residents can hear about a $500 million state proposal to expand broadband Internet throughout the state, including in rural pockets that do not have reliable service.

David Salway, director of NYS Broadband Program Office, will be at the 4-H Fairgrounds today at 10 a.m. to discuss the initiative. He will be at the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension on Route 31.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is pushing for $500 million in state funds for internet service providers willing to match the state dollar-for-dollar. The companies will be required to offer 100 megabits per second download speeds for the expansion, however “in certain limited cases, providers may offer 25 Mbps speeds to the most remote unserved and underserved areas of the state,” Cuomo said in January.

Orleans and Niagara counties have been working together to improve broadband service in the two counties, especially in the sparsely populated rural areas.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson speaks about the disadvantages facing many Orleans County residents and businesses due to unavailable or low-quality Internet access. She addressed David Salway, director of NYS Broadband Program Office, during a roundtable discussion today at the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension. Tom Biamonte (left), owner of Shelby Crushed Stone, said his company suffers because there isn’t Internet on Blair Road in Shelby.

KNOWLESVILLE – The leader of the state’s effort to extend Broadband or high-speed Internet throughout the state heard this morning how the lack of service in parts of Orleans County puts residents and businesses at a disadvantage.

It also discourages many potential residents and businesses from coming to the county, said Skip Draper, town supervisor for Shelby.

“Commerce is driven by what is there and if it isn’t there, then we just have fields and woods,” Draper said during a Broadband discussion this morning led David Salway, director of NYS Broadband Program Office.

Gov. Cuomo is proposing $500 million in state funds to jumpstart the New NY Broadband Program. Private sectors companies would need to at least match the funding to extend and upgrade service.

That $1 billion-plus investment in public and private funds is far more than the $25 million the state has been setting aside recently to expand the service, Salway said.

Companies that provide the service will be required to offer 100 megabits per second download speeds for the expansion or at least 25 megabits in remote rural areas. That is far greater than the current standard of 6.6 megabits, Salway said.

“It’s a very ambitious goal, but a very achievable goal,” Salway told about 20 local officials and business owners during a roundtable discussion at the Cornell Cooperative Extension.

David Salway, director of NYS Broadband Program Office, speaks during a discussion about Broadband this morning at the Cooperative Extension. He is joined by Angela Liotta, the state’s Broadband outreach director, and Vinnie Esposito, director of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council.

Salway has been traveling the state to hear how inadequate Internet is a deterrent for businesses and quality-of-life issues. He heard from several officials how low-quality Internet is putting Orleans County at a competitive disadvantage.

“This is about emerging ag businesses and getting people to live here,” said Jim Whipple, CEO of the Orleans Economic Development Agency.

The county is seeing more wineries, hops operations and other small farming operations open, often in rural areas where there isn’t high-speed Internet.

Whipple said he talks with CEOs from bigger companies who are eyeing potential homes if they were to settle in the area. They are surprised when they learn some parts of the county don’t have Broadband.

That means they can’t stream Netflix, they can’t Skype, they can’t work remotely from home, and in some cases can’t complete filings for the government. If they have children, they can’t do on-line research for school projects.

Tom Biamonte, owner of Shelby Crushed Stone, is a mile away from high-speed Internet on Blair Road. He can’t do sales tax reports and regulatory filings from his main office, which is only a mile from Route 31.

He and his employees lack real-time capability for many reports and communication.

“We’re falling behind,” Biamonte told Salway during the discussion. “It’s harder for us to provide up-to-date training with our guys.”

He has asked Time Warner many times to run a line with the service down the road, but the company hasn’t moved on it.

Ward Dobbins, owner of H.H. Dobbins Inc. in Lyndonville, said relaible and adequate Internet is critical for his company. County Legislator Ken DeRoller is next to Dobbins.

Salway said the state funds should make running lines down many rural roads more financially doable for companies because they won’t have to bear the full costs. For very sparsely populated roads, Salway said the state may want to consider state funds, dollars from the Internet providers, and perhaps some money from people being served in that area.

Ward Dobbins, owner of H.H. Dobbins Inc. in Lyndonville, said the company is expanding its apple packing and storage business and needs reliable high-speed Internet to communicate with customers around the world. Employees could also monitor the facilities off site through their Smart phones with strong enough Internet.

“Even though we’re rural we’re global in agriculture,” Dobbins said. “Our needs have changed so much in five years.”

Orleans and Niagara counties have been working to together to identify gaps in high-speed coverage and to prepare a request for proposals for companies to provide service to 3,900 “unserved access points” in Orleans and seven towns in Niagara County.

The timing of the effort comes at a good time with the state funding push by the governor, said Evhen Tupis from BPGreene, the firm that worked with the two counties on the study. The counties are evaluating proposals from the Internet providers.

“This shows collaboration among counties and towns,” Tupis said.

Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson said the two counties have done the groundwork in establishing the need for high-speed Internet and reaching out to companies for the service. The state funds could bring the effort to a reality, and make the county a better place to live and work, Johnson said.

“We are competing against other counties and right now our hands are tied in this area,” she said. “We see the need from the local businesses. Hopefully we can leverage one of the first roll-outs in the area.”

James Ellis

Press Release
Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess

This press release is an update to the deputy-involved shooting that occurred on Saturday in the Town of Clarendon that resulted in the death of James Ellis.

On Saturday at 2:46 a.m., James Ellis went to a residence on Mill Street in Shelby Center and confronted his ex-girlfriend. It is alleged that Ellis put the barrel of a handgun to her head in an effort to solicit information as to the whereabouts of her current boyfriend.

Ellis subsequently left that location causing no further harm to the ex-girlfriend or anyone else. Ellis was eventually located after crashing his car on Route 31A in Clarendon. That led to the exchange of gunfire with Sheriff’s Deputy James DeFilipps that resulted in Ellis’s death.

Later on Saturday, a search was issued at Ellis’s residence at 8 Durfee Rd. in the Village of Wyoming (Wyoming County). The warrant was subsequently executed by members of the Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force, the Sheriff’s offices in Orleans and Wyoming counties, and the Wyoming County Probation Department. The search of the Ellis residence provided no evidence of any substance that explain the actions of Ellis earlier in the day.

Investigators have determined that the .45 caliber handgun in Ellis’s possession at the time of his death was recently reported stolen from a residence in Wyoming County.

The incident remains under investigation by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police. The results of an autopsy being conducted by the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office in Rochester could take several weeks.

It is anticipated that the Orleans County District Attorney’s Office will present the results of the police investigation to a grand jury sometime in April.

Deputy James DeFilipps continues to recover from injuries he sustained as a result of being shot by James Ellis. Deputy DeFilipps is expected to make a full recovery after which he will return to duty.

The Sheriff’s Office is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support received from the citizens of Orleans County following this event.

Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Four teams competed in the semifinals of the GLOW region mock trials on Monday at the Orleans County Courthouse.

In the top photo, Dylan Beckman serves as an attorney for the team from Batavia and questions a witness.

Amanda Conrad, a witness for Attica, responds to questioning from Becca Canale, an attorney for Batavia.

The fictional case centered on the treasurer of a Booster Club who was accused of stealing $45,200 to feed a gambling addiction.

Albion and Medina both have mock trial teams but they did not advance to the semifinals. The competitions are held at courthouses in Batavia, Warsaw and Albion.

Monday was Orleans County’s turn to host the event inside its historic courthouse, built in 1858.

Becca Canale was one of the attorneys for Batavia. She presents her closing argument to Chad Murray, the judge for the competition.

Madhu Vihani, a lawyer for the Attica team, presents documents to the team from Batavia.

The smaller courtroom on the first floor was used for the competition between teams from Avon, on left, and Notre Dame in Batavia.

Nic Culver of Medina, a freshman at Notre Dame, was a witness for his team.

James Ellis

CLARENDON The man killed in a shootout with an Orleans County deputy late Friday night had a criminal record.

James J. Ellis, 44, was on Probation and in Drug Court in Wyoming County, an Orleans County law enforcement official said.

He has two prior felony charges. He was recently arrested on Dec. 23 when he was wanted on a probation violation and allegedly had drugs in his pockets. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance on Dec. 23 and was committed to Wyoming County Jail without bail at that time.

Ellis was living at 8 Durfee Rd. in Wyoming, about an hour’s drive from Orleans County. His mother and ex-girlfriend lived in Orleans County.

Police were called at 2:46 a.m. Saturday about a domestic disturbance a the ex-girlfriend’s house. Ellis allegedly had a gun. He sped away from the house in Shelby and was discovered in Clarendon after he crashed into a telephone pole on Route 31A.

He was in a wooded area when Deputy James DeFilipps responded to the scene. Ellis opened fire on DeFilipps, hitting him twice in the abdomen, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess said. DeFilipps was wearing a bullet-proof vest. He suffered minor injuries from the shots.

He fired at Ellis, fatally wounding him. The Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Officer will do an autopsy.

Ellis had been arrested before in Orleans County, according to The Daily News of Batavia. He was charged with harassment, petit larceny and endangering the welfare of a child in Gaines after a domestic dispute at a house on Bacon Road, according to the newspaper.

Ellis was on probation in Wyoming County after being arrested in July 2013 for numerous traffic and penal law violations, including having 16 suspensions on his driver’s license, according to The Daily News.

Ellis was released from jail on Feb. 4 after his arrest on Dec. 23, The Daily News reported.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Martin Mackenzie, new administrator at The Villages Health and Rehabilitation Center, is pictured with Buddy, a popular Golden Retriever at the nursing home.

ALBION – The change from a county-owned nursing home to a private ownership hasn’t been without glitches, some nursing home employees and the union president for the employees have told Orleans Hub.

After a difficult beginning – payroll mistakes, supply shortages, understaffing and unsatisfactory food – the union leader said the situation is improved.

The union credits Martin MacKenzie, the new administrator for The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center, for working hard to address issues raised by employees and residents.

“Martin is a godsend,” said Dylan Miller, president of the employees’ union. “He is definitely working to better the facility.”

MacKenzie started on Feb. 2. He worked the previous three years as administrator for the nursing home owned by Wyoming County in Warsaw. He remains a consultant there.

He was hired to lead the 120-bed nursing home in Albion, which is now owned by Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services LLC. That company paid $7.8 million for the nursing home and took ownership on Jan. 1.

The company is looking to renovate the lobby, a rehab/gym room, and some of the hallways on the western entrance that lead to the Board of Elections and the alternative education program for Albion Central School. There are also plans for new flooring and lighting, and expanded recreational programs including concerts.

MacKenzie said his top focus is care for residents, and that means he will work to make sure the employees have what they need to do their jobs.

MacKenzie is a registered nurse who has worked in the healthcare field for two decades. He started as personal care aide for patients with cerebral palsy in Niagara County.

He has pitched in at The Villages, helping to feed residents and walk them to activities. He has stayed late on bi-weekly payroll periods the past two paydays, making sure the paychecks were accurate.

“I think he does care,” Miller said. “I feel he is an advocate for the residents and the staff.”

Miller said the union still has issues with supplies – food, diapers, cleaning products – sometimes being in short supply.

He would like to see a full staff to make sure the place is clean and residents get timely care.

Miller and some employees interviewed said the nursing home lacked leadership the first month. It showed with dissatisfaction in food, payroll errors and piled up laundry. (Some workers didn’t get paid overtime and in some cases, straight time, issues that still need to be resolved, Miller said.)

A new food service provider was only offering one choice for meals, down from three choices from the previous operator. The new vendor is now offering two meal choices and will work to offer three.

MacKenzie said a new food supervisor is starting this week as well as a registered dietician. He is pushing to fill certified nursing assistant and licensed practical nurse positions.

This file photo shows the 120-bed nursing home in Albion, which was sold for $7.8 million to Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services LLC.

The facility had 148 employees under county ownership and now has 130. Miller said understaffing has made it a challenge for workers to get all of their work done. If they need to stay late for overtime the request is often not granted.

MacKenzie said filling the CNA and LPN positions is a priority.

“It’s the CNA that makes or breaks the place,” MacKenzie said during an interview on Tuesday.

He is pleased with the dedication from the employees, and the level of participation from residents and families. He established a Family Council and the first meeting had 28 people in attendance, up from the 6 to 8 that usually attend those meetings at the nursing home in Warsaw.

“The staff here has impressed me,” MacKenzie said. “It’s a top-notch crew. I’ve worked at a lot of places. This home has a very friendly atmosphere. I know that’s a cliché. Everybody here is polite, even the residents.”

MacKenzie said The Villages also is in good shape as a facility. The county spent about $10 million in a renovation and expansion in 2007.

Orleans, like many county-owned sites, began to see big deficits as government reimbursements failed to keep pace with the costs. MacKenzie said half of the county-owned homes have either been sold or closed in recent years, with more likely to sell, including in Genesee County.

“The heart of the story here is there are still 120 seniors being taken care of,” MacKenzie said.

He said he also is impressed with the principal owners at Comprehensive, who are looking to invest at the Albion facility.

“I believe they will have a premiere nursing home here,” he said. “I am part of a company that is growing.”

He acknowledged there is work to do at The Villages as the new ownership settles in. He expects many of the issues raised by the union to be resolved soon.

He said he keeps an open door to employees, residents and their families.

“My number one priority is the residents and the front-line caregiving staff,” he said. “Communication with families is a priority. I will not let them down.”

File photo by Tom Rivers – Zach Shaffer, an Albion High School student, waits for his cue to enter the stage when he played a waiter in “Follies,” a musical performed last October by the Lake Plains Players. The community theater group will receive $2,800 in grants from GO Art! this year for two different productions.

BATAVIA – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council will distribute grants for nearly 30 different cultural initiatives in the two counties during a celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. today in Batavia at Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St.

Several awards will be presented to arts efforts in Orleans County. The evening will kick off with a performance by the Genesee Chorale Children’s Chorus, a 2015 Reach Grant recipient.

Awards will be presented to all 29 grant recipients who have proposed artistic and cultural projects to occur within Genesee and Orleans counties throughout 2015.

Legislative representatives will be present from both counties to help present the awards. The evening will conclude with a musical performance by 2015 Ripple Grant recipient Bill McDonald and his wife Kay.

GO ART! approved $41,600 in state decentralization grants for 26 projects in the two counties. The agency also approved $5,000 in Ripple Grants to support local artists who wish to involve the community in their creative process.

GO ART! approved $2,500 in Ripple Grants to Alex Feig of Orleans Radio for a “Remembers Medina” music recording and video, and $2,500 to Bill McDonald of Batavia for the Travelling Towpath Troubadors, a concert series along the Erie Canal.

Albion native Stacey (Kirby) Steward was approved for a $2,000 Spark Grant for an arts project with Holley Central School students. Steward’s project is sponsored by the Orleans County Adult Learning Services.

“Seeing Like an Artist” will encourage students to see the world as an artist sees it – noticing details that many miss. Students will be introduced to observational drawing and encouraged to practice developing skills such as focus, patience and attention. Inspiration will be drawn from nature.

Third graders will have several sessions with Steward, including drawing sessions, scientific observations and sharing sessions. The project will culminate in a mural created by the students and Steward.

The decentralization grants for projects in Orleans County include:

Village of Albion, Concerts by the Canal, $2,530;

Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, Finally Fridays concert series, $2,300;

World Life Institute in Waterport, Voice from the Earth, $3,440;

Bill Lattin, sponsored by Pullman Memorial Universalist Church, for Halloween Pictures and Pranks Show, $1,515;

Lake Plains Players, $2,000 for fall production and $800 for spring production;

The Cobblestone Society Museum for “The Lost Generation,” an exhibit about World War I, $2,300;

Yates Community Library, “More Than Just Books,” $2,800;

Lyndonville Lions Club for Concert Fun for the Summer, $1,500.