Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Shelby Volunteer Fire Company firefighters Scott Petry, left, and Jeff Arnett were successful getting The Multi-Force Forcible Entry Door open during a training exercise this afternoon at the Orleans County Fire Training Center.

Local businesses pooled their money to buy the door for $6,000 from Firehouse Innovations Corp. Before the county had the door in its training arsenal, firefighters used a rusty old door at the Fire Training Center, or they hoped to use a house that would soon to be taken down.

It wasn’t an ideal scenario because firefighters didn’t have doors that could take the repeated demands for training exercises, said Jerry Lewis, a state certified training instructor.

Firefighters now have a door that can take all kinds of hits, as firefighters practice getting a locked door open quickly.

“It’s made to take a beating,” said Jeff Lyons of Lyons Collision in Medina, which donated for the training door. “They said they want it to last.”

Jeff Arnett, left, and Scott Petry work together trying to get the door to open.

Many firefighters have already trained on the new equipment, which actually has two doors. Lewis said firefighters are learning nine different techniques for getting doors open. The equipment can be set up as inward-opening doors, outward-opening doors, left-hand and right-hand swinging door, and with metal or wood jambs. Firefighters can practice using Halligan and flat head axe or maul. A Hydra Ram and rabbit tool can also be used.

“Forcible entry is hard to teach unless you have something that can take the repetition,” Lewis said. “We’re trying to provide the most realistic training you can get so when they get out on an emergency they can perform their jobs.”

The faster firefighters can gain access to a building, the quicker they can douse flames.

The door will also be available to the SWAT team in Orleans County.

Lyons donated to the door and also secured donations from the following businesses: David Dunn Salvage in Middleport, Cruisin Auto Parts in Middleport, Zacher Construction in Medina, Brazzell Automotive in Medina, Medina Lumber & Hardware, Medina Cold Storage, Rudy’s in Medina, Growmark in Knowlesville, Panek Farms in Albion, Matt C.M. Contracting in Medina, Waters Autobody in Albion, and Orleans Ford in Medina.

Firefighters and two of the businesses that donated to the forcible entry door pose for a picture today. The group includes, from left: Dale Banker, emergency management director; Jerry Lewis, fire instructor; Shelby firefighter Jeff Arnett: Shelby firefighter Scott Petry: Jeff Lyons of Lyons Collision; and Cory Vercruysse, general manager for Cruisin Auto Parts and a driver for David Dunn Salvage.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess

ALBION – The holiday season is upon us and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office wants everyone to remember the basics for maintaining your safety while shopping and at home:

Thieves look forward to the holidays as much as you do. When outside of malls or shopping plazas, stay in well lit areas. Do not leave valuables in open view inside your car. Lock them in the trunk or cover them in an unobtrusive way. If you place purchases in the car with the intention of doing some additional shopping, take time to move your vehicle to another location. You never know when thieves are watching.

Don’t flash large amounts of cash when making purchases. Carry your purse or shoulder bag close to your body, not dangling by long straps. Carry your wallet in an inside pocket of your coat or front pants pocket. Carry only the credit card(s) you intend to use. Leave the others at home.

Always lock your vehicle and your house. Leave lights turned on both inside and outside your residence after dark. Most burglars prefer to practice their craft under cover of darkness. If you plan on being away from your home for an extended period of time, put lights and the TV on timers. Also make arrangements for someone to pick-up your mail and newspapers. An overstuffed mailbox or newspapers piled up on the porch is a sure sign that no one is at home.

Opportunity is the key ingredient to a criminal’s success. By following these basic safety and prevention tips, you can significantly reduce your chances of becoming a victim. The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office joins with other law enforcement agencies in wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Members of the Monroe County Bomb Squad and Albion police officer David Mogle head into a house on West Park Street on Nov. 4 to remove a live grenade from the World War II era.

Orleans Hub broke the 500,000-mark for page views for the third straight month in November. Overall, we had 501,550 pageviews in November for a daily average of 16,718.

We also averaged 5,440 daily unique visitors, the third straight month we were over 5,000 for a daily average.

We were down a little from the record traffic in October, when we had a daily average of 5,640 unique visitors, and a daily page view average of 17,786. (The November traffic was about double from a year ago.)

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Kelsee Soule and the Albion girls volleyball team captured a Sectional title.

We were in between fall and winter sports seasons for much of November. Mike and Cheryl Wertman captured the playoff action for the local teams. Four teams earned Sectional titles including: Albion girls volleyball, Kendall girls soccer, the Barker field hockey and the Barker boys cross country teams.

Photo by Tom Rivers – A fire on Nov. 7 destroyed the Carlton home owned by Tim and Terry Keller.

The top five articles for the month (for “clicks”) include:

1. Firefighters battle to put out blaze in Carlton

2. Former tavern being transformed to high-end apartments, restaurant

3. Miller is sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison

4. Albion native dies in plane crash in Bahamas

5. Bomb Squad removes WWII-era grenade from Albion house

Winners to be recognized at Civil War Encampment in Medina

Press Release, GCC

BATAVIA – Organizers of the annual Civil War Encampment at Genesee Community College’s Medina Campus Center seek to once again recognize the efforts of dedicated Orleans County citizens who work hard to preserve the county’s history.

Nominations are being accepted through Feb. 15, 2015 for the second annual Heritage Heroes Awards.

Nominees for Heritage Heroes Awards can be any age but posthumous nominations will not be accepted. History professionals and GCC employees are also not eligible for the award, nor are those who serve on the awards selection committees. All nominees must be individual Orleans County residents, and cannot be nominated as a group.

Orleans Hub file photo – The following were recognized as Heritage Heroes last April at GCC during the Civil War Encampment, from left: Bill Lattin, Matthew Ballard, Chris Busch, Robert Waters (also accepting for Craig Lacey), and Clarendon Town Historian Melissa Ierlan (accepting on behalf of Erin Anheier).

Five winners were honored last year including Medina Sandstone Society founder Robert Waters, co-director of the Cobblestone Society Museum Matthew Ballard, Medina Historical Society vice president Craig Lacy, Medina village planning board member Chris Busch, Clarendon preservationist Erin Anheier and Bill Lattin received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Because nominations are not retained for future consideration, nominees not selected to receive awards last year are encouraged to submit nominations again.

“Residents of Orleans County take great pride in their heritage,” said Jim Simon, Associate Dean of GCC’s Orleans County Campus Centers in Medina and Albion. “We want to recognize the time and investment of individuals who are tireless advocates for local history.”

To nominate someone for the Heritage Heroes Awards, write up a statement describing the person’s contributions, projects and community affiliations. Include his/her name (anonymous nominations will not be accepted), address, phone number and email address. The more in-depth the detail provided in the nomination, the stronger the submission. Submit the nomination to:

Genesee Community College
ATTENTION: Heritage Heroes Committee
11470 Maple Ridge Rd.
Medina, NY 14103-9675

Nominations may also be emailed to Jim Simon at jsimon@genesee.edu. Please write Heritage Heroes Nomination in the subject line.

A screening committee made up of community members, history professionals and GCC students will review the nominations and select finalists. From those finalists, a committee including GCC Associate Dean Jim Simon, Assistant Professor and Encampment Coordinator Derek Maxfield and Orleans Hub Editor Tom Rivers will choose the Heritage Heroes.

“We are very pleased to recognize those whose efforts often go unnoticed,” said Maxfield. “They make many personal sacrifices in order to preserve history for future generations.”

The Heritage Heroes will be recognized during a ceremony at the annual Civil War Encampment at Genesee Community College in Medina in April 2015.

ALBION – Orleans County legislators will finally get a raise in 2015, although the pay is still less than they were getting in 2008.

Legislators have been paid $10,948 annually from 2009 to 2014 with the chairman getting $16,424 a year.

The new budget approved on Monday provides 2 percent raises with $11,167 for legislators and $16,752 for the chairman. The budget for the first time gives the vice chairman additional pay for serving in that role. The vice chairman will be paid $12,667 in 2015, a $1,500 boost over regular legislator pay.

The Legislature voted to cut its pay during lean budget times after 2008, when the county was struggling with escalating Medicaid costs.

In 2008, the chairman was paid $16,932 with the six other legislators at $11,287 each.

The Legislature, in a special meeting on Monday following a budget hearing, also set the rates for garbage pickup at $190 per household with another $2 added on for an administrative fee.

The Legislature also named the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle as a legal newspaper for publishing notice of in rem foreclosure proceedings. The county will continue to use The Daily News of Batavia for legals. The Legislature voted to add the D & C after The Journal-Register in Medina went out of business in May.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A reindeer and Christmas tree were added to the Courthouse lawn today thanks to the efforts of the Orleans County Highway Department and Village of Albion Department of Public Works.

There also is a nearly full moon out tonight.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Michael Paduchak has been a steady and guiding presence for nearly three decades at the Orleans County Soil and Water Conservation District.

He is pictured around noon today with cupcakes and a candle for his 89th birthday. He is joined by Ed Morgan (left) the Soil and Water board chairman, and Dennis Kirby, manager of Soil and Water.

Paduchak is a former Kendall town supervisor and member of the former Orleans County Board of Supervisors. He has been well-connected in the county. He also was a fruit farmer until about a year ago.

He brought those farming and local government ties to Soil and Water, including a tenure as the board’s chairman. Today he attended his final meeting with the organization.

Paduchak turned 89 on Monday. He appreciated the opportunity to serve on the board, and attended many regional and state association meetings. He also supported the agency’s efforts in recent years to bring in grants for farmers to utilize environmentally friendly practices.

“We always valued his input,” said Ed Morgan, the board’s current chairman. “He’s an asset and he still contributes. I like and I respect him. He has a lot of wisdom.”

Paduchak said he is grateful for a full life after several narrow scrapes with death during World War II while fighting in France and Germany with the Army.

“I had a guardian angel along the way,” Paduchak said.

He said Soil and Water has benefitted from many dedicated staff members through the years.

“The personnel has been good to carry out our wishes,” he said.

ALBION – Orleans County property owners will get a break in their county taxes in 2015 after the Legislature unanimously approved a $65,012,266 budget this evening.

The budget cuts taxes by 1.5 percent and reduces the tax rate from $10.11 to $9.89 per $1,000 of assessed property.

The budget also includes a debt payment on an $8 million bond for a series of bridge, culvert and county building projects in the next three years. That payment will be covered from $260,000 in gambling money approved by the state.

“It’s been a tough five years the county has gone through,” Chuck Nesbitt, the county chief administrative officer, said at a budget hearing. “We can finally invest back in infrastructure.”

The county has been burdened in recent years with the rising costs of Medicaid ($8.4 million of the county budget in 2015) and mounting deficits with the county-owned nursing home. The growth of Medicaid for counties has been capped and the nursing home will soon be sold after Jan. 1. That eliminates some of the big increases for the county budget.

The nursing home sale will take about 100 full-time workers and another 50 part-timers off the county payroll. The change to private ownership will spare the county a projected $1.5 million taxpayer subsidy in 2015, Nesbitt said.

He thanked department heads for running tight operations in recent years, with fewer employees and delayed equipment upgrades.

David Callard, the Legislature chairman, said the county has weathered the storm and now is in a better position to tackle infrastructure and other projects.

He, too, praised the county department heads for their efforts to control costs and provide needed services.

“We’re very fortunate and grateful to have people as outstanding as you,” Callard said after the hearing when the county voted to pass the budget.

The budget was unchanged from the tentative budget presented by Nesbitt on Nov. 12. Only one resident besides the county officials spoke at the public hearing.

Charles Pettit, a Ridgeway farmer and member of the Cornell Cooperative Extension board of directors, thanked the group for its funding for the agency.

The Legislature gave the Cornell Cooperative Extension an increase from $219,150 to $225,000. The Extension wanted more to bring back a part-time master gardener coordinator who would work in food preservation.

“You folks don’t have a big enough pile of money to work with and we don’t have a big enough pile of money to work with,” Pettit said during the hearing.

He also thanked the county for committing to replace six bridges in the next three years. He worries about the state-owned canal bridges. Many have weight restrictions that keep farm equipment and emergency vehicles from using them.

“If we don’t do something with them soon we’re in trouble,” Pettit said.

While the budget allows the county to increase services and projects, Nesbitt said the state-mandated programs continue to strain the county budget. Nine mandated programs represent 105 percent of the county’s $16,209,165 tax levy. That eats up some of the county’s sales tax revenue as well.

To make a significant dent in local county taxes, the state will need to fund its own programs, and stop consuming so many county dollars, Nesbitt said.

Even with the state mandates, the 2015 budget offers lots of good news for residents, Nesbitt said.

“It’s great to come here and say we’re cutting taxes and improving services, he said.

Photo by Tom Rivers – 4-H members walk miniature horses and livestock in Saturday’s Parade of Lights in Medina.

ALBION – Orleans County legislators will have a public hearing at 7 p.m. today on a proposed $65 million county budget. The spending plan proposes a cut in the tax rate, from $10.11 to $9.89 per $1,000 of assessed property.

The hearing will be at the county courthouse with a vote from the Legislature to follow at the legislative chambers next door at the County Clerks Building.

The budget doesn’t include a full year of the nursing home, which is expected to be sold early in 2015. Without the nursing home, the county expects to be spared a $1.5 million subsidy that was projected for 2015.

The county is using some of those savings to tackle bridge projects, and building improvements. It also is boosting allocations to some agencies. However, not all agencies are satisfied with the county offering.

The share to the Cornell Cooperative Extension is proposed to increase from $219,150 to $225,000. That $5,850 is less of an increase than what the county has proposed giving the Orleans County Economic Development Agency (from $150,000 to $170,000) and the Soil and Water Conservation District (from $57,750 to $75,000).

The Extension would like to get at least a $15,000 boost. That would allow the organization to bring back a coordinator for the Master Gardener program. That position was eliminated about a year ago. If the county can boost the Extension to at least $240,000, a part-time position would be added to serve the master gardeners and also work with a food preservation program, said Jennifer Wajester, the Extension executive director.

“We’re at the point where we can’t cut anymore,” she said. “We would like to be at core staff level. We believe we’ve met their (legislators’) expectations. We really need that $15,000 so we can build the consumer/horticultural program.”

The county set aside $243,500 for Extension in 2010 and then approved cuts to the agency when the county was struggling with the costs of the nursing home as well as other programs.

Extension is working towards a stronger presence in the community. The 4-H program has grown from about 300 kids a year ago to more than 350 now, plus another 65 in a club program at Kendall Central School.

Wajester and Extension officials have been trying to rally support for the agency through emails, asking supporters to press legislators for a bigger funding increase.

The four public libraries also sought an increase from $10,000 to $42,883 or $1 per county resident. But legislators aren’t inclined to raise the funding, saying libraries can already generate tax dollars on their own.

Libraries are tied to tax cap just like the county. The $1 per resident “is pretty standard” in other counties, said Emily Cebula, director of the Yates Community Library.

Library leaders met with legislators in October to state their case for more funding. Cebula said her library would use an increase to help pay for more books and other materials.

“It seems like a minimal place to start for supporting a public library,” Cebula said.

The county budget also proposes increases for the Genesee-Orleans Regional Council on the Arts from $1,000 to $3,000, and the Sportsmen Federation from $500 to $1,000.

The Cobblestone Museum remains out of the budget, and that puzzles Mary Anne Braunbach, the museum’s president. Museum leaders gave legislators tours of the complex, a National Historic Landmark, in October and co-director Matt Ballard also addressed the Legislature in October.

David Callard, the Legislature chairman, said he is sympathetic to the museum, but he said the group hasn’t submitted a formal request for funding.

Braunbach is out of town today and will miss the public hearing. She thought the museum had made its case for being in the county budget.

Callard said legislators are eyeing bigger increases to Soil and Water and the Economic Development Agency because both have a big role in supporting businesses, whether agriculture or industry, which can lead to more jobs in the county.

“We don’t have the wherewithal to do everything for everybody,” he said.

The county has directed contingency funds to some agencies, including Extension and the Cobblestone Musuem. The county last year approved $11,500 at year end from contingency. That included $4,000 to GO Art!, $2,500 to the Extension, $2,000 for Soil and Water, $2,000 to the Sportmen’s Federation and $1,000 to the Cobblestone Museum.

Callard said the county could continue to direct contingency funds at the end of the year to agencies, if the money is there. That makes it unpredictable for the agency leaders, who are working on their own budgets for 2015.

Editorial

File photo by Tom Rivers – Downtown Albion, shown in this picture from a year ago, has many independent merchants offering products and services.

For many of our local merchants, the next month is a make or break time for their businesses. I hope for their sake, and for our community’s, they succeed. But they can’t do it own their own. They need local residents to spend some of their money at these establishments.

It’s harder and harder for the small town merchants to make it. Customers seem entranced by the malls and mega-retailers with their massive marketing budgets. Dollars spent there don’t stay in our community and trickle back to other local businesses.

There is a perception of savings with the giant chains, and I suppose a trip to the mall is a chance for a little adventure. But I would encourage you to give the local downtown business districts a try. There are more businesses in our local downtowns than many people realize. Dollars spent there stay in our community.

The “mom and pop” businesses spend it with other local businesses. They employ local people. They try to keep up historic buildings that are part of our community identity.

Today is Small Business Saturday, a national initiative that seeks to direct some of the holiday shopping dollars with the local merchants.

Medina and Albion have events today as an added incentive to shop downtown. Medina’s Olde Tyme Christmas is a jam-packed schedule from 9 a.m. to the evening, a schedule highlighted by a Parade of Lights at 6 p.m. Click here to see the full schedule.

The Albion Merchants Association is offering a raffle with $100 of gift certificates from local businesses.

The Orleans Hub is possible because of the many advertisers in our community. We won’t survive without these small businesses. These are the business owners who support other local efforts. They are the ones who sponsor 5K races, who take out ads in the school yearbooks, who give baskets of items for benefit fund-raisers.

These are the businesses that build a strong community. They are deserving of your support.

Editorial

Photo by Tom Rivers – This photo shows downtown Albion after a storm barreled through the area in June. Albion is among the top 100 jurisdictions for highest tax rates out of 3,663 in the state.

Orleans Hub reported on Tuesday that several of our local municipalities are among the most tax oppressed in the State of New York. Medina tops the local communities and nearly all of 3,663 jurisdictions in the state for highest tax rate. (Click here to see that article.)

Only Wellsville and a few other Allegany County towns and villages top the $54.13 combined tax rate in Medina. That ranked 13th in the state, according to the Empire Center’s study.

Medina’s overall rate includes $25.63 for the school district, $15.52 for the village, $9.63 for county and either $3.35 for Town of Shelby, according to 2012 data.

Other Orleans communities are close behind Medina. The Village of Holley is 50th overall at $49.98 – $24.94 for school, $12.99 for village, $9.65 for county and $2.40 for town of Murray.

The Village of Albion is 77th at $47.77 – $18.06 for school, $15.92 for village, $9.60 for county and $4.19 for town of Gaines.

You see the report and it’s easy to point fingers at the villages, to blame the village officials for the crushing tax burden in these locales.

But it’s not the villages’ fault. New York gives the villages very little in state aid, while showering cities with funds. Cities get the lion’s share of Aid and Incentives to Municipalities, state funds designed to help preserve the population cores by helping to maintain aging infrastructure and keep up with critical services such as police and fire protection.

Villages have these same issues, but the state turns its back on these communities. To keep police officers, patch pot holes and maintain parks and cemeteries, villages have to pass nearly the full cost onto to village taxpayers. That’s why these tax rates in the villages are so sky high.

Villages get about $5 to $10 in per capita AIM funding. For Medina, that totaled $45,523 for 6,065 people or $7.51 a person. That is far cry from what a similar size city gets. Consider the City of Sherrill in Oneida County. That city actually has half the people as Medina. The city gets $372,689 in state funding or $121.35 a person. Sherill’s combined tax rates are only $32.66, more than $20 less than in Medina.

Cities also have the added benefit of being spared a town tax. Villages not only are deprived of state aid, but a village resident gets double taxed by towns. In Orleans County, if you live in a village you will pay a double-digit tax rate and then pay about $3 to $4 more per $1,000 of assessed property to a town.

It is a crushing burden. These villages are at a major competitive disadvantage in attracting and keeping residents and businesses. Move to a small city or out in the country and you’ll pay far less in taxes.

Consider the City of Batavia. That city of 15,465 receives $1,750,975 in state funding. That helps drive down the city tax rate to $10.52 per $1,000, about half of the combined village/town rates in Medina, Albion and Holley – our local villages that are high on the tax oppressed list.

The bigger the city, the more generous the state is in helping those municipalities provide services and ease the tax burden for residents, who are often senior citizens and lower-income people – the same situation in villages.

Consider the City of Buffalo, which receives a whopping $161.3 million in state AIM funding for 261,310 residents or $617.22 per person. Buffalo’s combined tax rate is only $27.74 per $1,000 of assessed property, about half the rate in Medina.

I fully support the aid for cities, but the state needs to direct similar funding to the villages, or else they will continue to see property values fall and tax rates jump, creating a vicious spiral.

Our local officials need to sound the alarm about this situation and demand equitable treatment from the state. By propping up the cities, the state is picking winners and losers. It’s particularly destructive in small rural counties like Orleans and Allegany where there are no cities. These counties don’t have any population centers with reasonable taxes. Every village is a high-tax environment.

That ultimately chases businesses outside the county, which results in fewer jobs and retail establishments. That means less local sales tax for the counties, which further drives up our property taxes. The vicious cycle continues, with no end in sight unless that state can be fair with the AIM dollars.

Press Release, Albion Police Chief Ronald Nenni III

The Albion Police Department hosted and supervised a multi-agency Orleans County Wide DWI Saturation Patrol from 9 p.m. Wednesday to 3 a.m. today.

This type of detail has never been done in Orleans County and combined the law enforcement efforts from every law enforcement agency in Orleans County along with state and federal resources.

The agencies involved consisted of the Albion Police, Medina Police, Holley Police, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Orleans County Probation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol.

The detailed results are as follows:

7 DWI Arrests (4 in the Village of Albion, 1 in the Village of Medina, 1 in the Village of Holley and 1 in the Town of Yates).

Traffic Stops: 45

Tickets Issued: 31

Other: 1 Unlawful Possession of Marijuana Arrest, 1 Probation Violator and 1 Warrant Suspect wanted by Livingston County taken into custody.

The Albion Police Department and the other law enforcement agencies are committed to making the roadways safe for all those who travel upon them.
Intoxicated drivers do not follow jurisdictional lines so we decided that we would not either.

The commitment and dedication by the officers who worked the detail undoubtedly saved lives in Orleans County.

Photo by Tom Rivers

Happy Thanksgiving from the Orleans Hub. We’re thankful for all of the readers and advertisers that have made our site a success.

The photo above shows three turkeys outside Al Capurso’s house in Gaines. He is raising the turkeys with his son Kenny.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Rev. Wilfred Moss was at Pawlak’s Save-A-Lot this morning ringing the bell for the Salvation Army kettle drive.

Moss is a member of the Albion Lions Club, which is manning the kettle today at the Albion store.

The kettle drive typically raises about $25,000 to benefit Community Action programs in Orleans County.