By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – The County Legislature unanimously voted on Wednesday to expand the income threshold for senior citizens to qualify for a discount on their county taxes.
Residents 65 and older currently are eligible for a discount if they earn less than $19,200 a year. Beginning with the March 1, 2015 tax rolls, the threshold has been raised to $21,200.
Right now the county offers 50 percent off for seniors with household incomes up to $13,500. The sliding scale exemption drops to 20 percent off for seniors with annual incomes between $18,300 and $19,199. It’s 0 percent for seniors with incomes at $19,200 or above.
The new schedule gives senior citizens 50 percent off if they earn less than $15,500 and then the discount drops 5 percent in a sliding scale to 20 percent before being capped at $21,200.
There are 313 seniors who currently receive the exemption. The county hasn’t changed the income levels in seven years. Seniors have been getting small increases in Social Security, putting some on the verge of losing the county tax discount, said Dawn Allen, director of the county’s Real Property Tax Services Department.
“We’re trying to maintain the current seniors in the program,” Allen told legislators.
Most of the towns in the county have a similar tax discount program for seniors, capping it at incomes above $21,200, Allen said.
The new proposed schedule includes the following percentage exemptions:
50 percent off for incomes up to $15,500;
45 percent off for incomes between $15,500 and $16,499;
40 percent between $16,500 and $17,499;
35 percent between $17,500 and $18,499;
30 percent between $18,500 and $19,399;
25 percent between $19,400 and $20,299;
20 percent between $20,300 and $21,199;
0 percent after $21,200.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Charlie Nesbitt, the honorary chairman for the United Way fund drive, announces a $325,000 goal with Marsha Rivers, executive director for the United Way. Penny Nice, president of Orleans County Adult Learning Services, is pictured at right. OCALS receives funding through United Way.
MEDINA – At a downtown center in Holley, Community Action runs an after-school program that wouldn’t happen without support from the United Way.
Community Action also uses United Way dollars to help run the Main Street Store in Albion, which provides job training and skills to many local residents.
The United Way funding is steady each year, bringing stability to an agency that also relies on grants and other government funding that often varies each year, said Ed Fancher, executive director of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.
“The grants are hit or miss,” Fancher said. “If we don’t have them we flex the size of the program to meet the resources we have.”
Community Action is one of about 20 agencies that receive funding through the United Way of Orleans County. The United Way kicked off its annual fund-raising campaign this evening and set a goal of $325,000.
The Boy Scouts (Iroquois Trail Council) is one of the funded agencies through United Way. Jim McMullen, the Scout executive, said the United Way dollars help keep down the costs of the Scouting program.
“Unlike other sources, it’s consistent,” he said about the United Way dollars. “We can rely on it every year. It provides programs for families in need. Without it, everything would be higher.”
File photo by Tom Rivers – Boy Scouts and their families are on a fishing expedition at a former quarry on Keitel Road, now owned by the Albion Sportsmen’s Association.
The Iroquois Trail Council serves Scouts in five counties. McMullen said each of those counties contribute funding through the United Way.
He would welcome more money so the Council could expand Scouting programs and push to attract more youths into the program.
“With even another $1,000 you’d have more opportunities to recruit kids in the community,” McMullen said.
Several agency leaders attended the kickoff celebration at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina. Marsha Rivers started as United Way executive director last month. She said the campaign “is all about building stronger communities.”
Before joining the United Way, she worked for Hospice of Orleans, which provides palliative care for people with advanced illness. Prior to that she worked with younger families through the Care Net Center of Greater Orleans, which offers ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, testing for sexually transmitted infections, and other resources for families.
She thanked a dedicated United Way board of directors for giving its time to support the United Way mission, and the many residents and businesses for contributing money to the campaign. Those funds will help the agencies provides services to residents.
“Everybody here is a giver, whether you’re giving money or time,” said Charlie Nesbitt, the honorary campaign chairman and former state assemblyman. “It’s about individuals and their needs. That’s why we will make a meaningful commitment to those that need us.”
Jodi Gaines, president and CEO of Claims Recovery Financial Services in Albion, serves on the United Way board. She has been pushing the United Way campaign for more than 20 years.
“It’s about helping the community,” Gaines said. “I know these agencies are top notch and well run.”
Some of the funded United Way agencies include 4-H and Cornell Cooperative Extension, Camp Rainbow through the Arc of Orleans, Meals on Wheels, Boy Scouts, Community Action’s Main Street store and after-school program, Community Kitchen at Christ Episcopal Church in Albion, GCASA and Students United for Positive Action, Girl Scouts and Hospice of Orleans.
Other funded agencies include Just Friends, Medina Youth Commission, Ministry of Concern, Habitat for Humanity, Orleans County Adult Learning Service, PathStone Domestic Violence Shelter, Regional Action Phone, Senior Citizens of WNY, and the Orleans County YMCA.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – This hitching post was installed this morning on the courthouse lawn by the county highway department. It’s the third hitching post added along Main Street in Albion in recent months.
Two others were put by a village parking lot next to the Presbyterian Church. A fourth hitching post is planned for near Main Street on East State Street, also by the Presbyterian Church.
The Albion Main Street Alliance raised the money to buy the four posts, which were originally property markers from a century ago. Rings were made for the posts and holes were drilled into the posts so the rings could be secured.
Photo by Tom Rivers
An interpretive panel about hitching posts and carriage steps was also added by the two on the north side of the Presbyterian Church. The panel notes that Albion and Gaines have many of these horse-and-buggy artifacts, which have endured partly because they were made with a superior building material – Medina sandstone. Many residents, especially on the village side streets, have kept their hitching posts and carriage steps, even though they are long obsolete.
The one on the courthouse lawn is near a historical marker erected last year for William McAllister and his wife, pioneer settlers in Albion who built a log cabin where the current County Clerks’ Building stands.
This hitching post was set so the unfinished stone work could be observed, trying to show the contrast with the finished stone, highlighting the skill of the quarrymen.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 October 2014 at 12:00 am
6 new bridges tops the infrastructure list
Photo by Tom Rivers – Orleans County officials want to see fewer road closed signs in the county. This sign is out while the Village of Medina rebuilds a section of Horan Road.
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature approved an $8 million bond today so the county can get to work on replacing bridges, culverts, roofs and other infrastructure work.
The bond will provide $4,963,000 to replace six bridges from 2015 to 2017. The county is moving forward with the projects after getting little state and federal dollars for bridges. Another state and federal funding cycle doesn’t come up until 2017.
If the county waits until they to again seek funding, some of the bridges may be closed. The bridge funds tend to go to projects with high-volume counts, making it unlikely the rural county could rely on state and federal money for its infrastructure needs.
“Failure to act on our part will result in further deterioration of our infrastructure assets and unnecessary closures of county-owned roads and bridges,” said Legislature Chairman David Callard.
The county has identified six bridges for replacement, starting with two in 2015: a bridge from 1934 over Beardsley Creek on Waterport-Carlton Road in Carlton, and a bridge from 1968 in Barre over Manning Muckland Creek on Oak Orchard Road.
Other bridges to follow include one from 1959 in Kendall on Carton Road over Sandy Creek, a bridge from 1936 in Ridgeway over Fish Creek on East Scott Road, one from 1928 in Ridgeway over Fish Creek on Culvert Road, and a bridge from 1956 in Kendall over Sandy Creek on Norway Road.
Callard said that plan could be altered if a different bridge is “red flagged” by the state and closed.
The county also plans to replace six culverts for $1,500,000. Those culverts are identified as two on Knowlesville Road in Ridgeway, two on Platten Road in Yates, and two on South Holley Road in Clarendon.
The infrastructure investment plan also includes $1,540,000 in work at county buildings, including two new pole barns. Those 60-by-150 foot barns are estimated to cost $230,000 each. One would be used by the highway department and the other by emergency management.
The county also wants to replace the roofs on the County Administration Building and the Public Safety Building, with each at an estimated $510,000.
The remaining project includes a generator for the mental health building for $60,000. That generator will service a new hub for county information technology infrastructure, Callard said.
The bond is expected to cost the county a little over $400,000 annually for the next 20 years. The borrowing terms will be worked out in the coming months. Interest rates have been at about 2 percent, noted Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer.
“That’s another factor: the money is so cheap right now,” he said.
The county doesn’t anticipate higher taxes because of the bond because it will be done paying off the debt for the Public Safety Building’s original construction next year, the final $160,000 payment. The county also is to receive $268,000 annually as part of a state gambling compact. The first partial payment arrived this year.
The gambling funds and the relief from the Public Safety Building debt should cover the new borrowing costs for the projects, making the work cost neutral on the county budget, Nesbitt said.
MEDINA United Way of Orleans County is again accepting applications from new non-profit agencies.
“United Way has great momentum right now,” said Marsha Rivers, who started as executive director Sept. 22. “Since the merger of our eastern and western chapters, our organization is stronger than ever, which means more giving power to help more agency programs, which in turn improve and enrich the community in so many ways. It’s a wonderful time to be part of all this.”
Rivers spoke after her first United Way Board meeting Wednesday night. It was the final meeting for outgoing Executive Director Lisa Ireland, who accepted a position as an Advancement Officer at Rochester Institute of Technology.
United Way, which currently funds programs of 20 agencies in the county, has opened the allocations process to new agencies for the past two years.
Any 501(c)3 agency is welcome to apply for funding by contacting Rivers at 585-355-7373 or mrivers@orleansunitedway.org.
New agencies must be prepared to undergo an extensive review process of the last five years, including budgets and program outcomes. Grant applications are due to the United Way office, 534 Main St., Medina, no later than 5 p.m. on Nov. 7.
This year’s United Way fundraising goal will be announced at a kick-off celebration on Thursday at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery on Route 104. About 60 attendees are expected, representing the agricultural, corporate, educational, health, non-profit and public sectors.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2014 at 12:00 am
New highs for visitors and pageviews
Photo by Tom Rivers – A fire engulfs a truck outside Pawlak’s Save-A-Lot in Albion on Sept. 24. The truck’s owner, Timothy Martin, escaped without being injured. Albion firefighters were quickly on scene to put out the fire, one of several breaking news stories reported last month on Orleans Hub.
Orleans Hub saw a significant jump in traffic in September, a month with high-profile crimes, breaking news and tragedy.
While many Hub readers thank us for lots of positive news on the site, crime and tragedy seem to be the most viewed stories at the site.
We averaged 5,600 unique visitors daily in September, which broke the previous high of 4,757 in June by 17.7 percent. Our pageviews for the month totaled 519,161, which was up by 64,639 or 14.2 percent from the record in August. The September average was 17,305 pageviews each day.
Orleans Hub went live about 18 months ago April 2, 2013. We didn’t hit 5,000 unique visitors for a day until Oct. 17, 2013. That was the day of the huge fire in Albion at Orleans Pallet. The 5,898 visitors to the site that day was a record high for the Hub about a year ago. Now it’s close to the daily average.
The most viewed story last month was an article on Sept. 24 about a standoff in Ridgeway that closed a section of Route 104 for about six hours (Section of 104 closed in Ridgeway after suspect barricades self inside). A man wanted in the incident, Gerardo Quiros, turned himself in to state police two days later on Sept. 26.
The Hub’s local sports articles and photos also saw a big jump in traffic, up 33.4 percent from a May high of 19,530 to 26,062 in September.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Mike and Cheryl Wertman are drawing a following for their coverage of local sports. In this photo, Medina’s Brett Pecoraro picks up yardage in a 60-8 victory over Newfane on Sept. 6.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – In Orleans County, the costs for providing attorneys for poor residents has increased from a budgeted $493,983 in 2011 to $586,713 projected for this year.
State-wide other counties are seeing increases in the costs for legal services for the poor. Altogether, 57 counties outside New York City will spend about $175 for indigent legal services, with the state paying $35 million, said Stephen Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties.
In many other states, the cost is borne solely by the state. During its annual meeting last week, NYSAC leaders called on NY officials to have the state assume the full costs of indigent representation.
“Counties do the best they can to ensure that justice is carried out,” Acquario said. “The tax cap and other state mandated programs make it difficult for additional local resources to be added to this program from the local level. This is a state responsibility and the state should provide enhanced aid to ensure proper representation is afforded to all.”
The state and five counties have been sued in a class-action lawsuit, Hurrell-Harring et. al. v. State of New York, where plaintiffs accuse the state and five counties for inadequately representing the poor accused of crimes in the state.
The plaintiffs are seeking changes to the indigent defense system, Including a cap on caseloads for public defenders and uniform first arraignment counsel rights.
“The United States Supreme Court has made it clear that this is a state constitutional responsibility,” Acquario said.
He cited a Supreme Court decision in the 1960s, Gideon vs. Wainwright, that the right to counsel is fundamental in the United States, and that the states are responsible for providing lawyers for those who are unable to afford them.
However, in 1965 the state shifted the financial responsibility to counties, Acquario said, to the level where more than 80 percent of the costs is now on county taxpayers.
ALBION – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) is holding a series of four town hall meetings for Orleans County constituents this Saturday.
Hawley invites his constituents to ask questions about any state or local issue that concerns them. Hawley frequently holds town halls across his district to make sure that the people his represents have as much access to him as possible and to give them the opportunity to provide their input of the direction of the area.
“One of my responsibilities as an elected official is to keep my constituents informed on state and local issues that affect them,” Hawley said. “These town halls are one way to do that. I invite every one of my constituents to come out and discuss whatever is on their minds. I am here to listen and work with them to make Western New York a great place to live and work.”
The schedule for the town hall events includes:
9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. at Ridgeway Town Hall, 410 W. Ave., Medina;
10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at Carlton Town Hall, 14341 Waterport-Carlton Rd.;
11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Albion Town Hall,3665 Clarendon Rd.;
1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at Murray Town Hall, 3840 Fancher Rd., Holley.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 September 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A federal grant will provide funding over the next five years to help prevent youth substance abuse in Orleans County.
The Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse was awarded funding from The Drug Free Communities Support Program. GCASA previously received a grant to target substance abuse for children in grades 6 through 12. But that five-year grant expired last year and the GCASA’s grant wasn’t renewed.
The agency applied again and was notified on Sept. 19 that its funding is back for another five-year cycle, said Patricia Crowley, project director for the Orleans County United Against Substance Abuse Coalition.
“With increased funding for five years through the Drug Free Communities grant, continuing communication with the community and key organizations and leaders, the Coalition is well-placed to generate meaningful and lasting change in the community in order to solve its youth substance use problem,” Crowley said.
The grant will pay for staff, prevention programs, surveys of students on their drug activities and attitudes, and support other Coalition activities. Crowley said the Coalition, which formed in 2003, has stayed together the past year and intends to be sustainable after the grant expires in five years.
The Coalition has about 100 community members. The group has targeted alcohol, drug and tobacco use by youths, but Crowley said other substances are out in community, including prescription narcotics, that could entice teens.
“It’s constantly changing,” she said. “Who knows what will be out there in 2 to 3 years.”
To learn more about Orleans County United Against Substance Abuse Coalition, contact Crowley at 585-331-8732 or email pcrowley@gcasa.org.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Legislature also weighs expanding senior tax exemptions
ALBION – The new Orleans County tax bills that come out in January will no longer list taxpayer costs for the nursing home, state-mandated programs and other general services.
The Legislature voted last week to go back to one line item for the tax bills. The break-out was confusing to residents, said Legislator Lynne Johnson.
The county also expects to close on the sale of the nursing home by the end of the year, meaning there shouldn’t be county taxpayer subsidies for The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in the future.
The Legislature in 2011 voted to have “Truth in Taxation” on the tax bills, trying to highlight key cost drivers in the county tax bill. Legislators say they will continue to raise awareness on the impact of state mandated programs on the county budget. State programs such as Medicaid, indigent defense and several others account for more than the county’s total tax levy of about $15 million.
The Legislature also is considering expanding the tax discounts for lower-income senior citizens. Seniors who earn less than $19,200 are eligible for discounts on their county taxes. That level hasn’t been changed since 2007. The new level would be increased by $2,000.
The Legislature held a public hearing on the issue last Wednesday and set a second hearing for 4:25 p.m. on Oct. 8.
Paul Lauricella, vice chairman of the Orleans County Conservative Party, said the county should work to giving every resident a tax break, not just a select group.
“I feel for the seniors,” Lauricella said during the public hearing. “But when you do these target groups everybody else pays the difference.”
Right now the county offers 50 percent off for seniors with household incomes up to $13,500. The sliding scale exemption drops to 20 percent off for seniors with annual incomes between $18,300 and $19,199. It’s 0 percent for seniors with incomes at $19,200 or above.
The new proposed schedule includes the following percentage exemptions:
50 percent off for incomes up to $15,500
45 percent off for incomes between $15,500 and $16,499
40 percent between $16,500 and $17,499
35 percent between $17,500 and $18,499
30 percent between $18,500 and $19,399
25 percent between $19,400 and $20,299
20 percent between $20,300 and $21,199
0 percent after $21,200
Staff Reports Posted 28 September 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A 40-year-old inmate in the Orleans County Jail was found dead today, Sheriff Scott Hess said.
Juan Muriel-Gonzalez from the Bronx was found dead in his cell by corrections officers after he failed to respond to the lunchtime chow call, Hess said.
There were no immediate signs of foul play. Muriel-Gonzalez was taken to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office in Rochester for autopsy. The Sheriff’s Department, Medical Examiner and the New York State Commission of Correction will be investigating the death, Hess said.
Muriel-Gonzalez had been incarcerated since June following his arrest for promoting prison contraband in the first degree. He pleaded guilty to criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fifth degree during an Aug. 24 court appearance, when he admitted to mailing prescription narcotics to his ex-wife, an inmate at the Albion Correctional Facility.
Gonzalez faced a maximum sentence of 2 1/2 years in state prison. He was to be sentenced on Nov. 17.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature was presented an official 9-11 flag on Wednesday from Larry Montello, commander of Medina’s Butts-Clark American Legion and also the coordinator of 9-11 memorial events in Orleans County.
The flag given to the Legislature was the first one to fly in front of the courthouse about four years ago. Montello, left, presented the flag to David Callard, Orleans County Legislature chairman.
Montello thanked the county for supporting a 9-11 memorial near the flagpole in front of the courthouse. Callard commended Montello for heading the memorial events every 9-11.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 September 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – People wondering what it’s like to live in poverty, and face the fears and frustrations for parents struggling to make ends meet, are invited to a poverty simulation next Friday.
Community Action of Orleans & Genesee will host the event on Oct. 3 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Batavia First United Methodist Church. The agency is hosting the event for the first time to try to raise awareness for poverty issues, said Ed Fancher, Community Action director.
At the simulation participants will assume the role of a low-income family member living on a limited budget. The experience is divided into four 15-minute sessions, each of which represents one week in which participants must provide for their family and maintain their home.
In the two rural counties alone, there are about 12,700 people (including over 4,000 children) who live below the poverty line, Fancher said.
“We think this will be a good way to have a conversation about poverty,” Fancher said about the simulation.
Local poverty is most concentrated in the villages of Albion and Medina, and the city of Batavia, Fancher said.
About 50 people have already signed up for the poverty simulation. Fancher welcomes more participation, including from elected officials. People interested in the simulation, should call 589-5605 and ask for Fancher or Nathan Varland, director of Housing and Support Services for the agency.
Community Agency will follow the simulation with a poverty awareness dinner at Batavia Downs on Oct. 3.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Nationally, Orleans ranks more in middle of pack
File photo by Tom Rivers – A study that measures household income, unemployment, obesity rates and other factors says Orleans County ranks in the bottom half of the country.
A study that looks at 3,135 counties across the United States puts Orleans County below average at 1,894 based on a ranking of quality of life issues.
However, when comparing counties in New York State, Orleans would be the sixth hardest to live out of 62 counties.
The report is based on ranking the median household income ($50,113 in Orleans), education or percentage of residents with at least a bachelor’s degree (15.8 percent in Orleans), unemployment rate (10.4 percent), disability rate (1.3 percent), life expectancy (78.3 years) and obesity (41 percent).
In New York state, five counties ranked worse than Orleans, including Fulton County (ranked 1,992), St. Lawrence (2,048), Oswego (2,052), Cattaraugus (2,064) and Montgomery (2,149).
In Montgomery, the median household income is $42,830, more than $7,000 less than in Orleans. Montgomery tops Orleans with a 16.1 percent college educate rate, ties with a 10.4 percent unemployment rate, has a higher disability rate (2.1 percent), a similar life expectancy at 78 years and a slightly lower obesity rate at 39 percent.
The upstate counties that are in the worse shape or considered the hardest places to live are a long ways from the bottom of the heap nationally. Consider Breathitt County in Kentucky, ranked 3,129 of 3,135 overall. That county has a median household income of 23,049, a college education rate of 10.2 percent, an 11.9 percent unemployment rate, 11.5 percent of adults on disability, a life expectancy of 71.4 and an obesity rate of 47 percent.
Six counties in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky are among the 10 hardest places to live in the country, according to the report.
Six of the top 10 counties are in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. New York state has six counties in the top 200, including Tompkins at 170, Saratoga at 129, Westchester at 98, Rockland at 96, Putnam at 66 and Nassau at 63.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 September 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – The three-person local development corporation that was formed to sell the county-owned nursing home will meet Thursday for the first time since Feb. 6, the day the nursing home was sold to Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services LLC for $7.8 million.
The sale isn’t final until the state Department of Health gives the final OK. That is expected before Dec. 31, said Russell Martino, chairman of the Orleans County Health Facilities Corporation.
The County Legislature voted in 2012 to transfer the nursing home, The Villages of Orleans, to the Health Facilities Corporation. That group then worked with a firm, Marcus and Millichap’s National Senior Housing Group in Chicago, that specializes in nursing home sales.
The LDC board of Russell Martino, Richard DeCarlo Sr. and Richard Moy on Feb. 6 accepted the $7.8 million bid from of Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services LLC. That company also recently purchased three Catholic Health facilities in Buffalo.
The $7.8 million will more than offset the remaining debt following a renovation of the nursing home about five years ago. County officials also say the sale will relieve the county from taxpayer subsidies for the operating deficits at the site, deficits officials feared would grow to $2 million or more annually.
The public meeting Thursday will be at the at Health Department’s building, 14012 Route 31 West. The meeting starts at 1:30 p.m.
“This is just to catch up on where we are,” Martino said about the meeting.
