Press release, Orleans County Sheriff’s Department

ALBION – Sheriff Scott Hess is pleased to announce that 12 children from Orleans County will attend the NYS Sheriffs’ Association’s Summer Camp this year.

Located on Keuka Lake in Yates County, the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp is designed to provide a solid recreational program combined with the development of a sense of good citizenship.

The camp has been in operation since the mid-1970s and is supported by the NYSSA’s honorary members through their contributions and annual dues. The camp will accommodate hundreds of deserving kids from across the state from June 29 through July 5.

Throughout their week-long stay, these children observe special exhibits and demonstrations presented by Sheriff’s deputies and other law enforcement personnel from across the state. Included are D.A.R.E. presentations, boat and bicycle safety programs, law enforcement equipment and technical demonstrations, pistol and archery competitions, and a talent show.

Upon completion of their stay, all “campers” will be awarded a certificate for their participation in a program of “Good Citizenship & Law Enforcement Studies.”

The following children, ages 9 to 12, are the 2014 Orleans County attendees: John Greek, Amber Lowery, McKenzie Olmstead, Vanessa Perez, Caitlyn Ramirez, Antonio Samsel and Jayden Tetrault – all from Albion.

Nathan Silversmith of Holley, Marina Woodward and Marah Woodward from Kendall, and Robert Cooper and Dominic Winters from Medina.

Orleans Hub readers had the cameras out Tuesday evening when the sky turned dark and a severe thunderstorm invaded the area.

Pamela Moore of Barre took the top picture when the storm started to hit at about 7:30 p.m.

Lori Laine of Albion was driving on Route 98 in Carlton when power poles fell over. “The wires landed on my car right in front of the Ho-Jack !!” she said. “I am lucky to be alive!!!”

After the storm went through, knocking down trees and power lines, the sky turned a brilliant orange. Greg Stanton of Medina took this picture from his back yard on East Avenue in Medina.

The storm left thousands without power. A Waterport woman sent in this photo of fallen trees. She had five big tree limbs land on her house.

File photo by Tom Rivers – The Brown Street Bridge in Albion has been closed to traffic for two years. It is one of several canal bridges in Orleans County that are either closed or have had the weight restrictions lowered.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is co-sponsor of legislation that would direct $48 million more in federal funds to New York to fix bridges.

Schumer’s office says 2,200 bridges in the state are rated as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, including 18 in Orleans County.

The federal government currently directs $71 million for local bridge repair projects in state, and that funding hasn’t been increased since 2009. The transportation bill going through Congress would continue to lock in the same federal funding level until 2020.

“Keeping our bridges in good health is a top priority for communities across the state, but towns and counties have had to make upgrades and repairs with a limited amount of federal funding to cover the costs,” Schumer said in a statement.

The Orleans County Legislature and local village and town governments have been pressing the state and federal governments for more help in maintaining the bridges. The closed or reduced-weight canal bridges, in particular, have increased travel times for farm equipment, school buses, fire trucks and residents.

“More and more of our local bridges are in need of repairs each year, but local budgets have gotten tighter and federal funding to maintain these smaller bridges has not kept up with demand,” Schumer said. “Now that we are considering a new transportation bill in Congress, it is the perfect opportunity to finally provide towns and counties with the funding for local bridges they deserve, and this bipartisan legislation does just that.”

Schumer’s office identifies the following bridges in Orleans as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete:

Route 279 over Beardsley Creek; Route 279 over Oak Orchard Creek; Waterport Carlton Road over Beardsley Creek; Hulberton Road over West Branch Sandy Creek; Oak Orchard Road over Manning Muckland Creek; Monroe-Orleans County Line Road over E Br Sandy Creek; Knowlesville Road over the Erie Canal; Marshall Road over Johnson Creek; Culvert Road over Fish Creek; Portage Road over Fish Creek; East Scott Road over Fish Creek; Bills Road over Marsh Creek; Kent Road over Marsh Creek; Carlton Road over Sandy Creek; Dunlap Road over Oak Orchard Creek; Hindsburg Road over the Erie Canal; Allen’s Bridge Road over the Erie Canal; Marshall Road over the Erie Canal; Lattin’s Farm Drive over County Road 2 and the Erie Canal.

Schumer said more federal funds are needed to prevent more bridge closures in the state.

“Counties in New York maintain over 9,000 local bridges, many of which are structurally deficient and in need of replacement or repair,” said Stephen J. Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties. “We need to renew our federal focus on local bridges, and Senator Schumer’s support of this legislation comes at the ideal time.”

Counties and towns across New York State rely on a specific allocation of federal funding to maintain and repair many of their local bridges, specifically the 7,464 local bridges. The dollar amount allotted for these “off-system” bridges has not increased in five years.

In the case of New York, that means the state receives approximately $71 million per year to spend on off-system bridges. On the other hand, funding for the 9,992 other New York State bridges that are considered part of the federal highway system has increased over time at the rate of inflation.

Schumer said that it is unacceptable that funding has not increased for local, off-system bridges, particular when so many of them – 2,268 in total in Upstate New York – have been found to be “functionally obsolete” or “structurally deficient.” These designations mean that either elements of the bridge have been found to have significant deterioration, the bridge no longer conforms to current design standards, or a waterway below frequently rises above the bridge during floods. It also means they are at risk of closure.

Schumer is co-sponsoring legislation to be included in the Transportation Bill that would increase total funding for these local bridges by almost $50 million per year. This legislation would increase the funding amount for off-system bridges from 15 percent of the 2009 total to 25 percent of the 2009 total, which would bring New York State’s total from $71 million to $119 million.

Schumer is co-sponsoring this bipartisan legislation with Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Roy Blunt (R-MO).

Photos by Tom Rivers  – A maple tree was knocked down at the corner of Eagle and Main streets in Lyndonville during the storm last night.

CARLTON – Orleans County residents have been out picking up lawns littered with limbs and power crews are out trying to bring the electricity back.

About 2,000 National Grid customers in the Carlton area remain without electricity, and National Grid estimates it should be back on at 6 p.m. today.

A portion of Route 98 in Carlton Station remains blocked off while crews work to restore power and clean up from the fierce thunderstorm that hit the area at about 8 p.m. last night. Several power lines and poles were knocked down just north of Ho-Jack’s Bar and Grill.

In Lyndonville, Barbara Tice was out trying to pick up branches and assess the damage from a fallen maple tree. She also lost two trees during the December ice storm.

She was thankful the maple tree didn’t land on her house or take down other trees. She and her husband Julio Tice have lived in a historic house for 25 years. That house at the corner of Eagle and Main streets was built in 1857.

“The whole house shook when it hit the ground,” Mrs. Tice said. “We were lucky it missed the house by about 4 feet.”

Barbara Tice, left, was out this morning picking up branches from a fallen tree. She was joined by friend Jocelyn Munn.

Albion resident making film for college Honors project

Photos by Sue Cook – Main characters Della (Amelia Favata) and Kyle (Adam Dixson) overdramatically look at the art during a scene that is meant to be reminiscent of ’80s teen movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

ALBION – Drawing from personal inspiration, Rhonda Parker of Albion spent 20 years conceptualizing, adjusting and writing her script for a romantic comedy.

“Friends Don’t Let Friends Date Friends” is the result of this dedicated work and will be released this fall.

The cast includes more than 35 people, which includes smaller roles in the film. Parker says that if extras were included into the count, the number of people in the movie would run into the hundreds.

“Friends Don’t Let Friends Date Friends” is the story of Della Regal, an emotionally unavailable young woman full of sarcastic humor, as she watches her friends fall in and out of love around her. As the film progresses, she finds herself conflicted over feelings for two different male friends. She is both happy for them and the girls they are with, but also feels irritated and annoyed about the situation.

Amelia Favata has the role of Della in the film and is no stranger to acting. She has been acting since she was 10 years old and has an associate’s degree in Theater Arts. Favata comes from Canandaigua each weekend to complete her scenes. In her everyday life, she is a barista at Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters.

“I hope people will fall in love with the characters and be emotionally engaged,” she said. “I hope they can relate to the story and, most importantly, laugh! After all, this is a comedy. I am very proud to be working on such a unique project. The script is what initially got me excited because it was so funny and well thought out. The characters are lovable and relatable. This is a quality film fueled by passion, talent and love.”

Erik Witkowski, playing Jeff in the film, said, “I think people will watch this film and be able to relate in so many ways to their personal life. Everyone has had ‘that’ friend. We’ve heard on many occasions that hindsight is 20/20 and as a friend you may have wished you intervened on a relationship, only to watch it crash and burn.”

Director Rhonda Parker (bottom left) poses with participants in her film including actors, crew and Marti’s on Main Street business owner Kim Martillotta Muscarella (2nd from left in top row).

Parker is making the film as her Honors program project. She is attending GCC for degrees as a paralegal and also for Communication Media Arts. She hopes everyone will be impressed with the end result after the amount of work and time put into the film by not just herself, but also her cast and crew.

The movie has taken place entirely in Orleans County. Parker and her husband Mark, who is cameraman for the film, live in Albion and are natives of the county, so they knew they wanted the area as their choice of location.

“It’s very much the promoting, diversity, unity and the beauty of New York, the local flavor,” Mrs. Parker said. “I’m not just making it here because it’s where I’m at; I love it here. This is where the story was born. This is where it needs to take place.”

While many shoot locations were flexible, such as homes, bridges and cemeteries, others required planning and permission from local business owners. The Lighthouse Restaurant in Point Breeze, Della’s Chocolates and Rudy’s in Medina, and The Main Street Store and Marti’s on Main Art Gallery have used for scenes.

Upcoming scenes will be filmed in the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church in Albion and the Shirt Factory Cafe in Medina. There is also a secret, undisclosed location for the finale that will take place in Albion.

Mark Parker films a scene with Michael O’Keefe (kneeling) instructing characters Della and Kyle in a drawing exercise.

“Everyone enjoys us being there and they get as involved as they can. Waitresses get to be waitresses in the film, art gallery browsers get to be onlookers in the film. It’s pretty cool,” said Adam Dixson who has the main male role of Kyle Montgomery.

Dixson is a resident of Oakfield and was very excited to work on a film so close to home.

“The cemetery was more like a park and the entire layout of it was very picturesque and peaceful. We got some cool photos there too,” said Favata, referring to Mt. Albion Cemetery. “I also loved the art at Marti’s on Main. I myself really love art and actually used to draw and paint all the time. Everyone has been really supportive and on board with us filming and seemed to have fun too.”

Parker will be wrapping up filming around the first weekend in July. After that, her husband will edit the film with her input. Mark will also be writing two or three original songs for the film as well. Parker appreciates the work that everyone is putting in and is very happy with the actors she chose.

“The individual actors bring so much to it that makes it come alive,” she said. “They come up with ideas and aren’t afraid to share them with me and then it makes everything brilliant. There’s no pretentiousness at all on set, it’s just fun. It’s just people that are genuinely fun and enjoying each others company and making art.”

Local artist, Michael O’Keefe, was able use his talent in the film. During his scene in Marti’s on Main, he was able to use a technique he created that he nicknamed Channart, which means channeled art.

Two people are paired up with one person holding the pen and the other person holding the drawer’s wrist. Without looking at the paper, the wrist-holder does most of the movement. Neither person looks at the paper while they draw together. The end result looks abstract, but full of fluidity and motion.

“It was Rhonda’s dream to do something like this and she did,” said O’Keefe. “We’re getting great art and great ideas.”

The film will be released in the fall to DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download and streaming. To see the teaser trailer click here. For more information and behind-the-scenes of the film, visit the film’s Facebook page.

Parker would love more community participation in her film, especially with two large wedding scenes coming up. Many extras are needed for upcoming scenes and more crew members are also being sought after for simple tasks (age 18 and older). She would also love to give local bands the chance to submit music for inclusion in the film.

To discuss opportunities for participation, e-mail rparker8@my.genesee.edu.

Photo by Sue Cook – Alex Feig, left, and Matthew Fuller hold up one of the posters for their website, OrleansRadio.com.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

MEDINA – While local bands have found new listeners at local venues, there is a new place where their original music is available for anyone to listen to online.

OrleansRadio.com is a new website that streams local music of different styles, providing the county with an opportunity to hear several talented groups.

Life-long friends Alex Feig, 28, and Matthew Fuller, 27, worked together to create the website because there isn’t a big central music scene in the county like there is in Rochester or Buffalo. Feig, a delivery person for Avanti’s Pizza, is self-trained in recording and music. Feig conceptualized the idea of a place for local bands to be featured online. Fuller, a self-trained web designer, offered to create and test the website.

“We’re looking at the community and taking every single possible opportunity and blowing it up to the most potential within the community, as far as the artists, as far as the businesses, as far as the events. Those are the three things that we’re focused on,” said Feig.

Fuller added, “It’s a tool for everyone’s benefit. There hasn’t been something where people can relate to it or interact with in area. Everything’s always been separate, like so-and-so has this event and so-and-so has that event. It’s just chance to bring everyone together.”

Fuller created the site with a mobile-first approach, which means that it works on all phones and tablet devices, as well as on desktop computers. Fuller says they will be working on creating a mobile app to expand the number of listeners even further.

The website streams genres from hip-hop to country to pop and more. There are 24 artists currently featured on the site including Dave Viterna and New Rage, Jonesie and the Cruisers, Experimental Sandwich and The Lisa Zelazny Band.

Feig commented, “We’re trying to stay very local, very original. We kind of want to keep our own homegrown thing going here. Even if a band is not current, but they have a good recording that’s original, we’ll put it up there. We have stuff that’s 30 or 40 years old.”

All of the music is pre-screened for content and quality to provide a good listening experience. Anyone can submit original music for consideration and can also talk to Feig about recording if the band doesn’t have audio to provide. Currently, there is about four hours of music on the site, but more bands are being added.

“I’m kind of filtering through this stuff. There’s different criteria that I look for. The number one thing is we’re trying to make it is family-friendly.”

Feig says that regardless of genre, such as heavy metal, if the song is clean of inappropriate content and a good recording, it will be deemed usable for the site. He says it’s also an option if there is a swear word in it, the band may give permission for it to be edited out to make the music meet the site’s standard.

Besides music, the site also features local advertising. The ads are displayed on the site and are accompanied by 30-second audio commercials interspersed between songs. Feig records the commercials himself, but also employs his girlfriend Licia Decker to provide a female voice where it seems more appropriate for the advertiser and their product. He also offers businesses jingle-writing services.

Advertisers can also place coupon deals on the site, which Feig hopes will be a draw for listeners to come to the site to see what’s new.

There is also an events calendar. Event submissions for local events can help people who enjoy certain bands to find them performing live in the area, or find new local hangouts that feature live music.

The duo has heard lots of positive feedback and useful suggestions from users of the site. People from as far as Buffalo have told Feig that they’re listening.

“I feel like it’s something that Medina needs,” said Feig. “There’s great music around here. There’s tons of talent and it just needs to be given an opportunity to be noticed.”

Feig and Fuller are hoping that as the site gains in popularity, they will be able to branch out. They want to schedule talk shows and event promotionals, as well as possible news segments. They are currently planning a live broadcast from the O.C. Summer Jam on Aug. 2. They are hoping to play music, talk to bands and even get man-on-the-street interviews with attendees.

The website (www.orleansradio.com) has forms for submitting events and music, but other inquiries can be made to contact@orleansradio.com. Feig is hoping to hear from more bands and advertisers to grow the site further and give new material to listeners.

ALBION – The leaders of the 12 fire departments in Orleans County met tonight and supported a successor to Paul Wagner, the county’s emergency management director who is retiring July 18.

The Fire Chiefs Association, however, declined to say who they are backing. The appointment ultimately lies with David Callard, chairman of the Orleans County Legislature. The group said it didn’t want to make its recommendation public for at least a few days so Callard wouldn’t feel undue public pressure about the job.

Wagner, a former Clarendon fire chief, has served in the role for 14 years. Three people have been pursuing the job in recent months, including current Albion Fire Chief Rocky Sidari, past Albion Fire Chief Dale Banker and past Holley Fire Chief David Knapp, a current county fire investigator.

The Fire Advisory Council, which includes representatives from the fire departments, also is expected to make a recommendation for Wagner’s successor.

ALBION – They have the dream and aspiration to run their own businesses. Soon they will be done with a 12-week class that will help them avoid pitfalls to success.

A new group of entrepreneurs on June 10 will graduate from the Microenterprise Assistance Program, a class offered by the Orleans Economic Development Agency. The class gives students tips on record-keeping, marketing, legal issues, social media and other issues. Each graduate needs to complete a business plan and some are eligible for low-interest loans through the program.

The EDA has been offering MAP since 1999 and nearly 400 people have completed the class since then. The new group of graduates will celebrate on June 10 by sharing their business plans during a reception at the Crooked Door Tavern.

The spring class includes the following: Kristina Adolph, gift basket business; Brooke Albanese, arts and crafts Etsy sales; Jon Conners, JC Signs; Charles D’Agostino, Cloud Clipper Tea; Larissa DeGraw, wine made with honey; Kathy Grimes, antique restoration; Evelyn Hurt, cleaning service; Eric Richmond, restaurant; Jason Ricker, meat cutter; David Stalker, Medina Transport; Chris Van Dusen, Trailside Bicycles; Nicole Washington, undecided; and Terry Wood, Lonowood Art Co.

County’s rate is still among highest in state

First, the good news: Orleans County’s unemployment rate dropped from 9.0 percent in April 2013 to 7.4 percent last month, according to the state Department of Labor.

The state reports that 1,400 were unemployed in the county, down from 1,700 a year earlier.

Despite that improvement the county still has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state. The state-wide rate is 6.7 percent, the lowest since December 2008, according to the state DOL.

Other similar-size GLOW counties have lower rates than Orleans, including Genesee at 5.4 percent, Livingston at 5.7 and Wyoming at 6.4 percent.

There are 62 counties in the state and eight have higher unemployment rates than Orleans in April. The counties with the five highest rates include: Bronx at 10.3 percent, Hamilton, 8.8; Lewis, 8.7; Jefferson, 8.2; and Kings, 7.9.

The counties with the lowest rates in the state include: Tompkins, 3.5 percent; Nassau, 4.2; Putnam, 4.2; Rockland, 4.4; and Albany at 4.5.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Orleans County officials celebrated the completion of a new emergency communications system on Wednesday. Pictured from left includes Legislature Chairman David Callard, Legislator and Public Safety Chairwoman Lynne Johnson and Emergency Management Director Paul Wagner. Wednesday was also Wagner’s birthday.

ALBION – A project that was 10 years in the making was celebrated for a successful completion on Wednesday, with the finished product a much more reliable emergency communications system for firefighters, police officers and other first responders in Orleans County.

“We have a Cadillac here and we’ll have a Cadillac here for a lot of years to come,” Emergency Management Director Paul Wagner told county legislators.

The new digital Project 25 system replaces an analog system. Emergency responders often complained the old system had gaps in the county and didn’t work well with portable radios. Some firefighters were given portable radios over the weekend to test the coverage at edges of the county in western and eastern Orleans, which were prone to poor coverage.

“It worked beautifully,” David Knapp, a past Holley fire chief, told county officials about the new system.

He had a signal as far away as Mumford and Caledonia in Livingston County.

Mike Fuller, the East Shelby fire chief, said the old radios were notorious for dropping signals near the wildlife refuge. The new radios have strong signals throughout western Orleans.

“This will be a big improvement,” said Fuller, who is also the Town of Shelby highway superintendent. “This is state-of-art digital.”

David Knapp, a past Holley fire chief and current county fire investigator, said the new radio system has vastly improved coverage in the Holley area. He addressed Orleans County legislators during their meeting on Wednesday.

With the old system, when there was a signal the voices didn’t always come through clearly.

“Now there is a solid signal,” Fuller said. “You could talk to someone across the county and it’s just like you’re standing right next to them.”

The gaps in coverage worried first responders. Often the signal dropped when they went inside a house.

“It could be life-threatening if you don’t get a good signal,” Fuller said. “You need to be able to communicate.”

The new system includes three transmission towers, which is up from one with the old system. There are 1,100 portable radios and 550 that are mounted to vehicles. The dispatch center and backup dispatch received new consoles and other equipment. The total project was about $7.1 million with a state grant paying $2 million of the cost.

“It’s on and it works,” Wagner said. “In my opinion it is a superb system.”

Legislature Chairman David Callard said the system provides “vastly improved radio communications for all end-users in Orleans County,”making it safer for them to respond to emergency calls.

Legislator Lynne Johnson serves as chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee and pushed for the upgraded system. She praised Wagner and Chief Administrative Officer Chuck Nesbitt for their efforts in seeing the project to completion.

“The county really bit the bullet with this one,” she said. “We decided if we were going to do it, we’d do it right.”

Photos by Tom Rivers – At 10:43 a.m. today, Kevin Doherty switched off the analog equipent and made a digital system the sole system after weeks of testing the new emergency communications system. Doherty is one of the county’s consultants for the project. The analog equipment is in front of Doherty and to his left. The digital equipment is much more compact and represents two racks to his right.

Keith Whitt, a consultant on the new emergency communications system, works in the Civil Defense Center this morning after the new digital system was activated.

ALBION – Firefighters, police officers, highway workers and other first responders in Orleans County now have a new emergency communications system.

The county officially made the switch from an analog system to a digital one at 10:43 a.m. today. The “cut over” was scheduled for 10 a.m., but a fire call in Holley delayed the change. The county wanted to wait until after that call before changing over to the new system.

The county has been working with contractors to test the new system in recent weeks. Users can expect better coverage, especially on the eastern and western edges of the county and along Lake Ontario where there were weak signals and often dead spots.

“I think everybody will be presently surprised,” said Paul Wagner, the county’s emergency management director. “The coverage is spectacular in my opinion.”

The county built the analog system in 1991-92. It included one tower on West County House Road by the Civil Defense Center and Fire Training Center.

As part of the new $7.1 million upgrade, the county added three towers: one by the Clarendon Highway Department near Route 31A, one in Albion by the Civil Defense Center and one in Shelby next to the Medina water tank on Route 31A.

Those towers help ensure nearly blanket coverage in the county, including on the edges. The towers also will expand coverage of the county’s signal into eastern Niagara, southern Genesee and western Monroe counties, where Orleans firefighters often respond for mutual aid calls.

The Harris Corporation is guaranteeing 95 percent coverage in Orleans, but Wagner said tests with radios show the system has about 99 percent coverage.

Paul Wagner, the county’s emergency management director, points to a rack that transmits signals from the radio towers to the consoles and the radios.

Paul Wagner listens to a portable radio while Dennis Rose, left, talks with Keith Whitt. Rose is the project manager for the harris Corporation and Whitt is a consultant on the project.

The upgrade includes emergency communications equipment at the dispatch center at the Public Safety Building in Albion and the backup location at the Civil Defense Center.

The upgrade also includes 1,100 radios for police, firefighters, Probation officers and other emergency responders. There are also 550 mobile systems that are mounted in police cars, highway vehicles, fire trucks and other vehicles.

The analog system that was at least 22 years old was designed for mobile units and not handheld portable radios. Users found the portable radios were often unreliable, especially when they were brought inside a house.

The new radios on the digital system were tested by firefighters over the weekend, and Wagner said they reported they worked fine inside houses, including many basements.

The county has been working on the upgrade since 2004. It was a challenging project that required permission from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and its counterpart in Canada.

The county needed to make the upgrade because manufacturers of analog system radios, tower equipment and other infrastructure have notified users that parts will soon no longer be available. The phase out of analog has prompted many municipalities around the country to push for new systems, said Keith Whitt, vice president of consulting services with Trott Communications Group in Irving, Texas.

He has been working as a consultant for the county for about four years, first with its rebanding, or its switch to a new approved signal and system. He has been a technical consultant the past year, inspecting the new equipment and making sure the system serves the county.

“There are still quite a few analogs but there has been a big shift to digital,” Whitt said. “The analogs are all at an end-of-life mode. The part supplies are running out.”

County officials are planning a celebration this afternoon in the Legislature Chambers at 3:45 to mark the transition to the new system.

Paul Wagner led emergency management after 9-11, and through radio project

Photo by Tom Rivers – Paul Wagner, director of the Emergency Management Office in Orleans County, poses with a birthday cake for him today on his 68th birthday. The cake was shared before the Orleans County Legislature meeting this afternoon.

ALBION – The leader of the Emergency Management Office in Orleans County will retire on July 18 after seeing through a $7.1 million new emergency communications system.

Paul Wagner, 68, considered retiring sooner but he was committed to waiting until the new digital system was ready and working. Today the county switched from an analog system to the new digital one.

“I didn’t think it was fair to leave somebody else to pick up all of the pieces,” Wagner said today when county officials celebrated the radio system’s success.

He was praised for seeing the project through, while also working with firefighters to keep up with their training for numerous potential disasters, from dirty bombs to hazardous materials to ethanol tankers that catch fire.

“He prepared everyone for threats and worst-case scenarios, including weapons of mass destruction,” said Mike Fuller, chief of the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.

Wagner started as a firefighter in 1964, when he joined the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company. He later moved across the county and joined the Clarendon Fire Company, serving as the fire chief.

He was appointed EMO director 14 years ago. Fuller said Wagner has the respect of the firefighters, partly based on a long commitment as a volunteer firefighter and past chief.

“You have to walk the walk before you can talk the talk,” Fuller said.

Three firefighters are vying to replace Wagner as the EMO director. Current Albion Fire Chief Rocky Sidari, Past Albion Fire Chief Dale Banker and Past Holley Fire Chief David Knapp, a current county fire investigator, are all pursuing the job.

The Fire Chiefs Association could recommend Wagner’s successor at its meeting June 5. Legislature Chairman David Callard and the Legislature will fill the opening by appointment.

The Orleans County Conservative Party has endorsed Steve Hawley of Batavia in his re-election effort for the 139^th Assembly District, which includes all of Genesee, most of Orleans and a portion of western Monroe.

Al Lofthouse, the party chairman, said Hawley pushes party principles for a smaller state government.

Hawley met with the local Conservative Party leaders on Thursday and received their support. He has served as Assemblyman since a special election in February 2006.

His district includes all of Orleans except the town of Shelby, which is represented by Jane Corwin of Clarence.