ALBION – Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke took the oath of office on Monday afternoon, the start of what he said is a challenging new era for law enforcement.

Bourke is the county’s new sheriff following the retirement of Randy Bower and Bourke’s election in November. Bourke served as undersheriff the past four years. He has worked 35 years in the Sheriff’s Office, starting his career as a correction officer and then was a deputy sheriff before working 18 years as a lieutenant. He was supervisor of the Marine Patrol, and also was a K9 officer for 20 years.

Bourke took the oath with other key leaders of the Sheriff’s Office: Undersheriff Michael Mele, Chief Deputy Jeff Gifaldi and Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson.

“We’re excited to have all of our people in place,” Bourke said after the swearing in. “We have a great team of employees at the Sheriff’s Office.”

Sheriff Chris Bourke signs the oath of office, which was administered by County Clerk Karen Lake-Maynard. Undersheriff Michael Mele is at back left.

Bourke takes the helm of the Sheriff’s Office during a time of new state laws for bail reform, discovery, speedy trial and centralized arraignment. Twice a day the county will need to be able to arraign defendants in a centralized location. The county has proposed using a larger room in the jail for the arraignments, with a judge, public defender, district attorney and staff available in the morning and evening.

Bourke said he is particularly concerned the local judges are unable to set bail for defendants facing serious charges.

“This is turning the criminal justice system upside down,” Bourke said. “And of course it was done without any funding from the state.”

The county’s jail population has fallen by nearly half since the bail reform provisions started a week ago. It’s gone from the 70s each day to the 40s, said Wilson, the jail superintendent.

Bourke said he looks to continue many of the programs that were started by Bower, including addiction and mental health services in the jail for inmates.

He also wants to continue to the strong community partnerships with local clergy, schools and other local agencies and organizations.

Michael Mele, the undersheriff, takes the oath of office while his mother Mary Jo Mele holds The Bible. Mele was the chief deputy the past four years. He has worked at the Sheriff’s Office for 19 years. He started his career with the Holley Police Department for four years.

Jeff Gifaldi is the new chief deputy. He was an investigator with the Sheriff’s Office. He has worked in law enforcement since 2001 with the Sheriff’s Office and Albion Police Department. His wife Kelly and daughter Anna, 4, joined him during the swearing-in ceremony on Monday. Scott Wilson, the jail superintendent, is at back left.

Scott Wilson takes the oath of office while Bourke holds The Bible. About 100 people attended the ceremony on Monday in the legislative chambers of the Orleans County Adminsitration Building. Wilson has been the jail superintendent since 2011.

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New group starts next week and will learn many facets of Orleans County

HOLLEY – The second class of Leadership Orleans graduated from the year-long program last month with 24 people learning about many facets of the county.

Class members included local government officials, business and agency leaders, and citizens. The class built a strong network among each other in the year, through retreats and a monthly day-long focus on a different aspect of the county – government, arts and culture, volunteerism and non-profit organizations, community health, tourism and recreation, agribusiness, economic & workforce development, and education.

Greg Reed accepts an award for winning the most points during the year in friendly games and activities that helped the class bond and learn about the county.

“What we learned about the community is invaluable and there are so many opportunities to get involved and help our county,” said Michele Bokman, director of operation for GCC’s campus centers in Orleans County.

She said Leadership Orleans brings together people from several sectors of the community. Although the class has graduated, Bokman said the group will continue to meet and looks for ways to help the county.

Elizabeth Haibach, a librarian at Hoag Library, grew up in Orleans County. She said Leadership Orleans proved eye opening. She didn’t realize how fishing is the county’s top tourism draw, for example, drawing anglers from throughout the country to fish at Lake Ontario, the Oak Orchard River and other tributaries.

“I’ve learned so much about our community that I can apply to my job,” she said.

Greg Reed, director of the YMCA in Orleans County, said Leadership Orleans helped him forge many friendships and connections in the county. Reed came to the Y in Medina two years ago after working in Denver, Colorado. He said the class participants have a common goal of wanting to move the community forward.

Some of the new graduates will be part of a Leadership Orleans Task Force to brainstorm ways to help the county and develop an action plan.

“We don’t want it to end tonight,” Reed said during the graduation program.

Orleans County pushed to start the program so local citizens, government officials, and business and agency leaders have a deeper understanding on how the community works, with a deeper knowledge of its assets and challenges.

The county government was instrumental in providing funding support for Leadership Orleans. The program had its first class in 2018 after the County Legislature set aside $33,000 in 2017 to get the program off the ground. The county contribution was reduced to $22,000 in 2018, and $16,000 in 2019 and 2020.

Chuck Nesbitt, the outgoing county chief administrative officer, was presented a “Distinguished Leader Award” for his support of the program, and for his efforts as the county’s top administrator for 14 ½ years.

“I’m very proud of this program and where it’s going,” Nesbitt said during the graduation. “It is something I hope will resonate for many years to come.”

Nesbitt, an Albion native, urged the class and community to pursue a higher purpose in charting the county’s future.

Andrew Satkowski, quality control manager at Takeform, accepts the an award as “Presenter of the Year.” Satkowski shared with the class the ways he volunteers in the community. He shared about the poverty in Orleans County, and how that is an obstacle for many local families.

“Take up the mantle of building this community to where it should be and where it should go,” he said.

Too often local residents and officials fret about what the county is not, Nesbitt said.

He urged the class to take risks, and use courage and integrity “to break the inertia of the old.”

His advice to the class was “to go for it,” and take stock of their gifts and live a life with purpose.

“It’s up to us to make this community the best version of itself,” he said. “It’s not just one of us. It’s all of us.”

Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, thanked the new graduates for devoted so much effort to the program, and wanting to learn how to make a bigger imoact in the community.

“It is clear in the mission of Leadership Orleans that we are creating a nucleus for investment in Orleans County and are enhancing leadership that will continue to serve Orleans County,” Johnson told the class.

“Now with having our second class graduate, we hope that our Leadership Orleans Alumni will continue to serve in leadership opportunities, help fill our volunteer needs of Orleans County and collaborate with those they met along the way to continue to make Orleans County a great place to live, work and have fun in.”

The program has had 123 presenters its first two years and visited 78 sites. Often the month’s class includes panel discussions from key officials and leaders in education, healthcare, tourism, agriculture or whatever the focus was that month.

Skip Helfrich is the director of Leadership Orleans. The new Class of 2020 starts next week with a two-day opening retreat. Helfrich addresses the Class of 2019 during their graduation at Hickory Ridge Golf Resort.

Ellen Eaton, director of employee experience at Takeform, accepts the “First Impression of the Year” award on behalf of the company in Medina. Takeform wowed the class with its high-tech work site, while insisting employees maintain a life-work balance in their jobs.

Lisa Tombari was presented the “Alumna of the Year.” She was a member of the Class of 2018 and works as director of Operations & Historic Properties at Talis Equity. She oversees several new Talis Equity businesses and real estate projects. She manages operations at Bent’s Opera House, the Stonehurst and Talis Historic Restoration (the window shop at the Mustang City, the former Medina High School).

Tomabri was praised for handling the many challenges with these projects. She also is active in the community, including on the Leadership Orleans steering committee. She also is a member of a waterfront revitalization committee in Medina, and a newly formed Orleans Women’s Leadership group.

Sean “Fresh Sean” Casher and Jessica “DJ Jazzy Jess” Capurso shared a rap about the program and the connections they made as a class. Casher and Capurso both were members of the Class of 2019.

The 2019 graduates include:

• Delano Alvarez, Quality Associate III, Baxter Healthcare
• James Bensley, Dir. Dept. Planning and Development, County of Orleans
• Melissa Blanar, Dir. Orleans County Office for the Aging, Orleans County
• Michele Bokman, Director of Operations, SUNY GCC
• Beth Brown, Business Administration Manager, Orchard Dale Fruit Company, LLC
• Sean Casher, Human Resources Business Partner, CRFS, LLC
• Nicole Davis, Director of Residential Services, GCASA
• Daniel Doctor, Community Outreach Liaison, Medina Central School District
• Jessica Capurso, Health Educator/Community Outreach, Orleans Community Health
• Ellen Eaton, Dir. of Recruiting and Employee Experience, Quorum Group dba Takeform
• Elizabeth Haibach, Librarian, Hoag Library
• Tessa Hartway, Dir. Of Marketing and Branding/Business Development, Talis Equity
• Rachel Hicks, Agent/Customer Services, Albion Agencies
• Susan Howard, 1st Assistant District Attorney, Orleans County
• Pattie Kepner, Assoc. Exec. Dir. Quality/Corp. Compliance, Arc of Genesee Orleans
• Steve Mowers, President, CRFS, LLC
• Jonathan Oakes, Winemaker/Cidermaker Vice President, Leonard Oakes Estate Winery
• James Olinger, Farm Operations Assistant Manager, Sandy Knoll Farms, Inc.
• Sarah Olinger, Credit Analyst, Farm Credit East, ACA
• Amanda Pollard, Assistant Branch Manager, Tompkins Bank of Castile
• Greg Reed, Executive Director, GLOW YMCA – Orleans County YMCA
• Brittany Scott, Sr. HR Representative, Baxter Healthcare
• Jerod Thurber, Sales Mgr./Cider Mgr., Leonard Oakes Estate Winery/Lynoaken Farms
• Carly Ward, Dir. of Planning and Oper., Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, Inc.
• Vanja Zinaja, QA Manager, Baxter Healthcare ​

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ALBION – Randy Bower had a long list of goals four years ago when he started as Orleans County sheriff. Bower, who retired on Tuesday after about 35 years with the Sheriff’s Office, says the standards have been met.

He sees a Sheriff’s Office better connected to the community with improved services.

“It’s a huge team and that’s what helped us meet the objectives,” he said on Tuesday at his office at the Public Safety Building. “There are 100-plus employees. You can’t do it alone.”

Early in his term as sheriff, Bower and Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson worked to add programs in the jail for inmates struggling with addictions. That has expanded to mental health services for the inmates as well.

That effort was strengthened about six months ago with a federal “Access Matters” grant where a clinician and peer counselor from GCASA now are at the jail 20 hours a week to assist inmates. The jail also has worked to help inmates with drug addictions to be connected to a treatment program when they are released from jail. They also receive Vivitrol which gives some relief from the pull of opiates.

Bower said the efforts have helped people to successfully stay sober, and fight off their addictions which often lead to crime in the community, with burglaries and larcenies.

Sheriff Randy Bower and Undersheriff Chris Bourke congratulate Jim DeFilipps on July 28, 2016 when he was recognized at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds as NY Deputy of the Year. Bourke started as sheriff on Wednesday and will have a ceremonial swearing in at 4 p.m. on Jan. 6 at the County Administration Building.

In his retirement, he said he will be an active volunteer with Orleans Recovery Hope, an organization that assists people battling addictions and offers support for their family members. That group sprung from a Sheriff CARES initiative with local clergy members.

Bower, who worked as a public safety dispatcher for 30 years before being elected sheriff, highlighted some of the accomplishments in the Sheriff’s Office during his term.

County Jail

• In addition to the expanded mental health and addiction programs in the jail, a K-9 regularly sweeps the facility to check if there are unauthorized drugs in the jail.

• Inmate work crews also have been cleaning up local parks.

• Corrections officers also function as peace officers at the Orleans County 4-H Fair and Albion Strawberry Festival.

Criminal Division

• An increased law enforcement presence in the rural areas of the county, including school resource officers in Lyndonville and Kendall, with each school district paying the county $100,000 annually to have a deputy assigned to the districts.

• Improved training for deputies with all of them trained in giving Narcan (which often is successful in reversing a drug overdose), first aid and stop the bleed. Two-thirds of the deputies also have taken a crisis intervention training for people in a mental health crisis.

• All patrol cars have rifles and casualty rescue kits.

• Two traffic speed trailers are used in the county, and they were paid for with state grant through Sen. Robert Ortt.

• Sheriff’s Office has received increased federal homeland security  funding, and an ICE security agent works out of the Sheriff’s Office three days a week and assists the office with some training.

Improved Outreach

• Sheriff’s Office offers Yellow Dot program for senior citizens, Safe Child ID program, deputies have lunch with students at elementary schools, districted driving program, Walmart safety day, prayer shawl ministry with prayer shawls in all patrol cars.

Strengthened Community Partnerships

• Established on-call clergy, led by Sheriff’s Office chaplain Don Snyder. Local participating clergy include Tim Lindsay, Eddie English, Dan Thurber, Randy LeBaron and Bilal Huzair.

• Sheriff’s Office participates in annual Blue Mass at Holy Family Parish (in memory of the late Deputy David Whittier).

• Partnered with the Lord’s House in Waterport in Toys for Tots program.

• Completed civilian response to active shooter training and security assessments.

STOP DWI

• Driving simulator purchased with grant funds and available at local schools.

• DWI displays and banners available at local schools.

• Enforcement crackdown grant of $10,000 annually which is shared with local police.

Marine Division

• Secured $25,000 in grants to patrol the Erie Canal, with expanded presence at canal functions throughout the summer and fall. All marine deputies equipped with department-issued sidearm.

Dispatch

• Goal to have all police agencies participate in county dispatch system. Added state police. Only missing DEC officers.

Animal Control

• The county has expanded animal control services and now has two full-time animal control officers and a part-timer.

• Partnered with Albion Correctional Facility with inmates training some of the dogs from the county animal shelter.

Civil Division

• The Civil Division promptly processes orders of conviction and has received training in civil process from Ron Bill of the NYS Sheriff’s Association.

Recognition

• Bower in June 2017 received a national award for his work to implement several new initiatives in the county, including expanded substance abuse and mental health services for inmates in the Orleans County Jail. He was honored at the National Sheriffs’ Association Conference in New Orleans with a MAGNUS Leadership Award.

Bower said Bourke as undersheriff and Mike Mele as chief deputy were supportive of the programs. Bourke is now the sheriff and Mele the undersheriff.

Bower said he looks forward to seeing how Bourke and Mele continue the focus of a Sheriff’s Office that is dedicated to serving the community.

“I can see Chris and Mike continuing these programs, and starting their own new ones,” Bower said.

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