ALBION – The union representing corrections officers at the Orleans Correctional Facility recently donated $500 to the Knights-Kaderli Memorial Fund, which assists cancer patients and their families in Orleans County. The fund helps families pay for nutritional supplements and prescriptions, as well as medical supplies and bills.
Corrections officers are pictured with Mary Zelazny, one of the leaders of the fund. The corrections officers include, from left: Kenny Gold, Matt Lamar and Craig Stalker.
Provided photo – Students in the Orleans/Niagara BOCES’s 2015 Licensed Practical Nursing Class all passed. The group includes, from left, seated: Courtney Burdick, Melissa Olles, Raquel Golson and Marissa Catalano. Standing: Ashley Zuercher, Katelyn Fletcher, Nelly Galicia, Jonathon Furlong, Krystina Daniel, Alexander Gow, Amanda Frazier, Stephen O’Brien, Amanda Hyde and Mindy Barber.
Press Release
Orleans/Niagara BOCES
Orleans/Niagara BOCES’s 2015 Licensed Practical Nursing students have achieved a 100 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses.
The state average is 79 percent and traditionally the Orleans/Niagara BOCES LPN classes do pass the exam with above average scores.
“The success of our program is directly related to our teaching staff,” says Nursing Coordinator Karen Kwandrans. “They go above and beyond to make sure that our students are prepared for this test and learn all the skills they need to be successful in this career and anything they choose to pursue in the medical field after this program.”
The class takes 14 1/2 months to complete and is a combination of classroom instruction, lab work and clinical instruction at local hospitals and healthcare facilities.
“It is a wonderful gateway for students to go for their RN degree and beyond,” Kwandrans said. “We have been approached by several schools to observe this program and talk to our teachers. Everyone wants to know what a class that can pass at 100 percent looks like.”
Kwandrans says the demand for nurses is high and she is constantly approached by medical facilities and physician’s offices who want first crack at the school’s graduates.
“Let me put it this way,” she said. “Anyone who has graduated our LPN program, who wants a job, has a job.”
The latest LPN program is getting ready to start up around the end of August at the Medina site located at 4232 Shelby Basin Road and Kwandrans encourages anyone interested to contact her office at (716) 731-6800, extension: 4445.
“It’s not too late to be tested for entrance into our program,” she said. “We have testing dates on July 29, Aug. 6 and Aug. 10. Many of our students qualify for financial aid and loans and our financial aid officer is available to talk to as well.”
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 21 July 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Kristina Gabalski – A group of busy volunteers and 4-H’ers makes pies in the Trolley Building on the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds on Saturday. Pie-making volunteers met four times over the past two months to assemble and freeze pies to be baked and sold by the slice at the Leader’s Pie Stand during fair week, July 27-Aug. 1.
KNOWLESVILLE – Visitors to next week’s Orleans County 4-H Fair will get more than a tasty treat when they stop by the Leader’s Pie Stand. Those pies also support the 4-H youth program.
Thanks to the efforts of 4-H’ers, families and volunteers, slices of pie sold this year have been made by hand instead of being store bought.
For many years, 4-H families were able to bring pies made at home for the stand, but three years ago, County Health Department rules changed, meaning that pies donated to the stand had to be baked in a Health Department-approved kitchen.
The result was a challenge for volunteers and 4-H families and disappointing for fairgoers who wanted to find homemade pie at the stand.
Alexis Brege, 13, proudly displays a blueberry pie she made during the July 18 Pie Making Workshop at the fairgrounds. Alexis will be able to enter the pie in the fair before it is taken to the Leader’s Pie Stand and sold by the slice. In addition to making pies for the Leader’s Pie Stand, the Pie Making Workshop was an opportunity for 4-Hers and their families to learn pie-making skills.
“The first year, we bought 90 percent of the pies,” says Jennifer Batt, who helps to organize volunteer staffing for the stand and has worked as “project manager” to bring the number of “homemade” pies back up to 100 percent.
The 100 percent goal has been accomplished through a series of four pie-making workshops held on Saturdays and Sundays in June and July at the Trolley Building kitchen at the fairgrounds. The Trolley Building kitchen is Health Department approved.
During the workshops, pie crust was made, rolled out, with fruit fillings prepared and pies assembled before being frozen. The pies will be baked fresh throughout the fair.
Batt says last year, the “homemade” to purchased pie ratio was about 50/50.
“We won’t have to buy any this year,” she says, and notes that as of the final pie-making workshop July 18, 75 pies had been assembled. About another 45 pies will be made before and during fair to make sure there is an ample supply and variety for hungry fairgoers.
Fruit was donated for the effort by local growers. Rock Ledge Farm in Medina donated cherries; HH Dobbins Cold Storage in Lyndonville donated apples; and Brown’s Berry Patch in Waterport donated elderberries and blueberries.
Because pies are frozen before they are baked, freezer space was also an issue in meeting the goal.
A blueberry pie awaits its top crust.
At the end of June, Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Program Director Jennifer Wagester sent out an email to 4-H families and leaders seeking the loan or donation of a freezer to help hold the growing number of pies. Just three hours later, a 4-H family had donated a large chest freezer to help in the pie effort.
All proceeds from sales at the Leader’s Pie Stand go to fund 4-H activities and award trips – none of the proceeds are used for administrative costs or operating expenses, Wagester said.
The Leader’s Pie Stand will be open from noon to 10 p.m. from Tuesday through Saturday during the fair.
A blueberry pie with a crumb crust made awaits wrapping and boxing before it is frozen in advance of next week’s fair.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 18 July 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos and article by Kristina Gabalski
KNOWLESVILLE – The early morning weather was cloudy and muggy, but 33 participants made their way through the 2nd annual Orleans County 4-H Fair 5K Fun Run sponsored by the 4-H Fair Committee.
Participation was up exponentially from the first run in 2014, which had only two runners.
“This year is a much greater success than last year,” Fair Committee Chairman Mark Moore said following the run. “Thanks for supporting the fair.”
Grace Gregoire, left, and her mother Kellie Gregoire of Murray head for the finish line together at this morning’s 5K Fun Run.
Proceeds from the event benefit Orleans County 4-H programs.
The run looped around the fairgrounds – south along Wood Road; west on West Countyhouse Road; north on Taylor Hill Road; and back to the fairgrounds for the finish.
The Fun Run is not timed, but first place male and female runners, and first place male and female 4-H finishers were recognized.
Will Gregoire makes a sprint to the finish as the first male 4-H’er to cross the line at the 2015 Orleans County 4-H Fair 5K Fun Run. His twin brother, Jacques, is just behind on the left.
Evan Steier was the first male finisher. The first woman was Elizabeth Hawes. The first female 4-H’er was Emma Mathes and the first male 4-H’er was Will Gregoire.
The fun run kicked off a week of fair preparations. The Orleans County 4-H Fair runs the week of July 27-Aug. 1.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 July 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Sales tax revenues are down the first half of 2015 in Orleans County, compared to the first six months of 2014, according to data from the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance.
The sales tax revenues for the county fell from $7,741,593 to $7,626,595. That is a 1.47 percent or $113,998 drop.
Of the 57 counties outside New York City, 33 have collected less in sales tax so far in 2015, compared to the first half of 2014, according to the New York State Association of Counties.
The sales tax dollars give a snapshot of the local economy, and the sales tax also is a source of revenue for local governments. The more sales tax, the less reliance on property taxes to fund local services.
The latest numbers show that much of the state is struggling to break out of the prolonged economic recession that started in 2008, NYSAC said.
The data shows that many counties have a drop in sales tax revenue in both the first and second quarters this year.
“The explanation for the first quarter’s numbers was pegged to bad winter weather, dropping fuel prices, a west coast port shutdown, negative US GDP for the first quarter and a strong dollar,” said Stephen J. Acquario, executive director for NYSAC. “There was no bounce back, but there was also no explanation for the continued lethargy.”
Orleans County officials budgeted for no increase in sales tax in 2015. The county has budgeted $13,785,000 in sales tax revenues this year. In addition, another $1,366,671 from the local share goes to towns and villages in the county.
The state sales tax collections are up 3.72 percent, from $5.94 billion to $6.16 billion, for the first half of 2015. New York City is seeing growth in sales tax, a 2.74 percent increase from $3.31 billion to $3.40 billion.
Steuben County has the biggest increase, 8.77 percent, while Schoharie is down the most at 6.11 percent.
BATAVIA – Host sites are sought for AmeriCorps workers in a program based in Batavia but available to the four GLOW counties, including Orleans.
The Genesee County Youth Bureau’s AmeriCorps application has been approved for another year of funding by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
The Youth Bureau is planning for the 12th year of the program, which will begin Oct. 1. As part of this process, non-profit and government agencies are invited to attend an information session to receive details about AmeriCorps. There will be a presentation on the program at 2 p.m. on July 27 at Hoag Library in Albion.
Organizations have utilized AmeriCorps members for a variety of projects. Assignments include activities that fall under one or more of these focus areas: healthy futures, fitness and nutrition education for youth, environmental stewardship education and agency capacity building. Host sites complete a proposal that outlines the duties for each position. Members can create new programs or enhance existing services, and their work can benefit different parts of your agency.
Proposals requesting members to begin serving this fall are due by Aug. 10. Member recruitment and selection will begin after that date. Please contact Kathy Frank at 585-344-3960 or Kathy.Frank@co.genesee.ny.us for further details about the information sessions or to discuss options for your organization further.
ALBION – The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce invites its members to nominate businesses, organizations and individuals who have helped the local business community.
The honorees will be recognized on Sept. 18 at Tillman’s Historic Village Inn to celebrate business in Orleans County.
The Chamber is seeking nominations for awards in the following categories:
Business of the Year: This award is presented to a business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.
Businessperson of the Year: This award is presented to an individual with a long-term record of outstanding business achievements.
Phoenix Award: This award is presented to an organization or business that has successfully adapted or re-used an existing facility.
New Business of the Year: This award is presented to a business or organization that has opened in the past year.
Community Service Award: This award is presented to a business, organization or individual that has provided meaningful contributions to the community in either professional or non-professional spheres.
Agricultural Business of the Year: This award is presented to an agricultural business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.
Small Business of the Year: This award is presented to a small business (50 employees or less) that has experienced significant achievements/success throughout the year.
Last year’s winners include: Business of the Year, Brunner International; New Business of the Year, BAD-AsH-BBQ; Entrepreneurial Excellence, Precision Packaging Products; Phoenix Award, Fair Haven Treasures; Community Service, Anni Skowneski and Kenneth DeRoller; Lifetime Achievement, Bruce Krenning and Marcia Tuohey; and Agricultural Business of the Year: Lake Ontario Fruit.
For more information, call the Chamber at (585) 589-7727 or click here.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 16 July 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Kristina Gabalski – John Gabalski, left, and James Trembley prepare bread dough during activities at Monday’s 4-H Cooking Camp.
KNOWLESVILLE – A group of Orleans County 4-Hers enjoyed the yummy rewards of participation in the first 4-H Cooking Camp, held Monday and Tuesday at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.
Participants prepared their own breakfast and lunch both days, learned about nutrition, enjoyed healthy outdoor activities and took home food they had made from scratch through hands-on activities like baking bread, making strawberry refrigerator jam, fruit pie and pizza.
Campers roast hot dogs and sweet corn for lunch on Monday afternoon during the 4-H Cooking Camp held this week at the Orleans County Fairgrounds.
Campers made a breakfast of French toast on Monday and prepared breakfast over an open fire on Tuesday. Monday’s lunch included hot dogs and sweet corn roasted over a campfire and Tuesday participants made their own personal pizzas from scratch.
In addition to food preparation, participants decorated their own aprons; took part in outdoor activities and games; played “The Label is Right” – an educational game which included five nutrition activities involving food labeling and nutrition; and took part in a camp-ending contest by making edible “bouquets” with fresh fruit.
Participants in the first Orleans County 4-H Cooking Camp prep strawberries Monday for homemade refrigerator jam. The campers also baked bread to go with their jam.
Camper James Trembley shows off his edible fruit bouquet creation which he made during 4-H Cooking Camp.
National Grid customers who lost power on Wednesday night are all back in service this morning, the company said.
A farmer took down wires in Hamlin causing about 2,000 customers in Orleans County, mostly in the Kendall and Kent areas, to lose their electricity. Monroe County also had more than 5,000 without power.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 July 2015 at 11:15 pm
Nearly 2,000 households in Orleans County are without electricity after farm equipment took down wires in Hamlin, Orleans County dispatch said.
National Grid reports power should be restored to the 1,779 customers without power in Orleans County by 12:45 a.m. on Thursday. Most of the outages are in northeastern Orleans County in the Kendall area.
There are also 5,348 National Grid customers without electricity in Monroe County. They should be back on-line by 12:45 a.m., National Grid said.
