By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 September 2023 at 9:25 pm
Art Hill Excavating named Business of the Year
Photo by Tom Rivers: Jennifer Hill-Young is shown with her father Art Hill during a celebration on Nov. 11, 2017 at the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company. They threw a party to celebration 40 years of Art Hill Excavating. Mr. Hill passed away on Jan. 26 at age 78 after suffering a fall in Florida. His daughter continues to run the business.
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce has announced its annual award winners. They will be honored on Oct. 19 at the White Birch Country Club in Lyndonville. It will be the Chamber’s 25th annual awards dinner.
The winners for 2023 include:
• Business of the Year – Art Hill Excavating
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Mark Tillman
• Phoenix Award – The Webber Hotel
• New Business of the Year – The Grove 1848 Bistro & Bar
• Community Service Award – Mary Lou Tuohey
• Agricultural Business of the Year – Orleans Poverty Hill Farms
• Businessperson of the Year – Dan Klips
• Small Business of the Year – Sourced Market & Eatery
• Hidden Gem – The Downtown Browsery
For more information on the Chamber of Commerce, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 September 2023 at 9:17 am
Genesee attorney calls Orleans action ‘frivolous and politicized attack’
Photos by Tom Rivers: The new sewer line is shown on Aug. 12 on Route 63 in the Town of Alabama, Genesee County. Orleans County officials are seeking to stop the construction from going to the STAMP site about 10 miles north to the Oak Orchard Creek.
SHELBY – Orleans County is suing its neighbor to try to stop a sewer line from coming into the Town of Shelby and depositing up to 6 million gallons of what Orleans says is “contaminated” water into the Oak Orchard Creek.
The county on Monday filed an Article 78 complaint in State Supreme Court, seeking to halt placement of a sewer line from the STAMP site to the Oak Orchard Creek, a 9.5-mile long pipe along Route 63 that has been under construction since Aug. 3.
Orleans is asking for a temporary restraining order to stop construction so the arguments can be heard in court without the pipeline getting built in Orleans County.
The court action from Orleans County is called a “frivolous and politicized attack” in a court response from Craig A. Leslie, attorney for GCEDC and others named in the suit.
Orleans County officials contend the county never gave its permission for the project, and the Genesee County Economic Development Center formed a “sham corporation” – STAMP Sewer Works – to make the project happen.
The STAMP site is 1,250 acres and is considered a top priority for economic development officials in the region. It is targeted for advanced manufacturing – semi-conductors and renewables manufacturing.
Plug Power is currently building a $290 million facility at STAMP for a green hydrogen production facility that includes an electric substation. The new facility will produce 45 metric tons of green liquid hydrogen daily when fully operational, making it the largest green hydrogen production facility in North America. Plug will employ 60 people.
Another company, Edwards Vacuum, announced last November it would build a $319 million “factory of the future” at STAMP in a project serving the semiconductor industry. Edwards plans to employ 600 high-skill professionals at the semiconductor dry pump manufacturing facility.
The commitments from the two companies follow a 20-year effort to develop STAMP in a rural area of Genesee County, only a few miles south of the Orleans County border. STAMP has been pushed by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Gov. Kathy Hochul and her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo.
But Orleans County officials say the Genesee County Economic Development Center has been driving the contracts for the project, including engineering and construction – and that is illegal because an economic development agency can’t fund and push projects outside its own county unless it has permission from the other municipalities, Jennifer Persico, an attorney representing Orleans County, wrote in the complaint filed in State Supreme Court in Orleans County.
Jennifer Persico, an attorney with Lippes Mathias LLP, speaks during an eminent domain public hearing on July 27. She said at the hearing that the Genesee County Economic Development Center illegally created STAMP Sewer Works as “a sham corporation” to do the eminent domain proceedings against two Orleans County property owners.
In the court filing, she said Orleans “strenuously objects” to the sewer project.
Genesee County EDC is illegally funding a project outside its jurisdiction, Orleans contends in its complaint. The EDC paid for easements to allow for temporary construction, including all but two in Shelby. Orleans County secured two easements in Shelby with the stipulation no sewer line can be constructed.
Orleans officials contend the sewer discharge could limit the county’s efforts to develop its own business park in Medina, and the water may cause flooding and hurt the county’s $30 million annual fishing industry at the Oak Orchard, which is world renown for salmon and trout fishing.
The GCEDC on March 25, 2021 awarded a $9,777,000 contract to G. DeVincentis & Son Construction Company for the 20-inch sewer main which goes from the northern refuge boundary to north of Shelby Center. GCEDC accepted low bid from Highlander for construction at $5,193,445 and approved a $900,000 contract and a $560,000 contract to Clark Patterson Lee for engineering services for the sewer project. GCEDC approved the bids without the consent of Orleans County.
The request for bids shows GCEDC contemplated construction in Orleans County without the consent of Orleans, Persico said.
GCEDC also has purchased at 18 temporary easements in Orleans County to allow for construction of the sewer line, without consent of Orleans, a violation of general municipal law, according to the complaint.
Orleans, in the complaint, also faults Genesee County EDC for improperly forming STAMP Sewer Works, for illegally funding and noticing the eminent domain hearing at the Alabama fire hall on July 27.
Orleans seeks to have the Supreme Court annul the easements. The county also seeks to stop the GCEDC-backed project in Orleans without the county support. That includes efforts from the GCEDC-affiliated Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation and STAMP Sewer Works.
Leslie, attorney for GCEDC, asked the judge, Frank Caruso, to not approve a temporary restraining order on the project. Leslie said the sewer line construction has received all of the needed environmental and right-of-way permits from the state Department of Transportation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to cross the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.
Leslie said Orleans County shouldn’t be granted a temporary restraining order because the project is still weeks and even months from getting into Orleans. Persico wrote in her court filing the project was likely a matter of hours or days until it started in Orleans. The contractor is currently installing the sewer line in the refuge in Genesee County, Leslie wrote.
Orleans is beyond its authority isn’t seeking to stop all sewer line construction when the project currently is solely in Genesee County.
Leslie , the GCEDC attorney, said the claim that GCEDC is using its own money is false because the funding is part of $33 million awarded for STAMP development by Empire State Development, a state entity “which fully supports the STAMP project,” Leslie wrote.
He responded that the Town of Shelby gave its consent to the sewer line project, and so did the Orleans County Department of Health.
He asked the judge to deny the Orleans request for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order.
“Orleans County will sustain no injury by the continued construction of the Force Main, particularly in Genesee County, while this matter is appropriately determined by this Court,” Leslie wrote to Judge Caruso. “Meanwhile, STAMP Sewer will be irreparably harmed if the overbroad and unreasonable order requested by Orleans County is granted.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 September 2023 at 9:44 am
Legislator on EDA board says Legislature unlikely to approve that request
ALBION – The Orleans Economic Development Agency, an organization focused on spurring business activity in the county, is seeking a $50,000 funding increase from the Orleans County Legislature for 2024.
The county allocated $200,000 for the Orleans EDA for 2023, up from $190,000 in 2022.
The agency’s board of directors on Friday approved a $385,000 budget for the EDA in 2024. The agency has been waiting on several larger projects to move forward in the past two years, including renewable energy projects and expansions at local companies.
The EDA generates some of its revenue through fees, which are usually 2 percent of the total investment in a project. A $3 million expansion, for example, would net $60,000 for the EDA if the project received assistance from the agency.
The EDA has had some cash-flow challenges. It received a $500,000 loan from the county in October 2022 to be paid back over three years at 3 percent interest each year. The terms call for the EDA to pay the county a third of the principal each year.
The first payment of $166,666.67 plus $22,500 is due March 1, 2024. The second payment of $166,666.67 plus $10,000 in interest is due March 1, 2025. The third payment of $166,666.66 plus $5,000 is due March 1, 2026.
The agency is seeking a 25 percent increase from the county in its annual government allocation. But Skip Draper, a county legislator and EDA board member, said the county has its own challenges and he doesn’t expect much of an increase from the county for the EDA in 2024.
Draper said the county was notified by the state that it is reducing reimbursements for several social services programs that are mandated by the state. That could be a $3 million hit to the county, Draper said.
“It’s unlikely,” Draper said about the $50,000 increase being approved. “The mandates are up (from the state0 but the reimbursements are down.”
John Misiti, the EDA board chairman, said the county loan has helped the EDA through a challenging year. He said he expects a turnaround for the EDA finances soon.
“We are navigating through a tight year,” he said. “We need a big project to hit.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 September 2023 at 4:32 pm
ALBION – The Orleans Economic Development Agency expects it will be surveying recent graduates of small business training program to hear from the entrepreneurs the strengths and weaknesses of the eight-week class, and hear if they have ideas to make it better.
The EDA has been offering the program for since 1999, with 567 people completing the Microenterprise Assistance Program.
Matt Holland is the new leader of MAP following the retirement last month of Diane Blanchard, who was the coordinator of the program for about two decades.
The EDA is open to tweaking the program, perhaps expanding it to 10 weeks. The organization wants to hear from MAP grads on how well the program prepared them to run a business and if there are any topics that could use more attention.
“We want to set them up to succeed,” said John Misiti, chairman of the Orleans EDA board of directors.
He praised Blanchard for her long-term commitment to the program. He said the EDA is always looking for continuous improvement.
The EDA expects it will reach out to graduates from the program in the past five years. The EDA wants to hear how many of those grads are in business, how many started a business but closed, and how many opted not to venture out with a business.
Some of the class sessions focused on:
Development of comprehensive business plans
Marketing and advertising
Business organization
Tax, accounting, insurance and financing
Specialized computer application
Creating effective leadership
The EDA may want to add a session on developing an online presence and online marketing, said Gabrielle Barone, the EDA vice president for business development. She believes an online presence makes a big difference for many small businesses.
Michael Dobell, the EDA executive director, said the change in leadership with MAP is a chance to take stock of the program and look for ways to make it better – with lots of input from the recent graduates.
“Let’s talk to them and see how MAP could have helped them even more,” he said at today EDA board meeting.
The survey should provide lots of feedback for the EDA as it looks to upgrade the program, board members said.
“Let’s see if there are any common stumbling blocks that we could address in MAP,” said board member Ed Urbanik. He said running a small business right now is “a tough environment.”
The program also has made grants available to some of the recent grads to help with equipment or to be used as working capital.
The EDA was awarded a $300,000 state grant about a year ago to help small businesses. The grants have ranged from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $35,000. The grants can be used to buy equipment or be used as working capital. About $33,000 remains to be disbursed from that grant. The EDA also received a previous $200,000 grant to assist small businesses.
The EDA would like to apply again for that grant program, Dobell said.
The agency isn’t offering the training class this fall, but will get back to offering the classroom instruction in the spring. There are usually 10 to 20 students in each class.
The EDA is directing people interested in small business training to try an on-line course offered through Niagara County Community College this fall. Those grads are eligible to apply for the grants offering through the EDA.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 September 2023 at 3:24 pm
Letters of intent due by Sept. 29
Press Release, Rochester Area Community Foundation
In an effort to expand and enhance its support for each of the rural counties in its service area, Rochester Area Community Foundation will infuse up to $50,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations helping to improve the quality of life for residents in Orleans County.
This new funding opportunity is part of an intentional strategy by the Community Foundation to increase access to critical services, tackle disparities faced by residents, and bolster services of the nonprofits on the front lines. This effort aligns with the Foundation’s main goals of creating a more equitable community and strengthening our region’s vitality.
“The pot of money is $50,000 for this first round,” said Mary F. Holleran, senior vice president, of communications for the Rochester Area Community Foundation. “How many grants and the amount of each depend on the number of applications. In Wayne County, for example, grants ranged from $1,000 to one for $20,000. In Yates County, one grant was $10,000 and one was for $15,000 and several were smaller.”
The first step in the grant application process is for nonprofits serving Orleans County to submit letters of intent (LOIs), which serve as a brief, initial outline of the need for grant funding. LOIs are now being accepted through the Community Foundation’s online portal at www.racf.org/GrantPortal, which will connect to the Regional Grantmaking 2023-24 Application. Submissions must be made by Sept. 29.
Select applicants whose projects align most closely with the Foundation’s impact areas — poverty, academic achievement, racial equity and understanding, arts and culture, historical preservation, environmental justice, aging — will then be invited to submit full applications for further consideration of funding.
This grant round includes additional funding opportunities for nonprofits serving Orleans, Genesee and Livingston counties. This past summer, additional grant dollars were made available in Wayne and Yates counties, in partnership with the Foundation’s geographic affiliates there. A total of 30 nonprofit organizations serving those two counties received grants.
If a nonprofit has questions about eligibility or the grant portal, please email grants@racf.org.
About Rochester Area Community Foundation: In 1972, a group of local residents founded Rochester Area Community Foundation as an endowment to provide ongoing and long-term support for the Rochester-Finger Lakes region. The Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and other nonprofit organizations to establish charitable funds or contribute to existing permanent funds that help address the region’s current and evolving needs. In its first 50 years, the Foundation has distributed more than $674 million in grants and scholarships throughout our region and beyond.
Photo by Tom Rivers: John Becker of the Kendall Fire Department joined other firefighters at the Sept. 11 observance last year. In 2001, Kendall also had a firefighter killed in the line of duty. Richard Buongiorne was fatally injured on January 9 when he was struck by two vehicles while he was directing traffic at the intersection of Routes 18 and 237 in Kendall.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 September 2023 at 7:19 pm
Memorial observances are planned on Sept. 11 in Albion and Brockport for the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.
The service in Albion will be at 6 p.m. on the courthouse lawn near the Sept. 11 memorial.
Scott Schmidt will again serve as the keynote speaker at the observance. Schmidt spent three weeks with a federal team – U.S. Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) – and assisted in collecting and identifying remains, and interviewing family members searching for loved ones. He left for New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. He was there for 20 days, including a week at Ground Zero.
Lynne Johnson, the Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, is scheduled to give the welcome address for the event and lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Don Snyder, a chaplain with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, will offer an invocation and benediction. Orleans County EMO Director Justin Niederhofer will read the timeline of events from Sept. 11, 2001, when nearly 3,000 people were killed when four airplanes were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and a rural field in Shanksville, Pa.
Doug Egling will play a rendition of America the Beautiful on his EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument) and members of all Orleans County American Legion and VFW Posts will fire a rifle volley and play Taps.
Many local, county and state law enforcement personnel as well as firefighters and EMS personnel also are expected to attend the service.
A contingent of DMORT personnel from around the state that responded to NYC will be in attendance as well.
In Brockport, the 22nd annual September 11th vigil will be held at the Brockport Fire Department Station #4 at 237 S. Main St., where there is a Sept. 11 memorial. There will be an opening ceremony at 8:30 a.m., followed by a ringing of the bell at 8:47 a.m., a “Ring of Gold” observance at 6 p.m. and closing ceremony at 6:30 p.m.
Photo by Tom Rivers: This house on East Avenue in Albion sold during the Aug. 22 Orleans County tax foreclosure auction. It sold for $29,500, about $14,000 more than what was owed in back taxes.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 September 2023 at 11:33 am
ALBION – The annual tax foreclosure auction in Orleans County typically concludes with a big net loss for the county coffers, with most of the properties not selling above what is owed in back taxes.
But at the auction on Aug. 22, 17 of 27 properties sold above the delinquency amount in taxes for $310,924 in profit.
The other sales, however, were below what was owed in back taxes in fines. (One of those sites on South Main Street in Holley has been in limbo for about 20 years after the Diaz Chemical leak in January 2002. The site sold for $40,000 at the tax auction, well below the $321,572 in unpaid taxes.)
The 10 properties that sold below what was owed in taxes had a cumulative loss of $416,723. That looks like a net loss for the county of $105,796 when the profitable sales are included.
The county has always been able to use the profits from the sales that were more than the unpaid taxes to help may up for the losses with the other sales.
But a recent Supreme Court ruling says governments can’t take in more than what is owed. County Treasurer Kim DeFrank told county legislators on Aug. 22 she is waiting for guidance on what to do with the money from sales that were above the amount of back taxes owed. Those funds may be put into a trust until there is a determination on how those funds should be directed.
For the county that would be a loss of $416,723 from what would have been profitable sales from the auction.
Altogether, the 27 sites sold for $644,000, but the total delinquency for the properties was at $749,796. The county also assumes the unpaid taxes for the villages, towns and school districts.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 August 2023 at 10:15 am
ALBION – Ken Schleede, a resident of Yates-Carlton Townline Road, said the road is seeing more severe flooding, concerning many local residents.
He said the changes started about a dozen years ago. He presented photos of his submerged road from a recent rainfall to the Orleans County Legislature last week.
Last year in February a sinkhole forced the county to close a section of the road between Ashwood and Alps roads. The county then had to rebuild that part of the road.
The road continues to get flooding this year after many rain events.
“We definitely have an issue there,” Schleede told county legislators last week.
John Papponetti, the county DPW commissioner, agreed there is a flooding problem on Townline Road. He said it happens in other parts of the county as well.
The DPW has been working with landowners and the Soil & Water Conservation District to try to deal with the water, and keep it off roadways.
“It’s a problem we have across the county,” Papponetti responded. “We just can’t stay on top of it.”
Papponetti said an increase in farmers tiling their fields, which directs water to ditches, may be resulting in more water in ditches and spilling over onto roadways.
“It’s sending more water to our system,” he said.
When it rains 2 to 3 inches in a storm, the result can be a flooded road.
“That’s more than our drainage system can handle,” he said.
Papponetti said he would meet with Schleede to look at Townline Road again, and see if the system can be improved.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 August 2023 at 8:29 pm
The number of people employed in Orleans County is up by 400, from 16,700 in July 2022 to 17,100 last month, according to the state Department of Labor.
The county’s unemployment rate dipped from 4.1 percent to 3.5 percent during that time, with the number of unemployed down from 700 to 600.
The unemployment rate nationally was 3.8 percent last month, the same as in July 2022. However, the number of people working has grown by 2.9 million in the year – from 159.1 million to 162.0 million.
Statewide, the unemployment rate has dropped from 4.3 to 4.1 percent from July 2022 to last month. New York also has 178,200 more people working in that time – from 9.284 million to 9.462 million.
These are the unemployment rates for July 2023 in Western New York counties:
Press Release, Orleans County Treasurer Kim DeFrank
ALBION – The Orleans County Treasurer will be accepting school tax payments beginning Sept. 1 for Albion, Lyndonville and Medina school districts.
Payments can be made in person with cash or check or through the US mail by check. Office hours beginning Sept. 5 are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 34 East Park St., Albion.
The county treasurer this year is collecting the Albion school taxes for the first time.
Any questions regarding Albion, Lyndonville or Medina school tax bills, please contact the County Treasurer’s office at (585) 589-5353.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Emergency Management Office on West Countyhouse Road in Albion opened in 1962 as a bomb shelter. County officials want to build a new building that would be above ground with about twice the space.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 August 2023 at 7:53 am
ALBION – The fire chiefs in Orleans County, as well as the Orleans County Fire Advisory Board, are urging county officials to keep working to replace the emergency management building on West Countyhouse Road.
That building opened in 1962 as a bomb shelter. It is mostly below ground. The site is about 8,000 square feet and lacks handicapped accessibility. County officials are eyeing a new building that would be about twice the space.
“The present facility is woefully outdated and incompatible with the needs of the Office of Emergency Management and the fire service of Orleans County,” wrote Allen Turner in an Aug. 16 letter. He is secretary/treasurer for the Fire Chiefs Association and secretary for the Fire Advisory Board.
“A proper building that is ADA compliant, technologically up-to-date and that allows for large group instruction is both necessary and long overdue,” Turner wrote.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was in Albion last Friday to present a $2 million check towards the project which is an estimated $12 million. The county is also seeking $2.4 million from the state towards a new building.
“We realize the cost is substantial but it is also necessary,” Turner wrote to county legislators. “The building built during the heart of the Cold War period is simply not amenable to the needs of 2023. Please do all in your power to make a new, modern facility a reality.”
The new building is planned to be about 17,000 feet. That includes about 11,000 square feet for offices and classrooms, and another 5,600 square feet for equipment storage.
The county’s backup dispatcher center would be there, as well as training space for firefighters and other first responders. There are three full-time employees that work out of the building as well as part-time fire investigators and fire coordinators. There is also space for ham operators to operate if the communications systems totally fail.
The $12 million preliminary price for the new project includes taking down two radio towers – one is 485 feet tall and the other is 225 feet – and replacing them with one tower that would be about 300 feet high. The old underground building would also be demolished as part of the project.
County officials are working with LaBella Associates to develop more detailed plans and designs for the facility.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announces a $2 million federal grant towards a new emergency management facility for Orleans County. She is shown on Aug. 17 speaking outside the current building.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 August 2023 at 7:33 pm
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has extended a contract with sheriff’s deputies, allowing 2 percent raises annually from 2024 to 2026.
The agreement include 24 members in the Orleans County Deputy Sheriff’s Association. The contract includes changes in the steps.
The deputies had a hiring step which was below a step 1 and went up to step 6, said Jack Welch, the county chief administrative officer.
“We still have a hiring step but now there are four steps,” Welch said. “The current deputies at the highest step will be placed in step 3 for 2023 and step 4 for 2024.”
The sergeants’ grade and the lieutenants’ grade each had seven steps, but now of these grades have four steps, he said.
“The employees in step 7 will go to the new step 4 for 2023 and remain in step 4 for 2024,” Welch said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 August 2023 at 11:28 am
County Legislator Don Allport
ALBION – Orleans County Legislator Don Allport, R-Gaines, would like to see the sales tax rate in the county drop by a penny, from 8 to 7 cents.
Allport said residents have felt the squeeze in their pocketbooks from soaring inflation. Reducing the sales tax by a penny would add up in a big way for many residents and businesses, Allport said during Tuesday’s County Legislature meeting.
The state and county each take in 4 cents for every taxable dollar. Those 4 cents added up to $22.5 million for Orleans County in 2022, with about $1.3 million of that distributed to the 10 towns and four villages.
The county used to get 3 cents, but raised it to 4 cents on June 1, 1993. The county needs State Legislature permission every two years to keep the 4-cent tax.
That extra penny translates to about $5.6 million. Without that, the county would face a steep property tax increase or would have to significantly scale back services, other county legislators said.
Allport cast the lone vote against seeking to keep the local sales tax rate at 4 cents.
“If we were allowed to go back to 3 percent that would put $5 million back into the economy,” Allport said. “We should be lowering taxes on the economy.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce honored businesses and residents during an annual awards dinner on Oct. 20, 2022 at the White Birch in Lyndonville. Pictured, front, from left: Brad, Ken, Gregg and Elizabeth Rush from Rush’s Farm Market, Agricultural Business of the Year; Faith Smith, director of Orleans Koinonia Kitchen, Chamber’s Community Service award; Anthony Tardibone and Bryan Hazel, owners of Roadies Pizzeria & Sports Bar, Small Business of the Year. Second row: Becky Gagne, co-owner of Red, White and Moo, New Business of the Year; Lillian Strickland and Rebecca Alexander of Dubby’s Tailgate, Phoenix Award; Michael Smith of Orleans Koinonia Kitchen; and Jenna and Martin Bruning of The Gallagher Barn, The Hidden Gem. Back row: David Gagne of Red, White and Moo; Brian Alexander of Dubby’s Tailgate; David Snell of Snell Realtors, Lifetime Achievement; Shawn Ramsey, owner of Canalside Tattoo, Business of the Year. Missing: George Bidleman, Business Person of the Year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 August 2023 at 5:06 pm
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its 25th annual business awards banquet on Oct. 19 at the White Birch Country Club in Lyndonville.
The deadline to nominate a business or person is Sept. 11.
The categories include:
• Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.
• Lifetime Achievement – 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 that has experienced significant achievements/success throughout the year.
• Hidden Gem – This award is presented to a business that has made a positive contribution to tourism in Orleans County.
Courtesy of Orleans County Tourism: Lynne Menz of the Orleans County Tourism Department designed these glasses for the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The county is using funds from the tourism department to purchase 25,000 of these glasses.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 August 2023 at 1:10 pm
Orleans County Tourism and also the Chamber of Commerce urge local businesses and organizations to plan promotions and events for the total solar eclipse.
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature wants to see the county benefit from the hoopla and influx of visitors from the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
Orleans is in the direct path of totality between 3:19 and 3:23 p.m. A total eclipse occurs about once every 18 months somewhere on Earth, but only happens in the same place about every 360 to 410 years.
The County Legislature on Tuesday approved spending $9,045 from its contingency fund to buy 25,000 eclipse glasses with the Orleans County tourism logo. The glasses will provide some eye protection and also be a keepsake from a memorable day.
The county is working with the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce on acquiring the glasses. The $9,045 was approved to go to the Chamber which will then buy the glasses. They are expected to be made available and distributed by the county, and local towns and villages.
Orleans County will be in the direct path of the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024 between 3:19 & 3:23 PM.
Orleans County businesses, organizations and schools: send us your plans to commemorate this once in a lifetime event and we will promote it on our Events Calendar. Complete and submit this form to be considered. (Must be available to the public.)
“This will be a big tourism draw,” said Dawn Borchet, the county’s tourism director.
People are already booking hotel rooms and other lodging in the county that day. She knows plans are in the works to open public land, including at Lakeside Beach State Park, for viewing opportunities of the eclipse.
“It’s fun,” she said today. “It only happens once in a lifetime.”
The county tourism has a page on its website devoted to the eclipse. The tourism department urges businesses, schools and other organizations to share their plans on the tourism site for commemorating and participating in the historic day. (Click here for more information.)
Darlene Hartway, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, also sees the eclipse as a big opportunity for businesses and the county.
“People are already booking hotels,” she said. “It’s going to be beneficial for our area. It’s gearing up to be a momentous thing.”
She commended the Legislature for approving the expenditure for the glasses.
Businesses would be wise to have promotions for the eclipse, to help make the day even more memorable for local residents and visitors, Hartway said.
I Love New York created this graphic showing the path of the solar eclipse. Orleans County is in direct path of the phenomenon.
In an effort to expand and enhance its support for each of the rural counties in its service area, Rochester Area Community Foundation will infuse up to $50,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations helping to improve the quality of life for residents in Orleans County.
