Photo by Tom Rivers – Businesses in Orleans County will team with Community Action to try to provide at least one toy for what is expected to be at least 350 families. Community Action met with business representatives this morning at Hoag Library. Pictured include, front row, from left: Carolyn Wagner, human resource manager for BMP in Medina; Anni Skowneski, case manager for Community Action; and Kris Hartwig, administrative assistant at S.B. Whistler and Sons (Phinney Tool and Die). Back row: Marsha Rivers, executive director for the Orleans County United Way; Annette Finch, community services director for Community Action; and Wendy Hinkley.

ALBION – It started in 2011 as a challenge for Medina businesses. Andrew Szatkowski was Worthington Cylinder’s quality control manager. He wanted to see which Medina manufacturer could give the most toys to needy families served by Community Action.

Szatkowski has since taken another job and Worthington Cylinders closed this summer, putting about 150 people out of work.

The toy challenge has been such a success that the effort will continue and it has spread around the county. It also isn’t being called a “Toy Challenge.” It’s part of Community Action’s “Holiday Giving Program” that welcomes toys, food donations, Christmas trees, ornaments and donations.

Last year 370 families were served through the effort coordinated by Community Action. The toy donations make it possible for each child to receive at least one toy at Christmas. The toy drive accounts for most of those gifts, said Anni Skowneski, case manager for Community Action.

“Without this we wouldn’t be able to do what we do,” Skowneski said during a kickoff meeting today at the Hoag Library.

Companies that donate to the cause receive certificates of participation. The company that gives the most gifts, as a percentage of its employees, will get a plaque.

Carolyn Wagner, human resources manager for BMP in Medina, urged businesses to tout the toy giving effort. BMP wraps a box and urges employees to leave unwrapped toys in it. The company offers prizes for employees that donate.

Precision Packaging Products in Holley has offered to give participating companies boxes for the effort, which will run until Dec. 5. Community Action will pick up the gifts and they will be stored in the First Baptist Church basement in Albion. Parents of the children can come to the church, pick out a gift and wrap the present.

Skowneski said many of the families have working parents who struggle to pay their bills. Paying for Christmas presents is difficult for many of the working poor, who are already struggling with rising heat and energy costs, she said.

She said the community continues to come through with generosity during the holiday season.

“God smiles on us and finds a way for us to take care of our families,” Skowneski said.

Annette Finch, community services director for Community Action, has been filling holiday baskets for families for more than three decades.

“I was hoping we’d be out of job,” she said. “It’s horrible that we still have to do this. These families are not asking for iPods or big things. They’re asking for clothing or a football.”

For more information on the toy drive, call Skowneski at 585-589-5605 or Kris Hartwig at S.B. Whistler and Sons in Medina at 585-798-3000.

File photo by Tom Rivers – The community dedicated this monument in front of the YMCA in 2008. The Y used to be an Armory and was used by the 29th Separate Company of the New York Army National Guard, which formed in 1891. The 29th saw its first action in the Spanish-American War, before the Armory was built. Company F would be deployed in World War I. It also fought in World War II. In 1977, the state announced it was closing the Medina Armory. Company F was moved to other units.

Orleans County residents can attend Veterans Day ceremonies at 10:30 a.m. in Holley at the American Legion Post or at 11 a.m. in Albion at the Veterans Service Agency at 13996 Route 31 West.

In addition, veterans in Medina will visit cemeteries and memorials beginning at 8 a.m.

The service in Albion will include presentation of overdue medals to a Korean War veteran, said Paul Fulcomer, director of the Veterans Service Agency.

The Affordable Care Act has reduced the number of uninsured residents in Orleans County from 15 to 9 percent of the population, according to a report in The New York Times. (Click here to see “Obama’s Health Law: Who Was Helped Most.”)

The reduction of 6 percent in the population without health insurance was one of the biggest gains in Western New York. However, the 9 percent of residents without health insurance tops most nearby counties.

Genesee County went down from 13 to 8 percent, while Wyoming County dropped from 10 to 7 percent. Other nearby counties include Monroe (from 12 to 8 percent), Livingston (from 11 to 8 percent), Niagara (from 12 to 8 percent) and Erie (from 12 to 9 percent), according to the NYT report.

The newspaper states that 10 million people gained health insurance this year through the Affordable Care Act with the biggest gains in rural areas.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Orleans Hub was on the scene on Oct. 13 when a tractor trailer got stuck under a railroad bridge in Holley.

Orleans Hub set another record for traffic in October, eclipsing the standard set the previous month.

Last month we had a daily average of 5,640 unique visitors, which was up from the 5,600 in September. (Prior to September the previous high was 4,757 in June.)

We also stayed over the half million mark for monthly pageviews. Orleans Hub had 551,375 total page views in October for a daily average of 17,786. That topped the September record 519,161 when there was a 17,305 daily average.

Our sports articles also are drawing a bigger audience. The 29,669 pageviews for Local Sports topped the previous record of 26,062 in September.

Mike and Cheryl Wertman have been all over the county and beyond covering high school athletes. In this photo from Oct. 24, Kendall’s Taylor ReQua (10) works to take control of the ball against Campbell-Savona’s Monica Cartas (7). Kendall rolled to a 6-0 victory in the quarterfinals of the Section V Class CC girls soccer playoffs.

One sports story by Mike Wertman was our second most viewed article overall for the month. Wertman on Oct. 23 wrote Zach Adams scoring a goal in Kendall’s Sectional win over Bolivar-Richburg.

Adams is a senior with Downs Syndrome. He was brought up from the JV squad for soccer playoffs. His brother Jake also plays on the varsity team and helped set up the goal.

“It’s just so overpowering I think I went into shock,” the boys mother Kelly told Wertman. “At first I didn’t even realize that Jake had assisted on the goal. It’s really hard to put into words what it means to Zach and to our family. The Bolivar-Richburg players just took it upon themselves to help make it possible. It was just so overpowering.”

Contributed Photo

Zach Adams, center, who is shown here with his brother Jake and mother Kelly, scored a special goal in Kendall’s sectional opener against Bolivar-Richburg

The story was shared on Bolivar-Richburg’s Facebook page and also prompted the Olean Times Herald to write a story: “Winless Bolivar-Richburg team shows heart of a champion.”

Here are the five most viewed stories of the month:

1. Teen dies in apparent accidental shooting

2. Kendall’s sectional contest has a special moment, a special goal

3. Tractor trailer gets stuck under railroad bridge in Holley

4. Brothers open new winery in Murray

5. Sheriff releases name of boy, 15, killed in Shelby

State-wide all 3 gain voter approval

Referendums on a change in redistricting, $2 billion to upgrade technology at school districts, and electronic records for state legislators all gained state-wide approval on Tuesday, although Orleans County voters rejected two out of the three.

Orleans gave strong support to Proposal No. 2, which brings legislators into the digital age by allowing electronic distribution of state legislative bills. In Orleans, it passed with 5,217 yes votes or 66.7 percent compared to 2,605 no votes or 33.3 percent. State-wide it passed with 77 percent in favor.

Two other ballot propositions passed state-wide but had a slight majority opposing them in Orleans County.

A ballot proposition authorized a new commission for the once-a-decade assignment of drawing state legislative and congressional districts. The proposition passed state-wide with 57 percent in favor of it, according to the Associated Press.

In Orleans, 49.5 percent of voters or 3,776 were in favor of it while 50.5 percent or 3,853 were opposed.

The “Smart Schools Bond Act” will allow the state to borrow $2 billion for school districts to buy computers, connect to the Internet, improve security and build classrooms for prekindergarten students.

State-wide it passed with 62 percent, but in Orleans, 3,948 voters or 49.6 percent were for it while 4,018 or 50.4 percent were opposed.

Astorino has 3-to-1 edge over Cuomo in Orleans

Orleans County showed its Republican colors on Tuesday, giving overwhelming support to Republican candidates, including Rob Astorino for governor.

Andrew Cuomo may have been re-elected to another four-year term as governor, but he was disdained in Orleans, receiving only 24 percent of the vote or 2,179 votes to 6,530 for Astorino or 72.4 percent.

Here is the Orleans breakdown for other state and federal races:

Comptroller
Tom DiNapoli (D) 2,937 votes or 33.8 percent
Robert Antonacci (R) 5,437 votes or 62.6 percent

Attorney General
Eric Schneiderman (D) 2,357 votes or 27.1 percent
John Cahill (R) 6,049 votes or 69.6 percent

Congress 27th District
Chris Collin (R) 6,858 votes or 78.7 percent
James O’Donnell (D) 1,856 votes or 21.3 percent

State Senate 62nd District
Robert Ortt (R) 6,968 votes or 79.8 percent
Johnny Destino (D) 1,500 votes or 17.2 percent

Assembly 139th District
Steve Hawley (R) 6,884 votes or 95.0 percent
Mark Glogowski (LBT) 356 votes or 4.9 percent

Assembly 144th District
Jane Corwin (R) 810 votes
(Corwin was unopposed.)

Photos by Tom Rivers

Voters cast their ballots inside the Hoag Library today.

Barre election inspectors are pictured in front of a giant American flag. The inspectors include, from left: Adrienne Daniels, Richard Brakenbury, Carol Smith and Terry Gillette. The 10-by17-foot flag is from 1886 and includes 38 stars. It was donated to the town by the DeZetter family.

Election inspectors say today felt like Presidential Election with a big turnout at the polls.

The photo at left shows a voter at the Hoag Library, which served as a polling place for the first time.

Jack Baron was among the voters at the library polling place today.

Baron remembers when the voting age was reduced from 21 to 18 in 1971 with the 26th Amendment.

He said he was the third person in the county between ages 18 to 20 to register to vote back in 1971.

He hasn’t missed a chance to vote since then.

“It’s your civic duty,” he said. “If you don’t vote, you let very few people run everything.”

Angela English voted today and she gave her support to Gov. Andrew Cuomo for re-election as governor.

She said Cuomo impresses her as a strong leader, unafraid to take a stand even with an unpopular issue.

The governor most recently stepped out to take the lead with the state’s handling of the Ebola sickness, English said.

She appreciated that the governor picked Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester as a medical institution for people to receive treatment.

She thought that showed great confidence in Strong as a medical facility.

The governor didn’t any support from another county resident. Rebecca Cross of Barre voted today for the first time. She is 38.

She is upset with Cuomo over the SAFE Act, which she sees as an infringement on her gun rights.

“I’m gun owner and I figured it’s about time I registered and voted,” Cross said.

“I never took the time to register but our rights as gun owners are under attack.”

Polls are open until 9 p.m. Orleans Hub will have election results later tonight.

Ortt

Voters in three counties gave overwhelming support Rob Ortt to serve as the next state senator for District 62.

Ortt, the current North Tonawanda mayor, will succeed George Maziarz, who is retiring after 19 years as a state legislator. Ortt was challenged by a Maziarz foe, Johnny Destino. Destino, an attorney in Niagara Falls, had challenged Maziarz in a Republican Primary two years ago but switched to the Democratic Party.

Ortt had his biggest margin of victory in Orleans County with 6,968 votes (79.8 percent) to Destino’s 1,500 (17.2 percent). Those totals do not include the 258 votes or 3.0 percent for Paul Brown of the Working Families Party.

In Niagara County, the Board of Elections reported Ortt just about doubled Destino’s votes, 32,335 to 16,570 with 1,207 for Brown.

The Senate district also includes a western portion of Monroe County. Voters there backed Ortt with 69.7 percent or 6,078 votes to 26.8 percent or 2,336 votes for Destino. Brown had 292 votes or 3.4 percent.

Ortt’s win today follows a decisive win on Sept. 9 in the Republican Primary over Gia Arnold. Ortt received 71 percent of the votes that day.

Ortt, 35, has been North Tonawanda’s mayor for nearly 5 years. He served in the National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan from March to December 2008. Prior to being elected mayor, he served as the city’s treasurer and then clerk-treasurer.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Zach Moore, a member of the Kids Only Work Zone or KOWZ, finds an attachment for the team’s Lego robot during a practice on Saturday. Zach, 13, of Albion has been with the program each of its three years. Jayden Neal works on the computer.

ALBION – It started two years ago with a team of about a dozen kids, ages 8 to 14. The First Lego League expanded to three teams last year and now there are four teams with about 40 kids altogether in the program through 4-H in Orleans County.

The teams have been meeting three times a week since mid September. They have a regional competition on Nov. 15 in Churchville, vying against teams that are typically affiliated with schools with paid staff.

In Orleans County, the FLL program is under the 4-H umbrella with Erik and Marlene Seielstad as the volunteer mentors with help from their son Morgan and some other adults.

Anna Reese, 10, of Medina uses a laptop to research Alzheimer’s. Her team is studying ways to help people with Alzheimer’s preserve their memory skills. In addition to working with a Lego robot, the teams need to research a topic and present that information before judges.

The mentors provide some supervision and advice, but the kids are driving the action. They meet at an onion packing house, the former Remley Printing Company in Albion. Signs taped to the wall say, “Kids do the work.” (Panek Farms donates use of the space for the teams.)

The teams have their own workspaces. They use WiFi on their laptops to research topics. This year’s theme is “FLL World Class: Learning Unleashed.”

Teams have discretion in researching their topics. One is studying how to better communicate, advocating for interpersonal skills over email. Another team is developing a new method for teaching typing skills and another team is researching how to preserve memory skills for Alzheimer’s patients.

Most of the focus is on the robot, which needs to be designed and programmed to conquer challenges, including retrieving rings on a course, throwing a ball through a hoop, opening doors and clicking on a switch.

“The kids get the opportunity to work together and accomplish things,” said Mr. Seielstad, who works as a systems engineer in Rochester.

Erik Seielstad has volunteered as mentor in the Lego program since it started in 2012. He is pictured with Dan Squire, 13, of Medina.

Seielstad and his wife also are mentors for the robotics team, which includes high school kids. That program starts in January.

The Seielstads and their son Morgan, now a senior at Albion, have been champions of the robotics and Lego program in the county. It now draws participants from throughout the county, as well as from Elba and Brockport, which are outside Orleans.

“I find it overwhelming that this has occurred,” said Mrs. Seielstad, a member of the Albion Board of Education. “Our uniqueness is we have people from all over our county, as well as kids from other counties.”

Jason Foote, an engineer, provides some supervision for one of the Lego teams, which includes his son Jacob. Jody Neal and Mike Beach are also active adult volunteers with the program.

File photo by Tom Rivers – In this photo from February, State Sen. George Maziarz answers a question in a quiz about New York State history and facts with Holley third-graders. Maziarz directed $67,800 in funding to Holley to purchase 30 SMART Boards. A state-wide proposition on Tuesday seeks to expand technology in school districts throughout the state.

Voters Tuesday will decide the fate of a $2 billion proposal to expand technology in school districts throughout the state.

Proposal Number 3, The Smart Schools Bond Act of 2014, will be on the back of ballots. The referendum, if approved, would give students and teachers greater access to laptops, tablets, interactive whiteboards and iPads and also boost high-speed broadband connectivity.

In Orleans County, the five school districts would receive about $7 million combined in technology aid. The state breaks that down to $2,238,441 for Albion; $1,311,463 for Holley; $967,959 for Kendall; $733,151 for Lyndonville; and $2,000,222 for Medina.

Robert D’Angelo, superintendent at Holley Central School, said he supports the bond act. The technology would help Holley students better “compete in our fast-paced global economy,” he said.

Holley has worked to implement new SMART Boards in the classroom as well as other technology improvements.

“I personally support the Bond Act as it incorporates what current research and best practices define as instrumental on how to invest the funds: to enhance teaching and learning through the use of technology,” D’Angelo said.

The district would use a long-range planning process to determine how to best use the funds.

“It has the potential to reinvent teaching and learning for the demands of the present and near future,” he said about the technology.

The funding will also help create pre-kindergarten classrooms and help districts upgrade security and surveillance systems.

Julie Christensen, superintendent at Kendall Central School, said Kendall struggles with inadequate broadband access for the Internet. However, she would prefer to see the state reinstate $5.5 million lost to the district through the Gap Elimination Adjustment over the last four years.

She testified about Kendall’s high-speed Internet woes during a Congressional hearing last spring.

“Kendall Schools can purchase more technology for our students to prepare them for 21st Century learning, but if our bandwidth is inadequate, which it is, and then all these systems will not run efficiently,” she said.

She worries the technology funds from the state could come with additional strings and mandates that could prove costly to the local district.

“Certainly, the additional funds would provide resources for our students and community, but I would prefer these funds in state aid, or better yet full restoration of Gap Elimination Adjustment,” she said.

Christensen would also like to see districts have flexibility “to support our instructional programs for our students based on our needs.”

If bond act passes, Medina would get $2 million. The district would use the money to upgrade infrastructure, said Jeff Evoy, district superintendent.

Possible projects include:

District-wide network and fiber optic wiring
Network upgrades – 10 gigabit and beyond
Security cameras and systems
Voice Over IP (VoIP) phone system upgrades
Additional wireless (one access point per room)
Additional storage

Lyndonville welcomes more technology in the school district, said Superintendent Jason Smith. Many of the district’s computers and SMART Boards in the classroom are eight to 10 years old and should be replaced, he said.

“Should the voters pass the Bond Act, the District intends to work closely with our Technology Committee to increase access to devices for our students and improve the network infrastructure,” Smith said. “Our Technology Committee would come up with a plan to update and expand our existing use of technology in classrooms.”