By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – After a big welcome reception in Medina on Sunday night, about 500 cyclists on the Erie Canal are being treated today to refreshments and greetings in Albion and Holley. The top photo shows a group of cyclists by two welcome tents in Albion.
The cyclists come from 34 states and four foreign countries. They are riding about 400 miles along the Erie Canal in the 16th annual “Cycling the Erie Canal” ride organized by the Parks and Trails Network.
Wendy Hinkley, the branch manager for Five Star Bank in Albion, gives directions to cyclists this morning in Albion. She volunteered in a welcome tent organized by the Albion Main Street Alliance. Carolyn Ricker, left, and the Albion Merchants Association also had local merchandise and brochures available.
Many of the cyclists stop for a snack and to stretch their legs in Albion.
The Pullman Memorial Universalist Church also opened for tours and the Cobblestone Society Museum offered a shuttle bus to the museum complex in Gaines.
Karie Deegan and Debbie Karas try to make the cyclists feel welcome this morning in Albion.
Some of the cyclists who approached the Main Street lift bridge in Albion pulled out their cameras to get a photo.
The cyclists are also being welcomed in Holley. Mayor John Kenney will be part of a welcoming committee at the village’s canal park. Kenney and members of the Murray-Holley Historical Society will be serving coffee, pastries and refreshments.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – John Robinson, left, and his friend Doug Hamlin, right, ride adaptive use bicycles along West Bank Street in Albion this morning.
ALBION – John Robinson is riding the length of the canal for the second straight year, showing people that disabled residents can achieve big dreams, too.
Robinson was born without full arms and legs. He is riding an adaptive bicycle from Tonawanda to Albany. He passed through Orleans County today, and addressed The Arc of Orleans County and its supporters this morning at the Meals on Wheels site on East Academy Street.
John Robinson addresses supporters of The Arc of Orleans County this morning in Albion.
Robinson’s mission: job opportunities for disabled residents. Whether in sheltered workshops or other jobs in the community, Robinson said people with developmental disabilities have skills that can be used in the workplace.
“This is all about employment,” Robinson said this morning in Albion, when he stopped for a reception outside the Albion Academy apartment complex on East Academy Street. That site also hosts the Meals on Wheels, Nutri-fair and Arc programs.
John Robinson leads the riders along the Erie Canal, just west of Main Street.
Robinson and his entourage were led to the site by a police escort. He remembers when he was in Albion a year ago, feeling dehydrated from the humidity.
“I was tired and frustrated, and the people here waited an hour in the hot sun for us,” Robinson said.
The Albion reception was a big boost to cyclists, and Robinson shares that story during his motivational speeches.
Robinson received commendation certificates today from State Assemblyman Steve Hawley and County Legislator Bill Eick. The Legislature gave Robinson “A Special Inspiration Award.”
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley praised Robinson for helping community members to appreciate the contributions of people with disabilities.
Robinson left Tonawanda on Monday and will be traveling more than 350 miles until the ride culminates on July 11 in Albany. Robinson, who lives just outside Albany, will join a crowd expected at 1,200 people for a celebration at the state capitol. It is NYSARC’s 65th anniversary as an organization serving people with disabilities.
Jayson White, NYSARC’s director of communications, is riding with Robinson for the journey along the canal.
“This is about celebrating the abilities within all of us,” White said.
Robinson poses for a picture with Jonathan Doherty of Albion, a member of the Arc’s Self Advocacy All-Stars.
Robinson is joined for the trip by his wife and two children. His friend Doug Hamlin also is riding along in an adaptive use bicycle. Hamlin, a 28-year veteran of the software industry, is a quadriplegic as a result of an accident.
“We’ve really enjoyed the canal and been inspired by people of differing abilities along the way,” Hamlin said.
The group has about 12 cyclists for the full trip, but Hamlin said many riders will join them for part of the way, perhaps for an hour or most of a day.
“This is getting bigger and we hope to make it bigger every year,” Hamlin said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – A powerful storm tore through the county on June 17, taking down trees, including this one on Route 279 in Gaines.
Orleans Hub set new records for traffic in June. Our 4,757 daily average for unique visitors topped the previous record of 4,300.
We also set a new record with 438,579 pageviews for the month, which was up 28 percent from May. In June we averaged 14,619 page views each day. We set a new daily record on June 18 with 22,440 page views. That was a day after a vicious thunderstorm took down trees and knocked out power in Orleans County.
Photo by Tom Rivers – The community lined Main Street in Medina on June 9 when a motorcade passed through with the body of Medina native, Sgt. Shaina Schmigel, a paratrooper who died in a training accident at Fort Bragg.
June was the first month in more than a century without The Journal-Register in Medina, which ceased publication on May 30.
The top five stories for the month, in terms of page views, include:
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Niagara County Legislature Chairman William Ross addresses the Orleans County Legislature last week with Niagara County Legislature David Godfrey.
ALBION – Initially, leaders from the Orleans and Niagara counties formed an alliance about two years ago to try to get Broadband Internet into rural pockets of the two lakeshore counties.
But the Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance has become much more than that. The group has fought a binational plan for regulating levels of Lake Ontario, joined forces to pressure the federal government to dredge harbors in the two counties, and now is looking to share services with purchasing.
“It’s been a tremendous marriage and I only see it getting better in the future,” William Ross, Niagara County Legislature chairman, told the Orleans legislators during their meeting last week.
Niagara had an alliance with Erie County, but Ross said that fell apart. Orleans officials have been far more receptive and the two counties seem to have more in common as southshore Lake Ontario counties with lots of rural landscape.
“This is just the beginning of NORA,” Ross said about the alliance. “It’s been successful and it will be successful because of the people involved in it.”
The two counties are close to releasing a request for proposals for companies to provide high-speed Internet to “unserved rural access points,” said David Godfrey, a legislator from Niagara County.
The two counties see Internet service as “absolutely essential” for their residents to run businesses, fill out job applications, do homework and have a 21st Century quality of life.
Godfrey and Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson of Lyndonville represented NORA during a June 16 public hearing at the University of Buffalo about the proposed merger of Comcast and Time Warner.
“We are here today as a unified voice of our two counties who are desperately in need of high-speed internet service at every address point in our rural towns,” Godfrey and Johnson told the Public Service Commission. “Today’s agricultural enterprises leverage cutting edge bio-technology, renewable energy, and hi-tech heavy equipment which depend on the Internet.”
Godfrey and Johnson said a bigger “Comcast plus Time Warner” will be less responsive to rural areas. They said the merged company should include a board member representing customers and another seat representing “the voice of the government.”
They noted the companies are highly profitable and could spend some of those profits to expand their network in rural counties.
“Instead, you apply for federal and state grant funds and expand only into areas where there is ‘low hanging fruit’ of higher population densities leaving our rural residents, recreational areas and agri-businesses behind,” they said. “This further damages our rural economies.”
Godfrey and Johnson plan to go to Washington, D.C. next week to speak out against a lake level regulation plan that could cause significant erosion damage to the south shore. That plan was approved by the binational International Joint Commission and needs approval from the federal governments in the U.S. and Canada.
The two counties also will continue to speak out against unfunded mandates, programs approved by the state but paid for at the local level.
“Both of our counties have developed a new synergy that can only help us move forward,” said David Callard, Orleans County Legislature chairman.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The former Bernie’s Laundromat and a neighboring building were sold for $14,000 last week to Ken Daluisio, who plans to expand his print business to the property.
MEDINA – Orleans County sold more than 50 properties last week that had been in limbo due to years of unpaid taxes.
Two of the properties – 128 East Center St. and 132-134 East Center St. – were sold to Ken Daluisio in a negotiated transaction. Daluisio will pay $14,000 for the two commercial properties. They are next door to his business, The Print Shop.
The properties, which includes the former Bernie’s Laundromat, accumulated $50,406 in back taxes and interest, according to the County Treasurer’s Office.
Daluisio wants to expand his print business next door, and renovate the sites for additional retail and business space. Daluisio is planning to add four awnings to the store fronts.
The County Legislature approved the sale on Wednesday, when the body also approved the sale of 51 lots at the annual tax foreclosure sale. The 51 properties sold for a combined $343,050. That was $43,151 short of the $386,201 owed in back taxes and interest.
Some of the properties sold well above the amount due in taxes, and others sold for far less.
The tax auctions usually are money losers for the county. Last year, the county took in about $140,000 for 43 properties with about $375,000 in unpaid taxes.
“It’s in the negative, but it’s not as bad as in the past,” County Treasurer Susan Heard told legislators last week.
Some of the property owners paid the taxes just before the auction to take them out of the sale.
The county is happy to see the properties return to the tax rolls. Heard said the owners may improve the sites, boosting the tax base.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 June 2014 at 12:00 am
John Robinson will stop in Albion on Tuesday morning
File photos by Tom Rivers – John Robinson of Albion leads caravan of bike riders to a reception last June outside the former Albion Grammar School, which is now used for senior apartments and services for The Arc of Orleans County and senior citizens.
ALBION – A year ago John Robinson inspired communities along the Erie Canal by riding an adaptive bicycle more than 350 miles.
Robinson will begin the 12-day trip again on Monday in Tonawanda and will be stopping in Albion at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. He will visit consumers of the Arc of Orleans County at the former Albion Grammar School on East Academy Street. The Arc runs the Meals on Wheels and Nutri-Fair program from the former school, which also has apartments for senior citizens.
Robinson was born without full arms and legs. He founded an organization, Our Ability, with his friend Doug Hamlin, a 28-year veteran of the software industry who is a quadriplegic as a result of an accident. Our Ability tries to inspire people with disabilities through positive video stories. Robinson mentors, connects and inspires people with disabilities toward education and employment.
John Robinson addresses about 50 people at a reception organized by The Arc of Orleans County. Robinson last year was presented proclamations by Orleans County Legislator Bill Eick, a representative for State Sen. George Maziarz and State Assemblyman Steve Hawley.
The state Canal Corporation is partnering with Robinson and Our Ability for the journey along the canal.
“Last year, the message of inclusion and inner strength that is at the heart of this great trek was met with an outpouring of support at each stop along the historic Erie Canal,” said Brian U. Stratton, State Canal Corp. director. “Through our partnership with Our Ability, NYSARC and our other sponsors, we will ensure 2014’s Journey will be even larger and its message is spread even further.”
Other partners for the canal trip include the Disability Education Forum of New York, Inc., the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. (NYSID), and NYSARC, Inc.
The Journey will conclude on July 11 at the Capitol steps in Albany coinciding with NYSARC’s 65th anniversary celebration.
For more information about Our Ability, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Editorial:
Photos by Tom Rivers – Gary Kent climbs a ladder to check on a kestrel box on June 10 in the town of Albion. He volunteers with the Orleans County Bluebird Society and Albion Betterment Committee.
June has been a busy month so far in Orleans County. Both Holley and Albion had their big annual festivals, and many other community projects are in full swing.
Many of these betterment efforts are organized and pushed forward by dedicated volunteers. They deserve our thanks.
The sixth annual Murray-Holley June Fest filled Holley with music and fun on June 7. A core of volunteers ran a 5K race, organized a parade, drum corps show, family entertainment and fireworks display. The town of Murray and village of Holley also directed manpower and money to help make the event a success.
Sandy Heise, race organizer for the Jim Ferris Memorial 5K in Holley, presents Jack Richardson with an award on June 7.
A week later, Albion put on its 28th annual Strawberry Festival. The village of Albion and a big group of volunteers make that event a reality.
These are local people working to make their communities a better place. But there are lots of others finding ways to improve our county.
Here are just a few that have been highlighted recently in the Orleans Hub:
Oak Orchard Open: When a fishing tournament discontinued after last year, four Point Breeze stakeholders decided to organize a new tournament. They said the events are too much of a benefit to the Point Breeze economy to not have a tourney.
Three charter boat captains – Richard Hajecki, Bob Songin and Paul Czarnecki – and fisherman Mark Lewis were the driving force behind the new Oak Orchard Open. The tournament drew 36 teams to Point Breeze who reeled in more than $20,000 in prizes, as well as lots of good publicity for the local fishery and sales for businesses.
Birdhouses: Gary Kent of Albion has assembled a small army of volunteers who set up new bluebird houses and kestrel boxes in the county.
There are about 45 kestral boxes and 150 bluebird houses, with more in the pipeline. Kent, leader of the Orleans County Bluebird Society, said the birdhouses will promote wildlife in the county, which he sees as a principal asset.
He has been climbing 15-foot-high ladders to repair kestrel boxes and install new ones. He connects with many residents, finding ways for them to give back to the community through Habitat for Humanity, pumping gas for senior citizens and other projects.
Log cabin at fairgrounds: The walls were rotting and the site had the potential to become a dangerous eyesore at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.
Bob Fox chips away mortar in the log cabin. He is one of several volunteers working on the project. David Callard is behind him.
The Orleans County Sportsmen’s Federation 40 years ago worked to build the log cabin. It is used for many conservation programs, including hunter-safety classes.
But the three of the wooden walls were falling apart from rot. The Federation rallied to rebuild two of the walls about two years ago, with the third to be rebuilt in June and July this year, in time for the fair.
Volunteers have done the bulk of the work. The County Legislature deserves some kudos for contributing $5,000 to help buy some of the replacement wood. Without some county help, the project would have lingered.
Legislature Chairman David Callard was at the site last week, helping to chip out old mortar between the logs. He sees the cabin as “living history” that helps make the fairgrounds unique.
The Cost of Freedom Tribute: For many months, local veterans groups raised money and helped organize four days of events in Pembroke for The Cost of Freedom Tribute. The Tribute includes a replica of the Moving Wall in honor of Americans who died in the Vietnam War.
There are other displays for other wars, including the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Tribute was in the area from June 12-15. The American Legion in Oakfield-Alabama took the lead in bringing the Cost of Freedom Tribute to the area, but several Orleans County veterans groups provided donations and manpower for the event.
A member of the Special Forces Association Parachute Team descends with an American flag near the Pembroke Town Park on June 12.
Patriot Guard Riders: There is power in presence, and motorcyclists in the Patriot Guard Riders show tremendous strength by their numbers.
They provided an escort for Sgt. Shaina Schmigel when more than 100 motorcyclists led the hearse carrying her body into Medina on June 9. Schmigel, a paratrooper at Fort Bragg, was killed in a night-time training accident.
Motorcyclists lead a motorcade for Sgt. Shaina Schmigel into Medina on June 9.
The Patriot Guard and Hogs and Heroes Foundation send a message of respect, love and loss every time they honor a fallen soldier. They were at calling hours for Schmigel on June 10 and then at her funeral and burial on June 11.
Volunteers are making their presence felt locally, with some people giving of themselves in many ways. Be sure to join them, giving some of your time and expertise to make the community stronger.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo By Tom Rivers – Sue Cook has been taking photos and writing stories for the Orleans Hub since January. She lives in Albion and also works as a graphic designer for The Lake Country Pennysaver.
ALBION – Readers of the Orleans Hub started seeing Sue Cook’s byline in January. Her debut article was about a long-time library worker in Holley who retired. (Holley gives retiring library clerk a big sendoff)
Cook has been writing community stories on a regular basis for the past five months. She also works as a graphic designer for The Lake Country Pennysaver. The Orleans Hub is based out of the Pennysaver at 170 North Main St., Albion.
The Orleans Hub went “live” on April 2, 2013. We’ve been growing since then, adding staff with Mike Wertman covering sports and his wife Cheryl photographing sporting events.
Cook, 26, grew up in Albion. She graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in Graphic Design and a concentration in Archaeology Material Cultures. While at RIT, she worked as a reporter on the college’s newspaper/magazine.
She has enjoyed getting out of the office and covering stories throughout the county, especially now with the warm weather. She has met many inspiring local residents in the past five months.
“I’m shocked at the number of people here who are doing really interesting things,” Cook said.
She is impressed how the small town communities stay close, and often celebrate each other. For example, Cook noted when Bruce Marshall retired in April as head custodian at Kendall Elementary School, he was given a big party by students and staff. (Kendall head custodian feted after 36 years)
Cook follows the Hub social media accounts and she sees teen-agers and recent graduates giving stories “likes” and commenting on the issues.
“The students see the community is listening to them and we care what they’re doing,” Cook said.
She has written about many of the new businesses in the community, and many of the cultural life events. She has met the artists and actors in many productions. She sees their commitment and the high quality of their work.
“It’s been cool to see behind the scenes what a lot of people don’t get to see,” she said.
The schedule of a reporter is often unpredictable, and the topics are varied.
“I learn something new with every assignment I go to,” Cook said.
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.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 June 2014 at 12:00 am
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).
