Press Release, Orleans County government

ALBION – Orleans County Legislature Chairman Lynne Johnson today said the dome on the Orleans County Courthouse will be lit blue for the next week to show concern and appreciation for corrections officers across the county and state.

Orleans County is home to two state prisons – Orleans Correctional Facility and Albion Correctional Facility as well as the county-run jail.

“These are very troubling times in our state’s prisons and we are very concerned about the safety of our corrections officers,” said Johnson. “It feels like almost everyone in Orleans County knows a person who works at one of these facilities. These corrections officers are our family members, friends and neighbors and we want them to know how much we appreciate them.”

Corrections officers have been expressing concerns over staffing levels and state legislation like the HALT Act that limits inmate discipline that they have said makes performing their difficult job even harder. The New York State Department of Corrections has just begun mediation with the corrections officers’ union to address these concerns.  Orleans County correction officers at the county jail also operate under the same rules as state prisons.

“Corrections officers at both the state and county are an integral part of our criminal justice system, keeping our community safe by maintaining order inside the walls of our correctional facilities and preparing inmates for future release back into society,” said Johnson. “This is no easy task but they do a great job under difficult circumstances. By lighting the courthouse dome blue, we want to send a message to them that they are in our thoughts and prayers.”

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Carol Culhane has created a painting for the Orleans County bicentennial that she says honors the pioneers who tamed the land and lived modestly in log cabins.

In her painting, she shows Main Street in Albion in the 1800s, and has images of a log cabin with livestock, and paintings of the County Courthouse and the Clerks’ Building.

The painting will be featured in a program on April 15 for the county’s 200^th anniversary. Orleans was officially recognized on April 15, 1825 by the State Legislature after separating from Genesee County.

Decades before the courthouse (built in 1858) and Clerks’ Building (constructed in 1882) were erected on the Courthouse Square, there was a log cabin there. A historical marker at the courthouse lawn notes the first settlers in Albion in 1811 built a log cabin where the Clerks’ Building stands. The late Al Capurso had that marker installed in 2013 to honor those pioneers – William McAllister and his wife.

Capurso, the former president of Orleans County Historical Association, in 2017 shared his idea with Culhane to have the courthouse and Clerks’ Building in the same painting with a log cabin to honor the pioneers.

Culhane, a member of the Bicentennial Committee, has been thinking about Capurso’s idea and wanted to make it a reality.

She presented the finished painting to the Bicentennial Committee today. She will have it made into prints. Culhane will have 500 of the prints made at 18 inches by 24 inches. They will be available for $10 each with proceeds to go towards celebrating the county’s bicentennial this year.

“I love Orleans County,” said Culhane, a former Gaines town supervisor. “It’s a privilege and an honor to do this.”

She wanted to include the Courthouse Square, a pioneer tribute and include Albion’s historic Main Street.

“One of the things I’ve always admired about Albion is the beauty of the streetscape,” Culhane said.

The bicentennial posters will be numbered from 1 to 500 and Culhane will sign them. She expects the posters to be available in about 10 days. For more information about acquiring one, contact her at (585) 738-3016 or by email, cecjcculhane@gmail.com.

Photos by Marsha Rivers

Orly the Ox, the Orleans County bicentennial mascot, tries a maneuver on a sculpture by the Erie Canal in Medina.

These 23 precast concrete modules were dedicated on Nov. 17, 2023 at the Lions Park just east of the lift bridge on Route 63.

UB architecture students created the memorial to honor Sydney Gross, who is remembered for a vibrant personality. Gross was a student in the program who left a strong impression on her professors and the other students. She was a very social person who was friends with everyone. She was killed in a car accident in July 2009.

Orly the Ox is highlighting people, places and things in Orleans County in 2025 as part of the county’s bicentennial celebration. Orly encourages others to explore the sculpture. It can be a place to reflect, meet with friends and also try some daring climbing maneuvers.

(Left) Orly took a bite out of an apple while standing by The Big Apple in Medina. This 11-foot-high sculpture was created by artist Richard Bannister of Barre in 2000. It stands next to the Glenwood Avenue bridge. Bannister created the giant apple as a tribute to Western New York fruit growers. Orleans County is one of the top apple-growing counties in the state.

(Right – Photo by Isabella Zasa) Orly visited the Shoe Tree on Foss Road in Lyndonville, an attraction covered in hundreds of shoes. Local legend says that tying your shoelaces together, making a wish, and successfully tossing them onto a branch will make your wish come true.

Over the years, the Shoe Tree has gained widespread recognition, appearing on multiple websites and in the 2008 book “New York Curiosities.”

Orly has some ambitious fitness goals for 2025. He stopped by the YMCA in Medina and cooled down in the Silver Sneakers class with some stretches and movements. He also worked out on several exercise machines, including the stair climber and a rowing machine. He then lifted some dumbbells and a kettlebell.

Orly tried billiards and some of the other games at Dubby’s Tailgate in Albion, even making a behind-the-back shot playing pool.

Orly is on TikTok, and his adventures can be followed on the Orleans County Tourism’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has declared March as “Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.” County Legislator Fred Miller on Thursday presented a proclamation to Arc GLOW members.

From left include board members Marlene Hill and Joe Barchet, Legislator Miller, and Lisa Bors, vice president of public relations and development for Arc GLOW.

The former Arc of Genesee Orleans and Arc of Livingston-Wyoming merged in 2021 to form the new Arc GLOW. This is the first four-county chapter of The Arc New York. This follows the merger in 2016 of the former Arc of Orleans and Genesee Arc.

In Orleans County, Arc GLOW has three homes for individuals with disabilities, operates Orleans Enterprises Work Center in Albion, day habilitation programs, Meals on Wheels/Nutrifare in Albion and Camp Rainbow in Ridgeway. Several programs and departments also share space with the finance department on Caroline Street in Albion, Arc GLOW officials said.

The original ARC of Orleans County formed about 60 years ago.

“March is designated as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month to highlight the abilities and achievements of people with developmental disabilities, while raising awareness of the challenges they face,” according to the proclamation form the County Legislature. “People with developmental disabilities are an essential part of our community, bringing unique talents, perspectives, and strength to Orleans County.”

Wendel to be paid up to $427K; new roof and supports could top $1 million

File photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Public Safety Building, which opened in 1998 at a former furniture store building, needs roof repairs and other upgrades.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature is pushing to fix the roof and make other upgrades to the Public Safety Building on Route 31.

The building has a sizable flat roof. The roof on the western side of the building needs to be replaced and that part of the building needs more structural support for HVAC.

The county last summer moved the Probation Department out of the building to the former GCC campus in Albion due to concerns with part of the Public Safety Building.

The Legislature on Thursday voted to pay Wendel Companies in Williamsville up to $427,000 for design, bidding services and construction management for replacing and strengthening the roof. The construction project could top $1 million, county officials said.

The county bought the building, a former furniture store, in 1998. It is used by the Sheriff’s Office, 911 Dispatch Center, the Major Felony Crime Task Force and District Attorney’s Office. Probation is expected to stay at the former GCC site with the Sheriff’s Office getting the Probation Department’s space once the project is complete.

The Legislature on Oct. 24, 2023 approved spending $975,000 to buy the former GCC building at 456 West Ave. The county paid Herring Enterprises of Holley for the building, which hadn’t been used for classes for several years.

Engineering services approved on other bridge projects

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature approved several resolutions today for bridge projects in the county.

The Legislature accepted the low bid of $1,188,874 from CATCO in Alden to replace the bridge on Route 279 in Carlton over Beardsley Creek. The project is 95 percent reimbursable by the state through the Bridge NY program with the local share at 5 percent.

The Legislature also approved an agreement with Bergmann Architectural Associates in Buffalo to be paid $189,692 for construction inspection and support for the Beardsley Creek bridge project. That is also 95 percent funded by Bridge NY.

Other resolutions by the Legislature for bridge projects include:

• The County hired Ravi Engineering in Rochester to design, handle the bidding and administer all phases of replacing a culvert on Eagle Harbor-Knowlesville Road over old Oak Orchard Creek. The county has been awarded $1,035,000 towards the culvert replacement by the Bridge NY program.

• Approved a $278,700 contract with C&S Engineers Inc. for preliminary engineering, design and Right-of-Way incidentals work for replacing the Groth Road bridge over the east branch of Sandy Creek in Murray. The project is 95 percent covered by Bridge NY.

• Approved paying LaBella Associates $161,000 for engineering services for a bridge on Lakeshore Road over an unnamed creek. The county is paying the $161,000 for a project that could receive federal and/or state reimbursement.

• Amended a resolution for a contract with Labella Associates to be paid $221,700 for construction inspection and support for the bridge on Angling Road in Yates. The project is 80 percent paid for by federal government, with 15 percent from state and 5 percent from county.

Artists urged to be part of the show that opens July 18

File photo by Tom Rivers: Kim Martillotta Muscarella, owner of the Marti’s on Main art gallery in Albion, poses in April 2022 with two of her paintings, of an acorn woodpecker and red-headed woodpecker, both acrylics on Masonite.

ALBION – Kim Martillotta Muscarella is working on the schedule of art shows for 2025 at the Marti’s on Main art gallery.

She wants one of the shows to highlight Orleans County and the Erie Canal, which are both celebrating their 200^th anniversaries this year.

Muscarella welcomes artists to display paintings, photographs, sculptures, quilts and other art forms for the bicentennial show. The opening reception will be from 6 to 9 p.m. on July 18.

Artists can submit photos of complete art or their ideas for new art for the show by April 4. For more information, contact Muscarella at (585) 590-9211.

Muscarella will display up to two works from artists in the juried show which is not limited to people who live in Orleans County. She is excited to see the art and the different ways artists express themselves in highlighting Orleans County and the Erie Canal.

Muscarella also is planning an environmental show after the bicentennial display. The environmental show will open on Aug. 15. Artists can submit photos of their work or ideas for the show by May 1 by texting Muscarella.

Marti’s is located at 20 South Main St., a prominent historic building that used to be the offices for the Cornell Cooperative Extension.

ALBION – Applications are now being accepted for a new class offering 10 weeks of instruction for small business owners or people looking to start a new business in Orleans County.

The Orleans Microenterprise Assistance Program can accommodate 15 students each class. A new class will run on Thursday evenings from April 3 to June 5 at the Cornell Cooperative Extension on Route 31 in Knowlesville.

The most recent class from the fall 2024 included 14 graduates, which brings the total to 558 people who have completed MAP since it started in 2002. More than 200 have started a variety of businesses in the county.

The 10-week program covers topics such as legal requirements for starting a business, forms of ownership, business plan development, taxation for sole proprietors, marketing and advertising strategies, bookkeeping and record keeping, banking essentials, pricing goods and services, and cost analysis.

To see the application to be in the program, click here. The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. on March 14.

Prospective entrepreneurs aged 18 and older, who maintain a permanent residence or business physically located in Orleans County, are encouraged to apply.

The course fee is $300. However, financial aid is available for qualifying applicants based on financial need. Interested individuals can complete the application online in under 10 minutes or contact OEDA with further program questions at (585) 589-7060 ext. 1 or MHolland@orleansdevelopment.org.

ALBION – The Orleans County offices will be closed on Tuesday due to the anticipated hazardous travel conditions.

“While we strive not to reduce the availability of county services, we felt it was imperative in this situation for the safety of the public and employees,” said Justin Niederhofer, the county’s emergency management director. “Essential employees still need to report to work at their scheduled times.”

The lake effect snow warning issued by the National Weather Service remains in effect until 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke also has issued a travel advisory until 1 p.m. Wednesday. He recommends against non-essential travel.

“Motorists are urged to use extreme caution, as reduced visibility or zero visibility at times and snow-covered roads pose significant travel risks,” Niederhofer said. “Road and weather conditions will be monitored, and the travel advisory will be updated accordingly.”

The County Legislature meeting for Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. has been pushed back two days to Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Modern Disposal is planning to do trash pickup on Tuesday. If there is a change, it will be announced, Niederhofer said.

“Emergency services and essential personnel will remain operational during this time,” he said. “Residents are encouraged to stay informed through official county social media pages, county website and local media updates.”

Sheriff recommends no unnecessary travel until 1 p.m. Wednesday

ALBION – Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke has issued a travel advisory, recommending no unnecessary travel until 1 p.m. on Wednesday when a lake-effect snow warning expires.

Bourke said he consulted with local highway superintendents, the county Department of Public Works, county officials and the Emergency Management Office to issue the travel advisory.

“Currently, we have snow and blowing snow producing low visibility, white-outs and extremely dangerous conditions in some areas,” Bourke said. “We are also expecting very high winds with dangerously low wind chill factors during this storm.”

As conditions change, the advisory will be reassessed, Bourke said.

The county could get another 10 to 18 inches of snow in a lake-effect storm. The low tonight is 10, followed by a high of 17 on Tuesday and an overnight low of 10. On Wednesday, the high is forecast for 18 degrees with an overnight low of 12.