Courtesy Gov. Cuomo’s office – The Mohawk Valley was flooded on June 28 after a severe downpour.

ALBION – In was mid-October 2006, when a heat wave followed a snowstorm in Orleans County.

Hundreds of trees, maybe more, snapped from the weight of heavy snow on their leaves and branches. The fallen limbs and trees knocked out power for days.

The melting 2 feet of snow unleashed flood waters. Homeowners, who were powerless, saw their basements fill with water because they couldn’t turn on their sump pumps. (I needed to have my basement in Albion pumped twice.)

That storm is the biggest “weather event” I can recall in my nearly two decades of living around here. We were in a state of emergency with utility trucks and firefighters descending on our county from all over the state. We even had electric workers from Quebec here, working to restore our electricity.

It was a fluke storm. Mostly, things aren’t too bad around here. We don’t have the big extremes that flood roads, creeks and homes.

It seems every year there is at least one community in New York that is devastated from a storm. The Mohawk Valley is the latest casualty of Mother Nature and aged infrastructure. A late June downpour with flash flooding left the region in soggy ruin.

The federal government on Friday declared 12 counties eligible for disaster aid due to the damage from the storm.

Eastern New York felt the wrath of Sandy last year. Binghamton was hit with massive flooding a few years ago. I grew up in Chautauqua County and about five years ago Silver Creek and Gowanda were inundated with water, destroying numerous homes.

“It is a tragedy that so many communities of hard-working, decent New Yorkers have seen their lives turned upside down by the unpredictable and damaging impact of these severe storms and floods,” Gov. Cuomo said Friday when President Obama approved the disaster declaration for the Mohawk Valley.

We don’t have the big extremes around here. The communities have done a nice job upgrading storm sewers and infrastructure, helping to funnel water off the streets when there is big storm.

Occasionally, we get hit with a fluke, but I think we’re safe from utter devastation. It’s definitely a plus during these days of turbulent weather.

Four Dem candidates, plus an independent, are running for Orleans County Legislature

This article was updated after the original article listed Rak as a Dem candidate. She is a Conservative, seeking an independent line. The towns also haven’t had their caucuses yet, when they officially name their candidates.

ALBION – The Orleans County Democratic Party is backing four candidates, plus an independent, in their campaigns for county Legislature. The Dem-backed candidates have agreed to a don’t-sell-the-nursing-home platform.

Democrats also say they will be fiscally conservative, while bringing in another viewpoint to a seven-member body that is all Republican.

The county Legislature is working to sell The Villages of Orleans, a 120-bed nursing home in Albion, because of the potential for steep deficits that legislators say could require $2 to $4 million in annual county subsidies.

Linda Rak

Linda Rak of Lyndonville believes there must be ways to reduce costs and increase revenue at the facility, without turning it over to a private company. Rak is a retired reading teacher at Kendall. She is running as a Conservative against incumbent Lynne Johnson for a district that includes the towns of Yates, Ridgeway and a portion of Shelby. Rak also is working to secure an Indepedent line.

“I’m passionate about the nursing home,” Rak said during a Democratic Party picnic this afternoon at Bullard Park. “We need people to roll up their sleeves and find a solution. We owe it to the seniors to keep it.”

Rak works at Brockport State College with graduate students who want to be reading specialists. She also has been endorsed by the Conservative Party.

Fred Miller, the owner of Family Hardware in Albion since 1986, is making his first run for county office. He has served five years on the Village Board. Miller said the village has gone at least 30 years without a resident on the Legislature.

Fred Miller

“It’s time we had a village voice there,” he said. “I don’t believe the county is doing enough for the village.”

He also criticized the county for too many “hidden taxes” that drive away customers for small businesses. He noted heating oil taxes and an occupancy tax for motels and bed and breakfasts.

“I’m willing to dig into the facts and to stand alone,” Miller said. “They need diversity on that board.”

Miller has also been endorsed by the Conservative Party. He will run against Henry Smith Jr. for a district that includes the towns of Albion and Gaines.

Former Kendall Town Supervisor Jack Gillman has the Democratic endorsement to run against John DeFilipps of Clarendon for an at-large seat. George Bower of Holley isn’t seeking re-election to the county-wide position.

Gillman was town supervisor in 2008 and ’09, the first Democrat to hold the position in Kendall in 40 years. He worked 37 years as a telecommunications specialist for Rochester Telephone and Frontier before retiring in 2003.

Jack Gillman

If the majority of the public doesn’t want the nursing home to be sold, the Legislature should listen to the people, Gillman said. The Concerned Citizens of Orleans County, a citizens group opposed to the nursing home sale, has asked the Legislature to put the issue up for a vote.

Dave Schult of Waterport moved back to the community 2 ½ years ago after being away for 30 years. Schult, 50, joined the Coast Guard after graduating from Albion. He has worked in sales for an ambulance company based in Chicago, currently the vice president of the sales department.

Schult vowed to treat the county budget as if it was his own money, carefully spending every dollar. He has experience in negotiations, which he said would be an asset on the Legislature.

He also knows all about customer service. Before his career in sales, he grew up spending numerous hours at the Lakeland, a restaurant at Pont Breeze operated by his parents for 25 years.

Dave Schult

Schult also has been endorsed by the Conservative Party. He is running against Ken DeRoller of Kendall. The seat is currently filled by Ken Rush, who isn’t seeking re-election.

Gary Kent of Albion is again challenging Don Allport for a county-wide legislator position. Kent wasn’t at the Democratic picnic today. He was in North Carolina visiting his son. Kent, a retired Kendall social studies teacher, has been one of the leaders against selling the county nursing home. Allport, a Republican, has the Conservative endorsement.

Democrats introduced Cyndy Van Lieshout, a candidate for Barre town supervisor. The Democratic Party caucus is next month. She will be running against Mark Chamberlain. Van Lieshout and her husband Mike own a dairy farm in Barre. Cyndy manages the books for the farm and also serves on the board of directors for the Upstate Niagara and O-At-Ka cooperatives.

Democrats also introduced Paul Snook, a Republican running for Carlton highway superintendent. He has the Conservative endorsement against incumbent David Krull.

Four candidates for State Supreme Court in the eighth district also addressed Orleans Democrats. Those candidates include Mark Montour, a Lancaster town justice and acting judge for the city of Buffalo; Jeannette Ogden, a Buffalo city court justice; Jeff Marion, an attorney; and Dennis Glascott, an Angola town justice.

Orleans County officials say many residents and businesses in the rural outlying areas are at a competitive disadvantage because many areas lack access to high-speed Internet.

That makes it harder for students to complete homework, residents to fill out job applications and businesses to reach customers – tasks that increasingly require high-speed Internet.

The county has tried to coax Time Warner the past three years to extend services in the rural areas, but the cable provider has balked unless it was paid $10,000 a mile to run the infrastructure. The county believes wireless Internet may be the best solution to increasing access at an affordable cost.

The county and three local towns are starting a “mini-study” that could expand to the rest of Orleans and even Niagara counties.

The study will first focus on the towns of Shelby, Ridgeway and Yates, where highway superintendents have been trained to survey their towns to catalog assets that could be used to expand broadband Internet access.

The Niagara Orleans Regional Alliance – led by Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson and Niagara County Legislator Dave Godfrey – has been spearheading an initiative with the goal of attracting last-mile broadband Internet to rural businesses and residents without access.

“The approach is to market the region to a number of Internet service providers and work with them to find a solution that is both profitable to them and have zero long-term costs to local taxpayers while providing affordable broadband services to residents,” said Evhen Tupis, principal at BPGreene and Associates, a rural broadband consulting firm.

To do so, un-served addresses are being cataloged, potential “build on” structures – such as existing communication towers, water towers and other tall structures – are being identified and positioned as assets with potential ISP’s.

There is a focus on Wireless ISP’s because of the inherently lower build-out costs, though cable-line providers are certainly not excluded.

BPGreene and Associates trained the highway superintendents to document the needed information. Tupis of Clarendon is now in the process of repackaging their results into a Request for Comment (RFC). Through it, potential providers will be given the opportunity to provide feedback on the completeness of the information and voice their desire to participate in a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) to actually Internet services.

Legislature Chairman Dave Callard, R-Medina, plans to use the result of the RFC to decide if this approach would warrant more towns in Orleans County.

“As an added benefit, it is quite possible that this initiative may introduce competition in presently-served areas as well,” Tupis said.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Orleans County officials have a new historic marker under wraps today. The marker will be dedicated at 1 p.m. Saturday.

ALBION – A historic marker, with a log cabin logo, will be dedicated on the courthouse lawn during a 1 p.m. ceremony on Saturday.

The marker will honor the pioneering spirit of Albion’s first residents. In December 1810, William McAllister bought 368 acres in Albion, the east side of the village, from the Holland Land Company. The following year he built a log cabin where the current County Clerks’ Building stands next the county courthouse.

McAllister and his wife, known only in historical information as “Mrs. McAllister,” were Albion’s first settlers.

The Capurso family in Albion is paying for the marker.

Marsha Rivers

Press release, Hospice of Orleans

ALBION Marsha Rivers is the newest member of the Hospice of Orleans team. She joined the staff as Director of Development and Community Relations on June 17.

Rivers has been working in Albion since 2008 at Care Net of Greater Orleans, a pregnancy resource center. She served as Care Net’s part-time executive director from 2009 until this summer, when she joined Hospice full time.

As successor to Cora Goyette, who retired in March following the successful campaign to build the Martin-Linsin Hospice Residence, Rivers will be reinforcing support for the residence as well as all the vital services Hospice of Orleans provides, including home care, transitions, and bereavement assistance for our community.

“I consider it a high honor to be part of Hospice,” Rivers said. “I agree wholeheartedly with the hospice philosophy of considering all aspects of a person’s needs as they navigate life-limiting illness. Also, it’s a real blessing for me to have meaningful work so close to home.”

Rivers’ first public appearance for Hospice will be the Ducks Ahoy Race at 3 p.m. on July 4 in Johnson’s Creek, as part of the Lyndonville Lions’ Annual Independence Day Celebration. Duck tickets, each one representing a chance to win cash prizes donated by Baxter of Medina, are for sale at the Hospice office, 14080 Route 31 West, or at the Hospice booth near the creek in downtown Lyndonville on July 4.

An Orleans County native, Rivers graduated from Albion High School and then earned her bachelor’s degree in communication from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester. She worked as a reporter for the Batavia Daily News before returning to her alma mater, where she filled several roles, including admissions, alumni relations, public relations and marketing, ultimately serving as editor of the college magazine, Roberts Today, for nine years. During that time, Rivers also earned her master’s degree in theological studies, with a concentration in nonprofit leadership and management, from Northeastern Seminary.

Editor’s note: Marsha Rivers is married to Tom Rivers, editor of OrleansHub.com.

Orleans Hub launched on April 2 and we’ve been building a growing and faithful audience since that first day. Thank you.

We thought you’d be curious about the stories that have generated the most page views in our first three months. Here they are, from number one to 10:

Day-old baby left with Medina FD, on May 28

Lyndonville woman dies in Carlton crash, on June 10

Suspect in lockdown surrendered to police, on May 23

Long-time Lyndonville store shuts down, on April 30

Kendall makes US News list of top schools, on April 26

Missing Albion girl is found safe, on May 2

Lockdown lifted at Albion schools, on May 23

8 face drug charges in multi-agency investigation of cocaine in Albion, on June 21

Kendall tops Orleans County school district rankings, on June 19

20-year-old charged after Albion girl is located unharmed, on May 2

We’ve published hundreds of photos on The Hub in the past three months, and many of the site visitors say they enjoy the photography the most. My favorite picture was published on our first day – April 2.

It shows Baillie Oberther, 16, of Medina being crowned queen of Dyngus Day during a celebration at Sacred Heart Club. Bonnie Boyd, last year’s queen, passes on the crown.

I like their happy faces and the intergenerational bonding. I like that Medina keeps up the Dyngus Day tradition, and that it is embraced by people of all ages.

Johnson joins effort to preserve Falls Air Reserve Station

ALBION – County officials from Orleans, Niagara and Erie are working to develop a three-county network to bring a regional voice to shared issues.

The group has identified a top issue as the long-term future of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station as a viable large-scale employer. The Orleans County Legislature appointed Legislator Lynne Johnson, R-Lyndonville, to represent Orleans on the group.

The three-county network will work on the Air Reserve Station and expects to take up the following issues:

The viability and sustainability of regional industry as serviced by and positioned due to the access to various transportation networks.

The interface of transportation networksinterstate highways, freight rail, Great Lakes ports, access to the oceans, international crossing points for highway and rail, and airports capable of transporting passenger and cargo up to and including wide-body aircraft.

Seeking support for needed investment in the same with an emphasis on tying commercial and freight traffic to our two major airports, and allowing direct and high-speed access for container shippers to and from the airports, including through the construction/redesignation of interstate highways and rail lines.

Emphasizing regional transportation infrastructure, including access to ports along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, access to the Welland Canal, and the existing rail lines including in southern Erie County.

Devising a regional strategy for utilizing and enhancing this transportation infrastructure to position Western New York to be globally competitive.

Reaching long-range agreements to develop communications infrastructure partnerships to position Western New York to be globally competitive.

Five Orleans districts to receive $3.2 million more

Photo by Tom Rivers – Albion Central School officials say they will be able to preserve their programs at the middle school (pictured) and other schools in the 2013-14 budget.

Source: NYS Division of the Budget

State aid increases are making life a little easier for school leaders this budget go-round.

The five districts in Orleans County will receive between 4 and nearly 7 percent more in state funds next school year, according to the state budget approved last week. That follows two years of meager increases. The districts were all cut significantly when David Paterson was governor. The state sliced education spending by nearly $3 billion state-wide during Paterson’s tenure.

“With the latest aid increases we are now back to the funding levels of 2009,” said Clark Godshall, superintendent of the Orleans-Niagara BOCES.

The 13 districts in the Orleans-Niagara BOCES cut 700 positions during the school funding crisis over the past five years, Godshall said. Some of those reductions were made due to shrinking enrollments. But many teachers, administrators and staff lost their jobs because districts were contending with rising costs and tepid revenue growth. The state also imposed a tax cap of about 2 percent on local governments.

“With the tax cap you were forced to reduce,” Godshall said.

State-wide education funding is up nearly $1 billion for about 700 school districts. The five districts in Orleans County collectively will receive $3.2 million more in operating aid, or a 5.0 percent increase to $66.8 million.

“We will be able to preserve all of our programs,” said Shawn Liddle, Albion Central School assistant superintendent for business. “We’re always grateful for the aid we receive from New York State.”

State and federal governments pay for about 80 percent of the district’s $33 million annual budget. The state budget gives Albion about $800,000 more in operating aid for 2013-14.

Although programs will be maintained, Liddle said the Finance Committee is eyeing some staff cuts to mirror a drop in student enrollment. The committee will make its budget recommendation to the Board of Education during Monday’s 7 p.m. meeting.

The district went the past six years without raising taxes. Albion cut staff and tapped reserve funds to stave off a tax increase during that time. But Liddle said the committee is looking at a 1.5 percent tax increase for 2013-14, which will be under the 2 percent cap.

Lyndonville also expects to preserve all of its programming and stay under the tax cap, said Board of Education President Ed Urbanik.

Rather than dig deeper into its reserve funds, the district can preserve those funds due to the increase in state aid. That gives Lyndonville a cushion with the uncertainties with health care costs, Urbanik said.

Rural schools have been lobbying the state to boost funding the past several years. Rural districts say they were disproportionately hit hard with the state funding cuts under Paterson.

Educate NY Now, an advocacy group of school stakeholders throughout NY, praised the new state budget, particularly the sizable increases for some districts. But Billy Easton, executive director for the Alliance for Quality Education, said the state needs to do more to help school districts, especially those in rural areas.

“There remain urgent educational needs that must be addressed, such as closing the now widening gulf in educational opportunities between wealthy and poor schools,” he said in a statement. “Legislators are getting the message loud and clear that our schools are in crisis. This budget will slow the rate of classroom cuts, not stop it.”

Travel agency, sheet metal fabrication, storage units, farm labor camps all OK’d

ALBION – Several business projects have the backing of the Orleans County Planning Board for wide-ranging initiatives throughout the county.

The following projects were approved Thursday at the Planning Board meeting:

Matthew Pask wants to operate a travel agency out of his home at 12236 Maple Ridge Rd., in Shelby. Pask said he will use about 400 square feet of his house for the business, Next Adventure Travel Agency. He plans to have office hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Charles Breuilly of Albion is working to build four rental storage buildings at the southwest corner of Allen Road and Route 98 in Albion. Planners recommended the village of Albion Zoning Board of Appeals approve variances for setbacks to allow the project.

Rick Stacey, owner of RS Automation on Route 98 in Albion, is working to expand the business at 4015 Oak Orchard Rd. He intends to build a 56-by-64-foot accessory/storage structure for raw materials that RS Automation will use for its custom metal projects.

The company also is planning a 50-by-75-foot addition to its existing building to increase its production capabilities.

Aaron Albone of 1273 Marshall Rd., Lyndonville, plans to sell steel from his home, which is in a rural/agricultural district.

Leonard Auker is planning a sheet metal fabrication business in Carlton at 12667 Roosevelt Highway. Shoreline Sheetmetal will operate on Tuesdays through Saturdays in a detached 24-by-32-foot barn.

Kast Farms wants to add four manufactured housing units, with a capacity of eight people in each building, at 2824 Densmore Rd. The housing in the town of Gaines will be used for farm workers.

Oded Kalir of Brockport also is working to add farmworker housing in Gaines at 13105  Eagle Harbor-Knowlesville Rd. Kalir wants to convert an existing single-family house into farmworker housing. The house currently isn’t in an agricultural district but Kalir has applied to have it added to County Agricultural District No. 3.

CARLTON – County officials say their costs for maintaining a state-owned boat launch and park are not as high as reported on The Orleans Hub on Friday.

The Hub put the costs at between $10,000 and $20,000 for bathroom cleaning, mowing and other upkeep at the Oak Orchard Marine State Park, a boat launch and bathrooms along Archibald Road on the west side of the Oak Orchard River.

I came up with that number because county officials said they pay $19,000 to have bathrooms and docks cleaned at the Orleans County Marine Park, a county-owned site on the east side of the river. The cleaning costs for the state site are part of that contract.

I figured it was a 50-50 split, but a county official said there is significantly more work at the county site, which includes 72 boat slips. He estimated the state boat launch and bathrooms cost the county about $3,000 a year.

I figured mowing and other expenses added to county costs as well, but I was told those expenses aren’t nearly as high as reported.

I stand by the crux of the article, that the state should assume financial responsibility for its own boat launch, especially because it’s a revenue generator for the state and the local economy because of the sales tax spent by the fishermen on gas and other supplies while they’re in the area.