By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 October 2024 at 7:50 pm
The presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris gets nearly all the buzz and headlines in the upcoming election, but several other positions are on the ballot.
Early voting starts Oct. 26 and continues for nine days until Nov. 3. Polls will be open throughout the county on Nov. 5.
Kamala Harris and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz are on the Democratic and Working Family lines, while Trump and vice presidential candidate JD Vance are on the Republican and Conservative lines.
Other positions on the ballot include:
Federal
U.S. Senator (6-year term) – Kirsten Gillibrand (D-WF), Michael Sapraicone (R-C) and Diane Sare (LaRouche)
Representative to Congress, 24th District (2-year term) – David Wagenhauser (D) and Claudia Tenney (R, C)
State
Supreme Court Justice, 8th District (4 positions) – Henry Nowak (D, R, C, WF), Catherine Nugent-Panepinto (D, R, C, WF), Deborah Chimes (D, R, C) and Michael Norris (D, R, C)
NYS Senate, 62nd District (2-year term) – Robert Ortt (R, C)
NYS Assembly, 139th District (2-year term) – Stephen Hawley (R, C)
Orleans County
County Clerk (4-year term) – Nadine Hanlon (R)
District Attorney (4-year term) – Susan Howard (R, C)
Coroner (4-year term for 3 positions) – Rocco Sidari (R), Scott Schmidt (R) and Julie Woodworth (R)
Carlton
Town Clerk (1 year to fill vacancy) – Deborah Yockel (R)
Council Member (1 year to fill vacancy) – John L. Olles (R)
The ballot also includes the state-wide proposition number one, which adds certain protections to the State Bill of Rights, covering ethnicity, national origin,
age, disability, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy. Also
covers reproductive healthcare and autonomy.
A “YES” vote puts these protections against discrimination in the New York State
Constitution.
A “NO” vote leaves these protections out of the State Constitution.
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature, in conjunction with the county Youth Bureau, will be hosting its 10th annual “Family Game Night” on Thursday, Oct. 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Dubby’s Tailgate, located at 165 South Platt Avenue in Albion. The event is free but residents are asked to register in advance as seating is limited.
The event will feature free pizza, board games, prize drawings and other activities and promotions. There also will be several display booths with county departments who will be providing information on various programs and services available to Orleans County families. Each family will also be given a board game to take home to start their own game night.
“This has always been a well-attended event and we hope to see that again this year,” said Legislature Chairman Lynne Johnson. “As we always say, turn off the television, put your phone down, log off the internet and come join families from across the community for an old-fashioned evening of fun.”
Supporters of this event include Dubby’s Tailgate, Subway, Medina Railroad Museum, Evan’s ACE Hardware & Building Supplies, the Lyndonville Lions Club and Singelyn Enterprises – McDonald’s of Albion.
For more information or to register for the event call the Legislative Office at 585-589-7053 or send an email to Lisa.Stenshorn@orleanscountyny.gov with your name, phone number, address and number of people attending.
Press Release, Office for the Aging in Orleans County
ALBION – The Orleans County Office for the Aging today announced it will be hosting several events for Medicare beneficiaries during the fall Annual Open Enrollment period which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7.
Open enrollment is the time for Medicare beneficiaries to review plan information and make educated decisions on what they want their coverage to be starting Jan. 1, 2025.
OFA will be hosting two Medicare Vendor Fairs at the Hoag Library. Representatives from Medicare Advantage Plans will be present to assist people in understanding changes in current plans and discuss any new plans for 2025. They can also help those interested enroll in a plan. Health insurance counselors from OFA will be available to answer questions, screen for possible benefits and provide unbiased information unrelated to any particular plan.
The events at Hoag Library will be held on Friday, October 18 and Friday, November 22 from 10 a.m. to noon. Hoag Library is located at 134 South Main St. in Albion. Attendees should bring their original Medicare Care and a list of both their prescription drugs and medical providers.
“Seniors are bombarded with information and solicitations for their healthcare insurance needs and with so many choices and potential program changes, it can get overwhelmingly very quickly,” said Melissa Blanar, Director of Orleans County OFA. “The goal of these meetings is to really help people understand their choices and spend time answering questions so they can make the decisions that are right for them.”
In addition to the Medicare Vendor Fair, OFA will also be hosting two “comparison meetings” on October 23 and November 19 from 2 to 3 p.m. in Conference Room C of the Orleans County Administration Building in Albion. People can meet with an OFA health insurance counselor to review Medicare updates and get help in making their own comparisons between the different Medicare plans.
Those interested in attending any of these events are asked to register in advance by calling OFA at 585-589-3191.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 October 2024 at 8:44 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The dome of the Orleans County Courthouse is being illumined in purple at night for the first half of October for domestic violence awareness month.
Orleans County Department of Social Services had 294 cases reported to the Domestic Violence Unit in 2023, and 196 from Jan. 1 to Sept. 1 in 2024. However, 90 percent of domestic violence goes unreported.
County legislators issued a proclamation about Domestic Violence Awareness Month, noting, “Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behavior that may include physical, emotional, psychological, economic, or sexual abuse, perpetrated by an intimate partner over another, to establish and maintain power and control.”
Domestic violence is the major cause of injury to women, resulting in more injuries to women than auto accidents, muggings and rapes combined, legislators said.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Orleans County Board of Elections officials are shown with one of the new voting machines that will be used in the upcoming presidential election, with early voting to start Oct. 26 and the general election on Nov. 5. Pictured from left include technicians Scott Bennett and Kevin Urbanik, and BOE commissioners Janice Grabowski and Mike Mele.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 September 2024 at 10:43 am
ALBION – Orleans County will be debuting new voting machines in the upcoming presidential election.
The new optical-scan machines will be better able to detect markings on the ballot. Voters will be able to use a ballpoint pen, instead of a marker, said Mike Mele, one of the county’s election commissioners.
The machines will also be equipped with technology for people to vote who are blind or hard of hearing. There are 15 new machines for people without disabilities and 13 with technology to assist people with disabilities, including braille, headphones for people to hear the ballot read to them, and “sip and puff” device technology for people who are quadriplegics.
The county purchased the current optical-scan machines in 2009, replacing the old mechanical lever machines, technology that had been used for about a century.
When the county made the switch to the optical scan machines, they were expected to last about a decade, said Janice Grabowski, the county’ election commissioner. The county used them for about five additional years beyond the initial expectation.
The machines have been tested out as part of training for elections inspectors. This question asks, “What is your favorite sports team?” The ballot was flagged because there were two answers on the ballot. The voter will be given the option of a new ballot or that line won’t be counted if that happens in the actual election.
The County Legislature in March authorized spending $238,972.50 for the new machines from Clear Ballot Group of Boston, MA. The new machines are compatible with the Election Management System used by the county.
The Board of Elections has set aside money in its budget in recent years towards the replacement cost of the machines, Grabowski said. The county also is using $5,607 in HAVA (Help America Vote Act) grant monies and $11,878 in TIER (Technology Innovation and Elections Resource) grant funds towards the purchase, leaving the remaining $221,487 as the county cost.
There are 11 polling sites in the county and each site will have a regular voting machine and one for people with disabilities. The BOE also will have six more in case there are any breakdowns with the 22 at the voting sites.
The machines are much faster to program with the ballots for the county’s voting technicians, about 6 hours per voting district compared to 12-14 hours before. Voting technicians Scott Bennett and Kevin Urbanik said that programming time should be reduced further as they become more experienced with the software.
File photo by Tom Rivers: A voter casts a ballot at Hoag Library on June 23, 2020 on one of the voting machines that has been replaced after about 15 years.
The county also will be introducing ballots on demand which Mele said will significantly reduce the costs of printing ballots. The county has been printed 110 percent of the ballots for about 25,000 registered voters. Those ballots are 48 to 56 cents each.
With print on demand, the ballot cost is about 20 cents each and the county only needs t print what is needed.
The upcoming election will have another change: people will sign in to vote on an iPad rather than the printed election books with the roll of registered voters. That also means people don’t have to go to their specifics voting district to sign in because the iPad will have all the names of registered voters in that town.
That is allowing the county to reduce the total number of election inspectors from 104 to about 70. The election inspectors are paid $260 for working elections, on days that start at 5:30 a.m. and go until past 9 p.m.
The county will continue to have inspectors from both the Republican and Democratic parties. Mele and Grabowski also stressed the county’s voting machines are not hooked into the internet and there is no chance for any outside interference.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jan Albanese is shown at her office at 131 South Main Street, at the back of the Main Street Corner Thrifts, Gifts, and More store run by Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. Albanese worked 37 years with ACT. When she started in 1987, Orleans County had the highest teen pregnancy rate in the state outside of New York City.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 September 2024 at 10:48 am
County’s teen pregnancy rate has dropped during Albanese’s tenure
ALBION – In 1987, Orleans County had the highest teen pregnancy rate in the state outside of New York City.
That high rate resulted in the start of the ACT program, and reps from ACT go to local school districts to teach sex education.
The teen pregnancy rate has dropped. The most recent statistics from 2021 put Orleans at the 20th highest teen pregnancy rate of the 57 counties outside NYC. Orleans was the fifth highest in 2020. In 2016, it ranked 34th.
Jan Albanese has been part of ACT for 37 years, starting as a secretary in 1987. In 1995 she took over as coordinator and has led ACT the past 28 years.
She has retired, with Wendy Cruz now serving as the program’s leader.
Albanese and her staff of three others developed a 6 to 8-hour curriculum, “Making Proud Choices.” ACT presents the program to youth ages 11 to 21, teaching about responsible sexual health choices. Albanese said the goal is for the youths to effectively communicate with their partner, make responsible decisions, delay the initial sexual encounter, lower the risk of teen pregnancies, and reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and infections.
The program is tailored to the different age levels and currently is offered in four Orleans County school districts and Batavia in Genesee County, reaching about 400 to 500 students a year. (Before the pandemic it was about 700 students.)
ACT currently isn’t working in Albion, where district staff do the sex education component in health class.
“It is age-appropriate education,” Albanese said. “A focus is for them to know what a healthy relationship looks like.”
Jan Albanese congratulates Wendy Cruz, the new director of the ACT program. Cruz has worked with ACT since February. “We’re trying to teach kids to better themselves,” Cruz said.
ACT staff will ask students how many of them have conversations about sex with their parents. Very few hands go up. Most parents don’t discuss sex, including consent and legal ramifications, with their children, Albanese said.
ACT recently received a new $2 million grant for over five years that will allow it to expand its expand its programming. That so far includes weekly after-school clubs in Holley, Lyndonville and Batavia. ACT also is helping connect youths to services in the community, including the DMV, mental health and other agencies.
Albanese said some ACT staff take youths to sit-down restaurants, which is a new experience for some of the local teens and pre-teens.
“There is an ever-present need,” Albanese said. “There is more work that we can do.”
Cruz, the new coordinator for ACT, said the program remains committed to empowering youths to make better choices, setting their lives up for success.
“We’re trying to teach kids to better themselves,” she said.
ACT also can provide presentations to the community about local statistics, risky behaviors, consent, relationships, internet safety, communication and access to local sexual health care services.
Marty Taber works as a health educator at ACT. He started in 1996. He said Albanese has been a very effective leader for ACT and the community.
“She is very dependable and responsible,” Taber said. “She is available, but she doesn’t micro-manage. I will miss her terribly.”
Albanese has been successful securing grant funding to keep the program going, and to expand the services. She also has served on the Orleans Community Services Board for 26 years, including the past 22 years as chairwoman.
She also served on the boards for GCASA (now UConnectCare), the Mental Health Association, Hoag Library, Human Services Council of Orleans County, Drug Free Communities Coalition, LPP/LIFE Program, OCH Community Partners, Albion PTA and PTSA, Catholic Daughters and the Cobblestone Society.
Provided photo: Orleans County Legislator Don Allport presents a “Special Recognition Award” to Jan Albanese during Tuesday’s Legislature meeting. Albanese was recognized for her 37 years with the ACT program, as well as her 26 years on the Community Services Board, including 22 years as a chairwoman of that board.
Photos contributed: New content in “Architecture Destroyed in Orleans County” includes this 1940 postcard of Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital, formerly the home of Ezra Coann.
Posted 20 September 2024 at 8:54 am
By Ginny Kropf and Tom Rivers
This is the cover of “Architecture Destroyed in Orleans County, New York,” a book first written by C.W. “Bill” Lattin in 1984. The cover shows E. Kirke Hart residence in Albion that was demolished in 1942.
ALBION – A book that was published 40 years ago highlighting mansions, churches and prominent buildings in Orleans County that were lost to fire or the wrecking ball has been updated.
C.W. “Bill” Lattin reprinted the book “Architecture Destroyed in Orleans County, N.Y.” It includes more structures that have taken down, including the Clarendon Universalist Church in 2006. That church was built in 1837.
A cobblestone smokehouse from about 1840 at the Five Corners in Gaines also was removed in 2022.
Proceeds from the reprinting of the book go to Cobblestone Society and Museum. The books are available for $15.
Doug Farley, the museum’s director, said Lattin’s book is a valuable resource of historic text and photographs.
“Orleans County, and in particular Albion and Medina, have had a treasure trove of beautiful buildings,” Lattin writes in the book, when it was first published in 1984. “It is indeed very unfortunate that some of the best examples of certain architectural styles were wrecked in the name of so-called ‘progress.’ The reader will quickly ascertain that some very fine buildings were demolished over 100 years ago. But unfortunately, many marvelous architectural creations have been destroyed in recent years, too.”
As a result, Lattin has added more up-to-date content to this printing to supplement what he originally wrote in 1984.
One of the features of the original publication was a list of more than 200 patrons and business sponsors who contributed toward the cost. These names are included in the reprint, as well as more than 60 new sponsors for 2024.
“These history-minded contributors have had their names printed in the new publication and are welcome to pick up a complimentary copy now at the Cobblestone Museum,” Farley said.
In his introduction to the latest book, Lattin says he has been fascinated with old buildings as far back as he can remember, even as a small child. He says a lot of very fine buildings were wrecked more than 100 years ago, but the worst toll has been since World War II.
One structure was a rustic log cabin on the Peter Smith Road, the last legitimate log house of its type in the county when it was torn down in the 1950s. Also demolished were many churches, such as Presbyterian churches in Holley, built in 1831, and the Presbyterian Church in Knowlesville, built in 1832.
Schools, such as the Yates Academy, the cobblestone Loveland School House in District #6, Albion, and Oak Orchard Elementary School in Medina were not spared the wrecking ball.
This photo credited to Alan Isselhard is the Clarendon Universalist Church which existed from 1837 to 2006. The federal style building was built of limestone which was quarried locally.
Many other notable structures met their fate, including a blacksmith shop in Millville, mills, the Orleans County Infirmary, hotels and elegant mansions, notably the home of Arnold Gregory on County House Road.
“By compiling this book, I want people to know and see what a truly beautiful village Albion once was,” Lattin said. “And I want people to see some of our other marvelous architectural creations which once stood throughout Orleans County.”
He added there is at least one destroyed building from every township in the county included in his book.
When he decided to put together a book, he said it seemed most appropriate to have the Cobblestone Society, as the leading preservationist group in Orleans County, publish it. The Society, which has preserved 10 buildings of its own, was founded for the purpose of preserving not only cobblestone structures, but related art and architecture.
A grant from Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO Art!) helped pay for the reprinting.
Erin Anheier, a former Cobblestone Museum president and a current trustee for the Landmark Society of Western New York, said Lattin’s book should inspire the community to appreciate and save the “wonderful old buildings” that remain in Orleans County.
Many of the sites are no longer used for their original purpose, but could be preserved and adapted for different uses, Anheier writes in the book’s epilogue.
“The variety of the architectural styles of past decades enlivens our landscape and speaks of the lives and hopes of our ancestors,” she said. “I would not want to live in a place that didn’t show its unique history with pride. A cookie-cutter community holds no appeal.”
ALBION – Orleans County is planning two voter registration days for people to make sure they can cast ballots in the upcoming election.
The Orleans County Board of Elections has set the following voter registration days:
Oct. 5 from 2 to 9 p.m. at the Hoag Library, 134 S Main St., Albion.
Oct. 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Board of Elections office, 14016 State Route 31, Suite 140.
Eligible New York voters have until Oct. 26 to register to vote in the general election on Nov. 5.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is urging New Yorkers to contact the NYS Board of Elections or their local County BOE for accurate and trustworthy election information.
The governor noted today, Sept. 17, is National Voter Registration Day. Eligible New Yorkers can register to vote online, in person, or by mail. Information about voter registration eligibility requirements, as well as links to the online voter registration portal and downloadable registration forms, can be found on the State Board of Elections website (click here).
“National Voter Registration Day is an important opportunity to foster engagement in our democracy,” Governor Hochul said. “Our democratic institutions are only as strong as the voters who participate in them, and I encourage every eligible New Yorker to make their voice heard.”
Voters who are unsure of whether they are already registered to vote can check their registration status at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.
Contact information for county boards of elections across New York State can be found by clicking here.
Election Day this fall will take place on Nov. 5 with early voting from Oct. 26 through Nov. 3.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 September 2024 at 4:24 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Orleans County Treasurer’s Office opened Tuesday at the former Bank of America branch at 156 South Main St., next to Subway.
Pictured from left this afternoon at the front window include Roxie Basinait, senior account clerk; Kristen Snell, senior account clerk; Alisha Richardson, principal clerk; and County Treasurer Kim DeFrank. Missing from the photo include deputy treasurer Melynda Brown and Susan Proietty, a part-time account clerk.
The Treasurer’s Office is at the former Bank of America site, which has a drive-through and is handicapped accessible with no stairs to climb for the general public.
County Treasurer Kim DeFrank praised the county Department of Public Works for moving the office from a historic building at 34 East Park St. just in time for school tax collection season. The Treasurer’s Office collects the taxes for Albion, Lyndonville and Medina school districts.
Treasurer Kim DeFrank sits in her new office today. She said the public has been positive so far about the drive-through and not having to go up any stairs to get inside.
The office was on East Park Street for 44 years. The Orleans County Legislature last September voted to pay $250,000 to buy the former bank site, which had been vacant since the bank closed the branch in Albion on Aug. 15, 2017.
There is still some finishing touches to do on the building, including signage and some interior touch-ups.
The county is tentatively planning a ribbon-cutting after the 4:30 p.m. Legislature meeting on Sept. 24.
The staff members are shown inside the Treasurer’s Office with the drive-through window in back. From left include Roxie Basinait, Kristen Snell, Alisha Richardson and Kim DeFrank.
The interior has been repainted with new carpet added. The cubicles and other office furniture were moved over beginning early last week.
The Treasurer’s Office still operated on East Park Street up to 5 p.m. on Friday, with 2 staff members using folding tables and a printer.
On Tuesday at 9 a.m., the office opened at the former bank site, a day after the Labor Day holiday.
DeFrank said she didn’t want the office to close to the public while it was being moved to 156 South Main.
“We didn’t miss a beat,” she said.
The building also includes a basement where many old records are stored, with tax rolls going back to 1994.
The Treasurer’s Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The drive-through should be entered through the adjoining plaza’s parking lot.
For tax payments, the office accepts cash, check and VISA, Mastercard and Discover cards, with an additional fee for credit cards.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Mark Tillman, long-time owner of the former Tillman’s Village Inn, accepts a lifetime achievement award during last year’s Orleans County Chamber of Commerce awards dinner. It was the 25th anniversary for the Chamber following the merger of the Albion and Medina chambers into a county-ide organization.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 September 2024 at 9:25 pm
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its 26th annual business awards.
Nominations are due by Sept. 9 and can be emailed to director@orleanschamber.com or mailed to OCCC, PO Box 501, Medina NY, 14103.
The categories include:
Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year. (Last year’s winner: Art Hill Excavating in Medina.)
Lifetime Achievement – This award is presented to an individual with a long-term record of outstanding business achievements. (Mark Tillman received the award in 2023.)
Phoenix Award – This award is presented to an organization or business that has successfully adapted or re-used an existing facility. (Robert Smith, owner of the Webber Hotel in Lyndonville, won the award last year.)
New Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business or organization that has opened in the past year. (Chris and McKenna Delorme of The Grove 1848 Bistro and Bar in Kendall won last 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. (Mary Lou Tuohey, owner of Case-Nic Cookies in Medina received the honor in 2023.)
Agricultural Business of the Year – This award is presented to an agricultural business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year. (Orleans Poverty Hill Farms, a dairy farm in Albion owned by the Neal family, won the award in 2023.)
Small Business of the Year – This award is presented to a small business that has experienced significant achievements/success throughout the year. (Sourced Market & Eatery in Millville won last year.)
Hidden Gem –This award is presented to a business that has made a positive contribution to tourism in Orleans County. (The Downtown Browsery in Albion and Medina won the honor in 2023.)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 August 2024 at 3:04 pm
Jim Bensley took on all kinds of tasks for the county, including marina manager and coordinator of household hazardous waste
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jim Bensley, director of the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development, speaks at a public hearing in November 2018 about the Western Orleans Comprehensive Plan. In back is Ed Houseknecht, the Shelby town supervisor at the time. Bensley worked with local municipalities on plans that are guides for future zoning and community priorities. The Western Orleans Comprehensive Plan includes the villages of Medina and Lyndonville, and the towns of Shelby, Ridgeway and Yates.
MEDINA – Many of the local officials in Orleans County, including village and town governments, are mourning the loss of Jim Bensley, who served as the county’s senior planner.
Bensley passed away at age 65 on Aug. 14, only a few days after coordinating another household hazardous waste collection day in the county. Bensley was at the Highway Department in Albion on West Academy Street for many hours on Aug. 10, helping people at the check-in while about 500 residents disposed of old car batteries, propane tanks, oils, solvents and other chemicals, as well as more than 1,000 tires.
Bensley took on that job, as well as the county marina manager for a few years, in addition to his primary job as the director of the Department of Planning and Development for the county.
In that role provided guidance for other county employees as well as the towns and villages as they updated zoning, developed comprehensive plans for the future, and reviewed site plans, requests for zoning variances and many other issues.
“This is a tremendous loss for the county,” said Dawn Borchert, the county’s tourism director. “He had such an institutional knowledge of the community. He knew every little town and corner in the county.”
Jim Bensley carries an old propane tank that was dropped off during the household hazardous waste collection event in August 2021. Bensley won the respect of his co-workers and staff for taking on any job, big and small.
Bensley started with the county in 1989 as a planner and was promoted to senior planner in 1996. He has served as the director of Planning & Development since January 2015.
Former County legislator Ken DeRoller has worked with Bensley since the 1980s, back when DeRoller was chairman of the Town of Kendall Planning Board. Bensley was a valuable resource for DeRoller later when he was a board member for the Orleans Economic Development Agency and a county legislator.
“Jim always had the best interest of land use policies and promoting proper use, plus programs to enhance the quality of life in Orleans County,” DeRoller said.
Bensley worked with the municipalities to develop land use policies along the Lake Ontario waterfront and the Erie Canal corridor.
“These programs enhanced the enjoyment and protection of over 75 miles of Shoreline,” DeRoller said.
DeRoller pushed the Planning and Development Department to take on more work, with the waterfront development plans, a study of the Lake Ontario State Parkway, managing the household hazardous waste collection and other projects.
Bensley didn’t shy away from the work, even as he juggled a part-time job for nearly 30 years as a professor in the urban and regional planning program at Buffalo State College. In 2018 he was honored with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching.
“He had this passion to keep moving forward and he had a love for Orleans County,” DeRoller said. “He had a strong internal drive, and wanted to move the county forward on land use.”
Jim Bensley (right), discusses the waterfront in Orleans with John Riggi, a Yates town councilman during a meeting in Carlton in April 2018. The towns of Carlton, Kendall and Yates as well as the Village of Lyndonville held a public meeting to discuss a waterfront development plan.
Bensley could bring consensus in meetings that were often contentious, with strong opinions from stakeholders, DeRoller said.
He was Orleans County representative for Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council and also the county’s commissioner on the board for the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority.
Many of the planning professionals in the region have been taught by him at Buffalo State, and he was the boss to others at the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development.
Sarah Gatti was his student at Buff State and then worked as a planner in Orleans County from 2015 to 2019. She now is a principal planner in Erie County for the Department of Environment and Planning.
She recently nominated Bensley for Michael J. Krasner Professional Planner Award, given by the Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association. Gatti found out last week Bensley will receive the honor which goes to “an individual for sustained contribution to the profession through distinguished practice, teaching, or writing.” It will be presented to Bensley’s family in October during a ceremony in Ithaca.
“I wanted to nominate Jim because he deserved it,” Gatti said. “He was supremely knowledgeable, and he was very passionate. He treated people with kindness as a boss. He was very supportive. There is a web of planners in the region who have been benefitted from his knowledge and mentorship.”
Calling hours will for Bensley will be Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Cooper Funeral Home, 215 W. Center St., Medina. His Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. at Holy Trinity Parish, St. Mary’s Church, 211 Eagle St., Medina.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 August 2024 at 1:04 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Orleans County Treasurer’s Office will soon be moving into the former Bank of America site at 156 S. Main St.
County Treasurer Kim DeFrank expects the office will be moved over and ready to serve the public on Sept. 3, just in time to collect school taxes for the Albion, Lyndonville and Medina school districts.
The Orleans County Legislature last September voted to pay $250,000 to buy the former bank site, which has been vacant since the bank closed on Aug. 15, 2017.
The bank site offers a drive-through and no front stairs, making for much easier accessibility for the public, DeFrank said.
“The drive-through is fully functional,” she said. “People won’t even have to get out of their car.”
The current treasurer’s office is in Central Hall at 34 East Park St. DeFrank said that historic building can be difficult for the public to use. Parking is in back of the building, and the handicapped accessibility ramp is on the back side of the building.
Central Hall was built in 1882 and was a school until 1934. It was the home to the Sheret Post #35 American Legion from 1935 until the county acquired it in 1980. The site has been used for the treasurer’s office, probation, computer services and historian. Currently, only the treasurer’s officer and historian’s office are using the building.
The red-brick building needs repointing and estimates have topped $100,000, DeFrank said.
The county didn’t have to do too much to get the bank site ready for the treasurer’s office. A fence was installed on the side and back, a new HVAC system was put in, as well as some carpet and flooring. Two offices also were built out by the county Department of Public Works.
The furniture from the current treasurer’s office and the front counter will be moved over next week.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 August 2024 at 8:31 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature shared a proclamation on July 30 in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Iroquois Job Corps.
Pictured from left include Luke Kantor (Admissions and Career Transition Services manager for the Iroquois Job Corps), Deshawn Knights, Logan Abeyta, Unique Weeks, Janissa Legister, County Legislator Fred Miller and Job Corps operations director JT Thomas.
The proclamation states that Job Corps has been an integral part of the employment and training system for young adults aged 16-24 throughout the United States, an essential partner in Orleans County, and the nation’s largest residential training organization with over 120 campuses.
The Iroquois Job Corps Center in Shelby has helped to train and launch the careers of young adults from Orleans County and the Northeast Boston Region 1 of Job Corps to help them earn essential, field-leading credentials in a vocational trade that will allow them to then obtain gainful employment to better themselves, legislators said.
Job Corps was launched as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Economic Opportunity Act in 1964. Job Corps has provided opportunities for individual advancement for over 3 million young Americans, the proclamation states.
“The program is rooted in a culture of support and compassion that emphasizes hard work, education, and training to serve local communities connecting with local businesses, unions, and employers to ensure that today’s youth are equipped with the necessary tools to build the future of tomorrow,” legislators said.
The program also teaches life skills that assist young adults to be successfully well-rounded individuals to obtain and hold careers and assist with breaking cycles of generational poverty, the proclamation states.
“Job Corps provides student graduates with transitional support services, such as job hunting, finding stable housing, child care, transportation, and drivers education programs as they enter the local workforce, join apprenticeship/training programs, pursue higher education at a college, and/or enlist in the military,” according to the proclamation.
Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke
Provided photo: Jeff Cole is shown with Otto. The two have worked together the past eight years.
ALBION – K9 Otto has served the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office for 8 years and is scheduled to retire soon.
Otto was born in Holland on July 26, 2014, and was imported through Upstate K9 in October 2016 where he was then paired with Deputy Jeff Cole. Throughout his career so far, Otto has worked over 22,000 hours, has 192 deployments and has patrolled over 175,000 miles in Orleans County. Otto has also loved participating in community events and putting on demonstrations.
The Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit serves all of Orleans County, including assisting the Village Police Departments when needed. We also help our neighboring counties whenever needed. When incidents occur, it is always a collaborative effort with the Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit and our law enforcement partners.
“Words cannot begin to describe how much Otto means to me, my family, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the community he has so faithfully served,” Cole said. “He has been a great partner.”
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is looking to purchase another dog to fill the spot of Otto when he retires.
“The next dog has big shoes to fill,” Cole said.
Deputy Cole plans to purchase Otto from the county so he can finish his retirement years in the home he has known most of his life.
The training and certification process requires a tremendous commitment of time and effort on behalf of Deputy Cole and the Sheriff’s Office, but the value of this team is beyond any monetary value. One lost child or elderly person found, one piece of evidence found by the K9 for a critical case to help a victim, drugs found in a search to keep them out of the hands of loved ones…the list goes on.
There are costs involved with obtaining and deploying a K-9 Team. In our case we have an experienced handler in Deputy Cole, but choosing the correct dog is critical to success. The dog must possess the right physical capabilities, temperament, and clarity to complete the training and become certified. K-9 training includes obedience, tracking, article search and apprehension ability for the less than lethal option we need to have available to us. We then add the Drug Detection or Bomb Detection training as well.
Sheriff Christopher Bourke and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office appreciate any support possible from businesses and community members, as we look forward to continuing the Sheriffs K9 Team with Deputy Cole and a new partner.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 August 2024 at 10:15 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Employees from Environmental Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati are in Albion today for the Orleans County annual household hazardous waste collection day.
More than 500 residents are expected to get rid of leftover chemicals, batteries, tires, oil and solvents.
The top photo shows and EEI employee at the solvent station where oil, anti-freeze and solvents are collected.
The county has had a contract with EEI for several years for the household hazardous waste collection. The company has 22 employees in Albion today and they will take back two tractor-trailer loads of household hazardous waste.
The county typically pays the company about $18,000 to collect and remove the household hazardous waste, with the state then reimbursing the county about half of the costs.
EEI does the collection events for communities in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Indianna.
The event is held at the Orleans County Highway Garage on West Academy Street in Albion with residents signing up for appointments to dispose of their materials in a safe and environmental-friendly way.
EEI workers took all kinds of household hazardous waste, including pesticides, motor oiler & filters, adhesives, antifreeze, solvents, tires, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, aerosols, old-based paints and empty propane tanks.
Orleans County Public Works Department employees remove tires from the back of a pickup truck. Andy Beach is pulling the tires off. Other highway employees include Vinny Zona, Cale Stinson Jr. and Keith Ward. Corey Winters, right, from the planning department also worked with the crew.
