ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has approved 2 percent raises for the management team in county government for 2022 and 2023.

One legislator, Don Allport, opposed the raises during a meeting last week, saying these are uncertain economic times and taxpayers are already getting hit with high inflation.

Other county officials said Orleans needs to be competitive to keep its department heads and other members of the management team. The raises are at the same rate as employees in the CSEA and other unions.

In other action, the Legislature:

• Approved spending $10,175 audiovisual equipment in the legislative chambers at the County Office Building. The county is adding cameras and equipment. The room opened in June 2019 as part of a new addition to the  County Office Building. At that time, county officials didn’t foresee public meetings would go remote during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The county’s Computer Services Department will work with Audio-Video Corporation of Albany for the upgrade in the meeting room.

• Appointed the following to the County Planning Board: Daniel Strong (at-large central) of Kent, Darryl Sanford (at-large central alternate) of Albion, Christopher Kinter (Town of Albion) of Albion, Kevin Parker (Town of Albion alternate) of Albion, and David Knapp (Town of Murray) of Holley.

• Approved an agreement with Lynne Menz Designs of Kent to provide Tourism Coordinator Services to Orleans County in 2022 at a cost not to exceed $18,720. The Legislature also approved an agreement with Lynne Menz Designs to provide design services to Orleans County in 2022 at a cost not to exceed $22,000. This agreement includes costs associated with advertising design, publication design, social media, photography and video production to be paid on a project basis.

• Authorized a $2,500 stipend for Dawn Borchert, the county’s tourism director, to perform the functions of a Marine Park Manager.

• Approved an additional $20,000 for the County of Orleans Industrial Development Agency (COIDA) for economic development services for 2021. This is extra to the $190,000 the county allocated for the agency in the county budget. The $20,000 comes the federal American Rescue Plan and will be used to advance small businesses.

ALBION – Orleans County will continue to work with lobbying firm in 2022 at a cost of $90,000 for the year, the same rate as 2020 and 2021.

The County Legislature last week agreed to pay Park Strategies $5,000 a month for government affairs services at the federal level and $2,500 a month for government affairs services at the state level.

Park Strategies was founded by Al D’Amato, the former U.S. senator from New York. The firm has given Orleans County a “louder voice” at the state and U.S. capitols, county officials said.

The firm assists county officials in setting up meetings with representatives from the state and federal governments. Park Strategies also makes the county aware of legislative that could be helpful or harmful to the county, and brainstorms ways to pursue funding for critical projects in the county, including expansion of high-speed internet.

This will be the eighth year the county has contracted with Park Strategies. County officials believe the relationship has benefitted residents.

Park helped make the county’s case to the state Department of Transportation for canal bridges to be repaired. The state spent about $10.7 million recently to fix seven bridges.

The state also has repaved portions of the Lake Ontario State Parkway, committed to dredging harbors on Lake Ontario and also allocated funds to protect lakeshore properties from flooding.

The county also will receive $7.8 million from the federal in American Rescue Plan money, with some of those funds going to expand broadband internet.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has approved the 2022 sales tax apportionment with the 10 towns and four villages in Orleans County.

The annual apportionment shifts some of the sales tax given to the towns and villages. The county divides the village taxable value by the town taxable value to determine the percentages due to the town and village.

If a town’s tax base grows at a greater percentage than the village within that town’s borders, the town gets more of the sales tax and vice versa. The four towns without a village – Barre, Carlton, Clarendon and Kendall – stay unchanged for a decade because the sales tax apportionment once every 10 years is set based on population. For towns with villages the shares are then modified each year after based on changes in the tax base.

The apportionment in 2021 broke a trend in previous years where the village share grew – at the expense of the towns. But 2022 shifts more sales tax to the towns.

The county receives about $20 million in sales tax annually, and shares $1,366,671 with the four villages and 10 towns. They have been frozen at that level since 2001.

The sales tax has been on a big growth swing the past two years with more online sales tax being captured. This year’s growth also is fueled by the higher gas prices.

Once a decade the town and village amounts are set based on local population. However, each year after that the share is modified based on the assessed values of towns with villages.

The villages have seen their share take a hit by nearly $30,000 from 2013 to 2022, falling from $404,661 in 2013 to $375,620 in 2022.

In Albion, the village hit a high of $211,669 in 2004. In 2022, it will receive $165,688, which is $45,981 less than in 2004.

In Holley, the village hit a high of $62,549 in 2002 – 20 years later it’s down to $45,051, a cut of $17,498.

Lyndonville was at $18,592 in 2002 and has dropped to $15,243 in 2022.

In Medina, the village received a high of $173,592 in 2002 and will be at $149,638 in 2021, a decline of $23,954.

The county is using some of the local sales tax to pay $290,000 in AIM payments to towns and villages that were funded by the state. The state also takes $190,274 in the county sales tax and diverts it to “financially distressed health facilities.”

State paying for 17,600 masks for Orleans County

ALBION – Orleans County residents can pick up free KN95 masks at three locations on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m.

Firefighters and EMTs will be handing out the masks at the following locations:

• Murray Joint Fire District Station 1 (7 Thomas St, Holley)
• County Administration Building (14016 Rt 31, Albion)
• Ridgeway Fire Company Station 1 (11392 Ridge Rd, Medina)

The state is paying for 17,600 of the masks to be distributed in the county. Until supplies are depleted, the KN95 masks will also be available to the public during normal county business hours at the County Clerks Office, County Admin Building, Veterans Office, Public Safety Building, and Treasurer’s Office.

Some of the masks are going to local municipalities for essential workers and first responders. Any business in the county in need of the masks should call the county Emergency Management Officer at (585) 589-4414.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has doubled the size of a medical scholarship, from $36,000 to $72,000 over four years.

The county started offering the scholarship in 1966 to entice young physicians to work as doctors in the county.

The Orleans County Medical Scholarship Board recommended the scholarship be increased due to the increased costs involved in medical training.

“The Orleans County Legislature wishes to ensure that Orleans County is meeting the needs of our residents by securing physicians for our future health care needs,” the Legislature said last week in voting to increase the scholarship.

Orleans shows largest percentage decline in WNY in 2020 Census count

Photos by Tom Rivers – Albion Correctional Facility looms large at the end of Washington Street in Albion. The site is the largest women’s prison in the state. In 2020, Albion Correctional had 759 female inmates out of the 1,315 women incarcerated in the state prisons.

When the Census population counts came out in mid-August, the data showed Orleans County had the largest percentage decline in Western New York.

Countywide the population went down 5.9 percent, or by 2,540 people from 42,883 in 2010 to 40,343 in 2020.

Among the 10 towns in the county, Albion had the biggest percentage loss, down 829 residents or a 9.8 percent drop – from 8,468 in 2010 to 7,639 in 2020.

The two state prisons are in the town of Albion and there has been much news attention about the shrinking inmate population with bail reform and a push to reduce the inmate population due to Covid-19 concerns.

Orleans Hub submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in August.

Today we were given answers to our questions about how the local and state-wide inmate population changed from 2010 to 2020.

The number of inmates is down at the two prisons, but not at the rate experienced statewide among the incarcerated population.

Statewide the number of inmates declined 39.9 percent from 2010 to 2020, down by 22,824 from 57,229 in 2010 to 34,405 in 2020.

The inmate population saw its biggest decline from 2019 to 2020, decreasing by 22.3 percent in one year, or by 9,871 inmates – from 44,276 to 34,405.

State-wide, here is how the inmate population changed each year from 2010 to 2020:

• 2010 – 57,229
• 2011 – 55,979, down 1,250 or 2.2%
• 2012 – 54,865, down 1,114 or 2.0%
• 2013 – 54,142, down 723 or 1.3%
• 2014 – 53,103, down 1,039 or 1.9%
• 2015 – 52,344, down 759 or 1.4%
• 2016 – 51,466, down 878 or 1.7%
• 2017 – 50,271, down 1,195 or 2.3%
• 2018 – 47,459, down 2,812 or 5.6%
• 2019 – 44,276, down 3,183 or 6.7%
• 2020 – 34,405, down 9,871 or 22.3%

The Orleans Correctional Facility is lined with a razor-wire fence. The facility was built on Gaines Basin Road about four decades ago.

The two local state prisons include the Albion Correctional Facility, a women’s prison, and Orleans Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison for men.

Albion Correctional is down 147 inmates over the 10 years from 906 to 759, a 16.2 percent decline. Orleans Correctional is down 212 inmates in the 10 years from 985 to 773, a 21.5 percent drop.

The total decline of 359 inmates at the two prisons accounts for 14.1 percent of the county’s 2,540-resident reduction in the 10 years.

The data from the Census Bureau shows a population drop in nearly every Orleans County municipality. Yates was the only municipality to avoid a loss in residents, but just barely. The town grew by 8 people or by 0.3 percent.

The unemployment rate in Orleans County was at a pandemic low in November – 3.7 percent.

The unemployment rate was down from 5.7 percent in November 2020 in Orleans County. The number employed in Orleans is up from 16,200 in November 2020 to 16,300 last month, while the number unemployed has dropped from 1,000 to 600 in the same 12 months.

State-wide the unemployment rate has dropped from 8.3 percent in November 2020 to 5.5 percent in November 2021.

Orleans County hit an unemployment high of 16.8 percent in April 2020, when many businesses were closed due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The rate has been trending down most of the year in Orleans County from 7.3% in January, 7.6% in February, 7.1% in March, 5.6% in April, 5.1% in May, 5.5% in June, 5.7% in July, 5.6% in August, 4.2% in September, 4.1% in October and 3.7% in November.

Among the metro areas, New York City has the highest unemployment rate at 8.0 percent, while Ithaca is the lowest at 2.9 percent.

The rate among the rural GLOW counties include Genesee, 3.3 percent; Livingston, 3.1 percent; Orleans, 3.7 percent; and Wyoming, 3.6 percent.

ALBION – Orleans County will see its revenue from Batavia Downs Gaming go up significantly this year with the race track and its 879 video lottery terminals having a record year.

Orleans was getting about $35,000 eight years ago as a part owner of the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. That was money from OTB betting surcharges and profits from the gaming facility.

That was up to $51,822 in 2019 and is on pace for $85,000 this year, said Ed Morgan, the county’s representative on the WROTB board of directors.

“It is a banner year,” Morgan told county legislators on Monday.

The gaming floor has generated $60,656,682 during the 11 months so far this year. That doesn’t include December. That is already ahead of the previous record high in revenue for a 12-month period – $60,087,894 from April 1, 2019 to March 30, 2020.

The net revenue has averaged $6 million a month at Batavia Downs Gaming since April, a pace for $72 million over 12 months.

The profit is divvied up with 39 percent to state education, 10 percent to gaming and administration, 41 percent to the operator (WROTB), 8.75 percent to horse racing purses and 1.25 percent to horse breeders.

The Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. owns and operates Batavia Downs as well as OTB branches. There are 15 counties and the cities of Rochester and Buffalo that make up WROTB, and they split revenue based on their population. Orleans receives about 1.5 percent of the total. Erie County, the largest county by population, gets 24.5 percent.

WROTB projected $61,260 for Orleans County in 2021, but passed that through the first three quarters of the year with payments at $63,027.

Batavia Downs was shut down about five months in 2020 due to Covid restrictions and then operated a reduced capacity for many months until July 2021 when the full gaming floor was reopened.

Morgan said Batavia Downs Gaming experienced a surge in revenue when the Covid restrictions were eased.

“People just wanted to be out,” he said.

WROTB also bought a hotel next to the race track track/gaming facility and has offered “stay and play” promotions that have increased the occupancy rate from 60 percent to 85 to 92 percent on weekends, Morgan said.

“There has been a big increase in hotel occupancy, and they use the gaming floor,” he said. “We believe that has made a huge factor in the third quarter.”

A summer concert series at Batavia Downs also has brought many people to the gaming floor and race track, Morgan said.

Photo by Tom Rivers: COVA Ambulance heads out for a call in November 2020.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature in early 2022 is expected to form a task force to find solutions to an EMS system that is in crisis locally, with too few responders and not enough ambulances, often resulting in delayed responses.

County Legislator Skip Draper said a draft of members of the task force will be put together “in the next few weeks.” Those members will represent a cross-section of stakeholders, likely including officials from ambulance providers, fire departments, the Emergency Management Office, and town, village and county governments.

Draper said the larger group on the task force may be divided into smaller groups to look closely at all the issues.

The local government leaders discussed the issue during the Oct. 26 meeting of the Orleans County Association of Municipalities.

The county’s Emergency Management Office reviewed recent data showing increased dropped calls and slower responses, especially in eastern and central Orleans.

The western end of the county, which is primarily served by the Medina Fire Department with career firefighters, isn’t plagued by the issues.

Justin Niederhofer, deputy director of Emergency Management Office in Orleans County, said many of the paramedic and EMT positions require extensive training, but don’t pay very well with little fringe benefits. The pay isn’t much better than working in fast food or minimum wage jobs, without the training and responsibilities.

The shortage of responders has long been a concern among local officials, but in recent months the response times have grown longer with more dropped calls in central and eastern Orleans, Niederhofer said at the meeting.

The ambulance providers are fiscally challenged with low reimbursement rates from Medicare and Medicaid, and many patients who keep the insurance checks rather than turning them to the ambulance companies, Niederhofer said. There are also many patients without insurance resulting in little revenue for COVA, Monroe Ambulance and other providers.

The new task force will look for ways to strengthen the local EMS, and one solution may include creating some paid positions through the county government to help improve response times and service to residents in a health crisis. Some other counties have added ambulances and staff to supplement services and fill gaps in EMS coverage.

“There are 12 broken pieces to the puzzle,” Dale Banker, the county’s emergency management director, said at the Oct. 26 meeting.

Graduation celebrated at new conference center at Bent’s Opera House

Photos courtesy of Kelly Kiebala: The new graduates of Leadership Orleans are shown together after completing the program that explored many aspects of life in Orleans County.

Press Release, Leadership Orleans

MEDINA – The Leadership Orleans Class of 2021 celebrated its graduation at Bent’s Opera House in Medina on Dec. 9.

The group of 24 is the fourth class to complete the program. They were recognized for completion of the program, which usually runs January through December, but in 2021 was condensed to run from April through December out of an abundance of caution due to the pandemic in the early part of the year.

In addition to the opening and closing retreats, the class participated in 10 “Day Sessions” covering the following themes, with learning outcomes identified for each: Legislative Affairs, Leadership Challenge, Community Health, Tourism & Recreation, Business & Culture, Economic & Workforce Development, Agribusiness, Volunteerism, Education, and Simulated Society.

Catherine Holland and Benjamin McPherson were picked by the class to be speakers for the ceremony.

The Class of 2021 includes the following leaders in our community:

• Rebecca Alexander – Owner, Dubby’s Wood Fired
• Richard Allis Jr. – Pastor, Light of Victory Church
• Mourad Attar – Quality Engineer, Baxter Healthcare
• Donna Ciccarelli – Inventory Spare Parts Planner, Baxter Healthcare
• Samantha Covis – Assistant Director, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library
• Joanna Follman – Payroll Admin./Bookkeeper, Millennium Roads, LLC
• Nicole Goyette – Assistant Principal, Orleans CTE Center, Orleans/Niagara BOCES
• Sherry Haylett – Director of Finance, Arc GLOW
• Catherine Holland – Retail Manager, Leonard Oakes Estate Winery
• Renee Hungerford – Executive Director, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee
• Katherine Jurs – Herd Care Manager, Orleans Poverty Hill Farms
• Denise Klos – Manager of Operations, RTS Orleans
• Ayesha Kreutz – Client Advocate/Just Friends Coord., Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern
• Michael Magnuson – Reference Librarian, Hoag Library
• Benjamin McPherson – Financial Advisor, Edward Jones Investments
• Gabe Myers – Customer Service Manager, LynOaken Farms
• Stacy Newell – Operations Manager, Claims Recovery Financial Services
• Justin Niederhofer – Deputy Director, Orleans County Emergency Management
• Melinda Pitcher – Manufacturing Supervisor, Baxter Healthcare
• Christine Ranallo – Manager, Cobblestone Country Fed. Credit Union
• Robert Riemer – Chief Deputy, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office
• Elissa Smith – Elementary Principal, Lyndonville Central School District
• Sean Snook – Chief Operating Officer, Claims Recovery Financial Services
• Scott Wilson – Superintendent, Orleans County Jail

In addition to recognizing all graduates, during the ceremony several awards were presented. Each year, the current class votes on two awards: First Impression – the site they visited that made the most significant impression on the group, and Presenter of the Year – the individual who was part of one of the day sessions and whose presentation was the most impactful.

Roger Hungerford, developer of the renovated Bent’s Opera House, addresses the class after being recognized as a distinguished leader in the community.

This year’s award winners were Orleans/Niagara BOCES Medina CTE Campus Center for “First Impression” and Gabrielle Barone with the Orleans Economic Development Agency for “Presenter of the Year.”

The LO class also votes on a speaker(s) to offer Class Comments during Graduation each year, and this year’s speakers were Catherine Holland and Benjamin McPherson. Class members Mourad Attar and Samantha Covis were acknowledged for their top performances in 2021 class challenges, as well.

Two individuals were recognized with special awards for their engagement and outstanding leadership in the community and unique roles in supporting the continued success of the Leadership Orleans program: Ken DeRoller as Alumnus of the Year and Roger Hungerford as Distinguished Leader. Remarks on behalf of Orleans County were offered by John C. Welch, Jr., Orleans County Administrative Officer.

Leadership Orleans Program Director, Skip Helfrich, along with Steering Committee Chair Kelly Kiebala and Committee Member Charlie Nesbitt presented the awards and congratulated 2021 LO Class members on their graduation.

Additional Steering Committee members include Delano Alvarez, Baxter Healthcare; Ellen Eaton, Takeform; Nadine Hanlon, Orleans County Clerk; Jerod Thurber, CommonaliTEES, LLC; Kathleen “Kitty” Maerten, Retired Superintendent, Alexander CSD; Laura Olinger, Bentley Bros.; Paul Pettit, Genesee & Orleans Counties Public Health Director; Barbara Shine, retired, GCC; Lisa Tombari, Takeform; and Patrick Weissend, Tompkins Bank of Castile.

The Leadership Orleans 2021 program was made possible with financial support from the County of Orleans and Talis Equity, as well as the Albion Rotary Club, APEX Clean Energy, Baxter Healthcare, Bentley Brothers, Brigden Memorials, Brighton Securities, Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes, Claims Recovery Financial Services, Farm Credit East ACA, Friends of Steve Hawley, Holley Rotary Club, Kast Farms, Keeler Construction/Barre Stone Products, Lyndonville Area Foundation, Medina Area Partnership, Medina Sandstone Trust, Orleans County EDA, Takeform Architectural Graphics, Watson Enterprises and Western New York Energy. Special thanks to Austin Carpenter of Concepts & Creations for the awards and Lynne Menz of Lynne Menz Designs for creative design.

The 2022 Leadership Orleans program is excited to kick off in January with a full complement of 26 individuals.

For more information or if you are interested in participating in the program, visit www.leadershiporleans.org or contact Skip Helfrich at 585-589-5605, skip@leadershiporleans.org.

The graduation ceremony was held in the conference center on the third floor of the Bent’s Opera House.

Ken DeRoller and John DeFilipps helped push many projects

Provided photo: Orleans County legislators John DeFilipps, left, and Ken DeRoller, far right, were presented with a State Senate proclamation on Monday evening during a retirement reception in their honor. State Assembly members Steve Hawley, second from left, and Mike Norris, second from right, joined in recognizing the two county legislators. State Sen. Robert Ortt is in center.

ALBION – Two Orleans County legislators who joined the Legislature together eight years ago attended their final meeting as legislators on Monday.

Ken DeRoller of Kendall and John DeFilipps of Clarendon were both praised for their high-energy in pushing through many projects.

“These two legislators committed themselves full-time to the position,” said Lynne Johnson, County Legislature chairwoman. “You have served with dedication and commitment.”

The two were presented with plaques from the county for their service on the Legislature. State Sen. Robert Ortt also presented both with framed proclamations from the State Senate.

DeRoller and DeFilipps both opted to retire rather than seek re-election. DeRoller’s spot in January will be filled by John Fitzak of Carlton and Ed Morgan will take DeFilipps’ place on the seven-member board.

DeFilipps said he was grateful for the many friendships he made around the county in his role as legislator.

“I met a lot of good people, been to places I probably wouldn’t have gone,” he said during Monday’s Legislature meeting.

DeRoller sees progress on many fronts for the county.

He cited the $17 million transformation of the Holley High School, which is now 41 apartments and the Holley village officials. That project is a major improvement at one of the gateways into Orleans County along Route 31.

New homes are being built as part of the Cottages at Troutburg, a former Salvation Army camp in Kendall.

DeRoller was on the committees that pushing for waterfront revitalization plans for the Lake Ontario lakeshore towns of Kendall, Carlton and Yates. He also pushed for the waterfront revitalization plan for the Erie Canal communities.

DeRoller said those plans have identified many projects and initiatives to better utilize that waterfront property for residential, recreational and business development.

“This will give us some opportunities for the future,” DeRoller said about the plans.

He also noted major projects to better withstand high Lake Ontario water levels, projects identified by local and state leaders for Yates, Carlton and Kendall. The shoreline is now better protected to fight flooding, DeRoller said, and the Oak Orchard and Johnson Creek harbors have been dredged to allow better passage for boaters.

He also thanked the team of county officials for moving forward with broadband expansion that will close the internet gaps in Orleans, a project that has been about a decade in the works.

He also praised a digital literacy initiative led by the Orleans County United Way over the next five years to equip residents to use technology. And he cited the Cooperative Extension for its push to create a robotics garage at Fairgrounds, teaching students to use science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

“It’s been a pleasurable trip,” DeRoller said. “The journey has been challenging and rewarding.”

He offered a “special thanks” to all of the county employees, legislative clerks and the staff at the Orleans Economic Development Agency. DeRoller and DeFilipps both have served on the agency’s board of directors.

“Together we achieve more,” DeRoller said. “Thanks for listening. It’s been a pleasure.”

The Orleans Digital Literacy initiative has partnered with all the local libraries in Orleans County as meeting space for members of the community to meet tech mentors and receive tech help, according to Kathryn Leach from Cornell Cooperative Extension, who is coordinating the Digital Literacy program.

Members of the public can stop by with any tech questions, meet mentors and schedule tech mentoring. There will also be information guides which people can take home. An example includes tips on what to do if a cell phone or computer isn’t working well, and tips on how families can monitor their children’s technology use and keep their kids safe.

Participating are our tech mentors from Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Orleans County Career Center, Orleans County Adult Learning Services, Orleans County Office of the Aging and Hoag Library.

The tech mentoring educational program is administered by the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension and Leach will be at all the events. The program is funded by a grant obtained by United Way of Orleans County and executive director Dean Bellack will also attend.

The schedule of tech help events is as follows for January:

• Saturday, Jan. 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Yates Community Library in Lyndonville.
• Monday, Jan. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Yates Community Library in Lyndonville.
• Thursday, Jan. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Hoag Library in Albion.
• Saturday, Jan. 15 from 10 a.m. to noon at Hoag Library in Albion.
• Tuesday, Jan. 18 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina.
• Saturday, Jan. 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina.
• Wednesday, Jan. 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Community Free Library in Holley.
• Saturday, Jan. 29 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Community Free Library in Holley.

In February, dates are:

• Saturday, Feb. 5 from 5 to 11 a.m. at Yates Community Library.
• Monday Feb. 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Yates Community Library.
• Tuesday, Feb. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Lee Whedon-Memorial Library in Medina.
• Saturday, Feb. 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina.
• Thursday, Feb. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Hoag Library in Albion.
• Saturday, Feb. 19 from 10 a.m. to noon at Hoag Library in Albion.
• Wednesday, Feb. 23 from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Community Free Library in Holley.
• Saturday, Feb. 26 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Community Free Library in Holley.

These events at local libraries will be a chance to meet people and spread the word about the tech mentoring services being provided through Cornell Cooperative Extension and United Way of Orleans County.

Photo and information courtesy of Orleans County Deputy Sheriff’s Association

ALBION – During the month of November deputies from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office participated in “No Shave November,” which allows for the deputies to bend department policy and grow facial hair in lieu of charitable donation.

This year the Orleans County Deputy Sheriff’s Association donated $500 to Orleans County Child and Family Services. The donation will be used to purchase Christmas presents for local children. The Deputy Sheriff’s Association would like to thank Sheriff Christopher Bourke, Undersheriff Jeffrey Gifaldi and Chief Deputy Rob Riemer for allowing the deputies to participate.