By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 August 2021 at 8:53 am
ALBION – Orleans County is calling on the state to pay $1.6 million that Orleans says it is owed in Medicaid reimbursements from April 2016 to April 2020.
The county contends it is due the money, which are federal funds passed down to the state, as part of a provision in the Affordable Care Act with the federal government upping the Medicaid matching share. That has saved the state billions of dollars, the Orleans County Legislature stated in a resolution.
Those savings should then be shared with counties, which pay a local share towards Medicaid, county legislators said.
The state has a methodology where 80 percent of the increased federal funds should go to counties. However, the state has last reconciled with the counties in the state’s 2015-16 fiscal year.
The New York State Association of Counties estimates the state owes $800 million to all of the counties and New York City through withheld Medicaid reimbursements.
“By not providing these federal funds it requires counties and New York City to reserve funds locally to make up for the loss, meaning local taxes have been kept higher than they need to be over multiple years, or local services had to be scaled back or eliminated,” county legislators stated in a resolution.
Legislators called on the state to take immediate steps to release the funds, and to provide timely notice to counties of the coming year’s Medicaid costs. The resolution from the County Legislature was sent to the Governor’s Office and the State Legislature.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 August 2021 at 12:25 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – There was big turnout today with the return of the household hazardous waste collection. Last year’s event was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. This year the county quickly had all 320 slots filled with at least another 100 calling for an appointment.
The top photo shows employees with Environmental Enterprises in Cincinnati collecting the household hazardous waste, where many of the fluids will be emptied into large drums to be hauled away. The is free to Orleans County residents.
This photo shows Matt Herman of the Orleans County DPW dumping tires into the pile by the DPW garage on West Academy Street in Albion. The big pile is expected to be removed next week by Modern Disposal.
The county accepted at least 1,200 tires. Residents were limited to 10 tires for the drop-off today. The county added tires to the annual household hazardous collection event in 2019 and received about 1,000 two years ago.
Tyler Jurs and other DPW workers unload a truck full of tires. The tires needed to be rimless. Only non-commercial and non-farm tires were accepted today. Jurs was joined by Paul Gray, Greg Lane and Matt Herman in unloading the tires today.
Paul Gray, a long-time DPW employee, said he is seeing far fewer tires along roadsides and other household hazardous waste since the county started the collections.
Gray said that also includes fewer computer monitors and TVs since collection points were set up by the county. Local DPW and highway crews frequently were hauling those items out of ditches and fields.
“There is much less discarded by the roads now,” Gray said.
Jim Bensley, the county’s director of planning and development, carries one of the tanks dropped off today. He said the big turnout today has county officials looking at a bigger event next year, with either more slots for residents in one or two different days.
Environmental Enterprises, the company doing the collection, is booked up for the rest of the year and isn’t available for another event in Orleans County in 2021.
Bensley said there was pent-up demand for today’s collection with many people cleaning out garages and houses during the pandemic. He also thinks the home sale transactions prompted many people to clear out basements and buildings.
Corey Winters, a planner with the county, carries propane tanks. There were 349 empty propane tanks collected in August 2019 at the last household hazard waste collection event in Orleans County.
Anitrice Bennett from the County Planning and Development Department checks in a resident for today’s household hazardous waste collection on West Academy Street.
The event allows residents to dispose of tires, propane tanks, auto/marine batteries and other hazardous household waste in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Some of the items include oil-based paints, solvents, adhesives & resins, aerosols, motor oil & filters, pesticides, acids, fluorescent bulbs, corrosives, household batteries and antifreeze.
The county typically pays Environmental Enterprises about $18,000 to collect and remove the household hazardous waste, with the state then reimbursing the county about half of the costs.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 August 2021 at 2:57 pm
Town of Albion has biggest drop at 9.8% among 10 towns
The new data from the U.S. Census Bureau on the 2020 count shows that every town and village in Orleans County experienced population loss from 2010, except for the Town of Yates.
Countywide the population is down 5.9 percent, or by 2,540 people from 42,883 in 2010 to 40,343 in 2020. That percent decline is the steepest of all counties in Western New York.
The data from the Census Bureau shows a population drop in nearly every Orleans County municipality with Albion experiencing the biggest loss at 9.8 percent. Yates avoided a loss in residents, but just barely. The town grew by 8 people or by 0.3 percent.
TOWNS – The population changes for 10 towns includes:
Albion – 7,639 in 2020, down 829 or 9.8% from the 8,468 in 2010
Barre – 1,843 in 2020, down 182 or 9.0% from 2,025 in 2010
Carlton – 2,835 in 2020, down 159 or 5.3% from 2,994 in 2010
Clarendon – 3,315 in 2020, down 333 or 9.1% from 3,648 in 2010
Gaines – 3,226 in 2020, down from 152 or 4.5% 3,378 in 2010
Kendall – 2,617 in 2020, down 107 or 3.9% from 2,724 in 2010
Murray – 4,796 in 2020, down 192 or 3.8% from 4,988 in 2010
Ridgeway – 6,598 in 2020, down 182 or 2.7% from 6,780 in 2010
Shelby – 4,907 in 2020, down 412 or 7.7% from 5,319 in 2010
Yates – 2,567 in 2020, up by 8 or 0.3% from 2,559 in 2010
Orleans County – 40,343, down 2,540 or 5.9% from the 42,883 in 2010
VILLAGES – The four villages all are down in population but the percent decline was the lowest in Medina. In 2010, Albion with 6,056 people and Medina with 6,065 were nearly identical in population. Now Medina has nearly 400 more residents – 6,047 compared to 5,637.
Here are the changes in population from in the four Orleans County villages:
Albion – 5,637 in 2020, down 419 or 6.9% from 6,056 in 2010
Holley – 1,754 in 2020, down 57 or 3.2% from 1,811 in 2010
Lyndonville – 771 in 2020, down 67 or 8.0% from 838 in 2010
Medina – 6,047 in 2020, down 18 or 0.3% from 6,065 in 2010
The percentage of population loss was nearly double in central Orleans County (7.8 percent) compared to the western end with 4.0 percent decline, with eastern Orleans down by 5.6 percent.
Central Orleans (Albion, Barre, Carlton and Gaines) – down 7.8 percent from 16,865 to 15,543 or by 1,322
Eastern Orleans (Clarendon, Kendall and Murray) – down 5.6 percent from 11,360 to 10,728 or by 632
Western Orleans (Shelby, Ridgeway and Yates) – down 4.0 percent from 14,658 to 14,072 or by 586
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 August 2021 at 3:56 pm
County stays over 40,000 — barely
The U.S. Census Bureau today released population counts for each county in the United States. The data shows a 5.9 percent decline in Orleans County, which was biggest drop among Western New York counties and most in the GLOW region.
Orleans shrunk by 2,540 people in the 10 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, dropping from 42,883 in 2010 to 40,343 in 2020.
The county managed to stay above 40,000 people in the census count.
The Orleans County population in recent counts include 42,883 in 2010, 44,171 in 2000, 41,846 in 1990, 38,496 in 1980 and 37,305 in 1970.
The percentage drop from 2010 to 2020 in Orleans County is the most among Western New York counties and the GLOW region. All of those counties declined except Erie and Monroe.
Here is a breakdown of the population changes in WNY and GLOW:
Genesee, down 2.8 percent from 60,079 in 2010 to 58,388 in 2020
Livingston, down 5.4 percent from 65,393 in 2010 to 61,834 in 2020
Orleans, down 5.9 percent from 42,883 in 2010 to 40,343 in 2020
Wyoming, down 3.9 percent from 42,155 in 2010 to 40,531 in 2020
Monroe, up 2.0 percent from 744,344 in 2010 to 759,443 in 2020
Erie, up 3.8 percent, from 919,040 in 2010 to 954,236 to 2020
Cattaraugus, down 4.1 percent from 80,317 in 2010 to 77,042 in 2020
Chautauqua, down 5.4 percent from 134,905 in 2010 to 127,657 in 2020
Some counties experienced a bigger population loss, by percentage, than Orleans. They include:
Schoharie, down 9.3 percent from 32,749 in 2010 to 29,714 in 2020
Franklin, down 7.8 percent from 51,599 in 2010 to 47,555 in 2020
Delaware, down 7.7 percent, from 47,980 in 2010 to 44,308 in 2020
Madison, down 7.4 percent from 73,442 in 2010 to 68,016 in 2020
Herkimer, down 6.8 percent from 64,519 in 2010 to 60,139 in 2020
Otsego, down 6.0 percent from 62,259 in 2010 to 58,524 in 2020
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 August 2021 at 9:03 pm
Governor-to-be makes frequent local stops
Photos by Tom Rivers: Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul paddles in a kayak in Medina’s Canal Basin on June 15 to promote a free kayaking program this summer in Medina.
The next governor for New York State is very familiar with Orleans County, and knows many of the local elected officials.
Kathy Hochul will become the state’s 57th governor on Aug. 24 and the first woman to serve as the top’s highest elected official. She will become governor when Andrew Cuomo resigns in 14 days.
Hochul has been a frequent presence in Orleans County, often on official duties for ground-breaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies or to highlight a state initiative.
She also stops by incognito, wearing with a baseball cap, on a getaway with her husband Bill. They have rented a canal boat and stayed in Medina, visiting local restaurants and small businesses.
“She is definitely a friend of Medina and a friend of Orleans County,” said Medina Mayor Mike Sidari. “She will be an advocate for Western New York.”
Kathy Hochul joins in a ground-breaking celebration on July 26 for a new $2 million breakwall along Lakeshore Road in Carlton that is 95 percent funded by the state.
Hochul was in the Town of Carlton on July 26 for the ground-breaking of a $2 million shoreline protection project along Lakeshore Road. The state is paying 95 percent of the cost of building 1,500 feet of breakwall.
It is one of many projects along the south shore funded with $300 million through the state’s Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI).
“As New York’s lieutenant governor, Kathy Hochul has always been in tune with the needs and challenges facing both rural and urban communities,” said Lynne Johnson, Chairperson of the Orleans County Legislature. “Her office is responsive and supports municipalities, large and small, across the region. Lt. Gov Hochul has become valued friend and colleague who has worked tirelessly for Orleans County, supporting REDI projects and other infrastructure, economic development, and tourism initiatives to improve the business environment and residential quality of life in rural communities. I am thrilled she will now be leading this state.”
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul rows in a kayak in Medina on June 15 to promote a free kayaking program in the Erie Canal. She was joined in kayaks by Brian Stratton, state canal director; Greg Reed, director of the Orleans County YMCA; and Mike Sidari, Medina mayor.
Hochul on June 15 was in Medina to promote a free kayaking program in the Erie Canal. Hochul even paddled in a kayak in the Canal Basin. Medina is one of five canal communities offering free “On the Canals” outdoor excursions this summer as part of the state’s Reimagine the Canals initiative.
Sidari said Hochul is widely respected by elected officials at the local levels throughout the state. They respect that she rose through the ranks, first as a member of the Hamburg Town Board, then as Erie County Clerk, and then as a Democrat in Congress representing a heavily Republican district that included Orleans County. She defeated Jane Corwin to be elected on Congress in a special election in May 2011, but then lost to Chris Collins in a redrawn district that was even more Republican-leaning.
She returned to public office after being elected as lieutenant governor in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018.
While Hochul was often in Orleans County, Cuomo seldom stopped in the county. Cuomo, during nearly 11 years as governor, only made one official stop in Orleans County. That was on Aug. 2, 20212, when there was a blow-out on the Erie Canal in Albion and a sinkhole emerged on Albion-Eagle Harbor Road between Gaines Basin Road and West State Street. Cuomo was in Batavia that day and Assemblyman Steve Hawley convinced him to come to Albion and see the damage first hand.
Here are some other photos of Kathy Hochul in Orleans County:
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Medina Mayor Mike Sidari, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, Parade of Lights grand marshal Jackie DeHollander and parade chairman Jim Hancock pose for a quick picture before Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul gave the command to light the giant Christmas tree in Rotary Park on Nov. 30, 2019.
Photos by Tom Rivers: During a celebration of the transformation of former Holley High School, Hochul was among a contingent to mark the conclusion of a $17 million project on Nov. 10, 2020. The building was last used as a school in 1975. After two years of construction, Home Leasing has the building fully occupied with 41 apartments and the Holley village offices. Hochul, front center, cut the ribbon for the project.
Kathy Hochul was in Kendall on May 12, 2017 to thank National Guard members stacking sandbags in Kendall. The Lt. Governor said then the eroding shoreline, which was threatening homes along Lake Ontario, was “cataclysmic.”
One couple from Hamlin told her the lake has been devouring their land, forcing them to cut off their deck after two of their trees toppled into the lake. Hochul said so many other residents are vulnerable from the high waters.
“Our hearts are breaking for them,” she said. “This is their life savings. We cannot solve this problem overnight.”
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul and State Assemblyman Steve Hawley on May 12, 2017 meet with members of the National Guard filling sandbags at the Kendall Highway Department garage. These Guardsmen are from the 107th Air Force in Niagara Falls. The Guardsmen were filling sandbags in the Kendall Highway Department, while another group stacked them near the shoreline to help fight flooding.
Hochul thanked them for their service to the lakeshore residents. The flooding is devastating to homeowners and businesses along the lake.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul meets with Orleans County Democrats on Oct. 13, 2018 during their fall rally at the Elks Club. About 60 people attended the event. She is shown visiting Jim Renfrew and his wife, Robin Dunnington, who hosted one of the first candidate parties in their Clarendon home for Hochul in 2011. Those grass roots events helped her to get elected, despite a strong Republican advantage in the district.
Kathy Hochul is pictured on the reviewing stand for the Parade of Lights in Medina on Nov. 26, 2016 with Assemblyman Steve Hawley, left, who served as announcer and Medina Mayor Mike Sidari.
Lt. Gov. Hochul on Nov. 26, 2016 also stopped in Medina to promote small businesses. Hochul visited several business owners in Medina, including Bread Basket owner Lissa Stewart-James, during Small Business Saturday. “We want to showcase the small businesses that are the backbone of these communities,” Hochul said in Medina.
She praised Medina for a “vibrant downtown” that creates jobs, a sense of community identity and revenue to maintain historic commercial buildings. The Medina downtown has a “tremendous variety” of retail shops, she said.
“This is out of It’s A Wonderful Life,” Hochul said about downtown Medina.
Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul stopped by the Legislative Luncheon for the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 22, 2016 at Tillman’s Village Inn. She said New York State was making billions of dollars available for upstate infrastructure and economic development, bringing attention to a part of the state that had been largely neglected by state officials for many years.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is pictured with Jeanne Crane on April 30, 2015 at dinner in Hochul’s honor at Tillman’s Village Inn. Crane was the county’s Democratic Party chairwoman. This was Hochul’s second time back in Orleans after being elected lieutenant governor. Hochul was a long-shot candidate in 2011 when she ran for Congress in a overwhelmingly Republican district. She pulled off the upset win and said Democrats in rural areas such as Orleans County were essential in that victory.
Hochul is a “personable person” with a work ethic, Crane said.
Hochul said she enjoys being away from the state capital and connecting with people outside of Albany. She said she enjoys meeting with people. When she was campaigning, it was often at diners and community events.
“I know what is in their hearts and minds because they told me,” she said then.
Hochul said then she intends to be an advocate for Orleans and she won’t be a stranger.
“I will always treasure our friendships,” Hochul told the group of Democrats.
Hochul sees a home-grown success story at CRFS on Feb. 18, 2015, her first time back in Orleans after being elected lieutenant governor. She is shown speaking with Sean Snook, CRFS’s chief operating officer. CRFS works to recover past-due interest, unpaid principal, unpaid taxes and unpaid insurance on houses.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Feb. 18, 2015 met with the County Legislature and other local officials to discuss the governor’s “Opportunity Agenda,” which included state resources to rural communities. She touted the $500 million plan to expand broadband Internet access throughout the state during a stop in Albion at Hoag Library. Hochul also shared details for boosting the economy, fighting poverty, enacting educational reforms, mitigating property tax increases and adopting new ethics reforms in Albany.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 August 2021 at 11:52 am
So far, sales tax collections up $2 million in county in first half of the year
Photos by Tom Rivers: An apple-themed bike rack is shown on Main Street in Medina last week. A report from the State Comptroller’s Office shows a big increase in sales tax revenue locally and state-wide.
Orleans County’s sales tax revenue is up 33.5 percent or by $1.4 million for the second quarter of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020 when many businesses were on “pause” with in-person customers either not allowed or limited due to restrictions from the state in the Covid-19 pandemic.
Many of those restrictions were eased or lifted in the second quarter of 2021 and the sales tax revenue was up significantly.
Statewide the sales tax was up by 49.2% in the second quarter, surpassing the amount during the same period in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said in a report.
Second quarter sales tax revenue in GLOW counties
Genesee: $13.2 million ($9.1 million in 2020), up 44.8 percent
Livingston: $11.3 million (7.8 million in 2020), up 44.9 percent
Orleans: $5.8 million ($4.4 million in 2020), up 33.5 percent
Wyoming: $6.2 million ($4.3 million in 2020), up 44.5 percent
Among the nine counties in the Finger Lakes region, the 33.5 percent increase in Orleans is the second lowest. Only Wayne at 32.1 percent is lower. Seneca has the biggest increase at 58.7 percent, followed by Ontario County at 55.2 percent.
For the first half of the year, the sales tax revenue in Orleans County is up by $2 million or 22.1 percent, from $8.8 million the first six months of 2020 to $10.8 million the first half of 2021.
Among the other GLOW counties, Genesee is up 25.0 percent from $18.9 million to $23.7 million. Livingston increased 25.4 percent, from $16.2 million to $20.2 million, and Wyoming is up 25.4 percent, from $8.8 million to $11.0 million.
“The strength of these collections, along with federal aid, will give local governments statewide the chance to improve their fiscal stability, but it will take time to recover from the strain caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” DiNapoli said in a statement about the sales tax report. “While this is good news, local leaders are advised to budget carefully. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s to always plan for unpredictable circumstances.”
The size of the increase largely reflects extremely weak collections in the April to June period of 2020, DiNapoli said.
However, even compared to pre-pandemic collections for the same period in 2019, statewide collections in 2021 were up 8.7% or $396 million. Every region outside of New York City experienced two-year growth over 18 percent. New York City’s collections grew by 44.6 percent in the second quarter of 2021for its first increase after four quarters of year-over-year declines. NYC has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, DiNapoli said.
He said an easing of Covid restrictions, pent-up demand and more internet sales tax collections are all factors in the state-wide sales tax growth.
Downtown Medina is a shopping hotspot in Orleans County.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The original County Office Building was constructed in 1980 on Route 31 in Albion. The original air-conditioning units will be replaced.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 August 2021 at 10:10 am
ALBION – Orleans County will replace the air-conditioning system in the original County Office Building on Route 31 for about $600,000. That building, formerly known as the County Administration Building, was constructed in 1980.
The AC units often haven’t been working, even during oppressive heat. The county can no longer find parts to repair the units.
“They are in desperate need of replacement,” County Legislator Bill Eick said during the Legislature’s July 28 meeting when the bids were approved. “You can fix and fix and fix, but there gets to a point where they have to be replaced.”
County legislators accepted a bid for $355,674 from Trane in Buffalo to supply and install a Turnkey chiller and pump replacement. The county also agreed to pay Trane $258,840 to replace pneumatic VAV controls and interface with the existing Trane Building Logix automation system. This will control the air pressure in the system.
In addition, the County Legislature approved an agreement with Trane with the company to be paid $5,994 for repairs on a valve replacement on the HVAC equipment.
The county is pursuing a $177,500 state grant through the Department of Environmental Conservation to help pay for the replacement and upgrades. That grant application is through the state’s “Climate Smart Communities Grant Program.”
John Papponetti, the county DPW superintendent, advised county officials in June that the AC units needed to be replaced.
“The AC units aren’t working and we can’t get parts anymore,” he told the local officials on June 22 during the meeting of the Orleans County Association of Municipalities. “The can has been kicked so many times it can’t be kicked anymore.
The section of the building that opened in 1980 includes the DMV, Social Services, Tourism, Planning and Development, Office for the Aging, Personnel and Job Development.
A new 23,000-square-foot addition opened in 2019 and includes the Health Department, County Legislature, computer services and the Board of Elections.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 August 2021 at 11:01 am
New sidewalks, exterior lighting, landscaping and cupola work on the docket
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Workers this morning are up high on the Orleans County Courthouse in Albion, making repairs to the façade trim on the dome.
The county will also be replacing the roof hatch and seal the cupola, said John Papponetti, superintendent of the Orleans County Department of Public Works.
The sealed cupola should stop water from leaking inside. The hatch, which is used for workers to access the cupola and top of the dome has deteriorated.
The workers make a repair to the courthouse dome. The building was constructed in 1858 and is the focal point on the Courthouse Square, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The sidewalks and concrete steps have deteriorated and will be replaced. The County Legislature set aside $50,000 last month to replace sidewalks, upgrade landscaping, and relocate existing light fixtures at the Courthouse Square. That work will not begin until the dome and cupola work is completed. Papponetti said the dome/cupola should be done next Friday, Aug. 13.
Some of the large sandstone steps at the courthouse also will be repaired. They are crumbling in spots and don’t withstand salt, Papponetti said. The steps aren’t used that much because the main entrance to the courthouse has shifted to the side facing East Park Street through the County Clerks Building, which is a handicapped accessible entrance.
The big sandstone steps temporarily will be pulled out so there can be an inspection underneath.
“The courthouse is our pride and joy, the center of attention, but it is falling apart,” Papponetti told county, village and town officials during a recent meeting of the Orleans County Association of Municipalities.
Some of the efforts are preventive maintenance, but he said the building needs other attention outside of the immediate projects. He also is concerned about the main second floor courtroom that has cracks in the ceiling and some peeling paint. The large columns out front have cast-iron rings on the bottom that are rusting.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 August 2021 at 2:44 pm
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer has issued a statement today, praising efforts in Orleans and Niagara to move forward with broadband internet projects.
“After thousands of rural families in Niagara and Orleans struggled for years to secure broadband service, I was proud to secure the breakthrough funding in the American Rescue Plan needed by the counties to connect them to 21st century broadband,” Schumer said. “I’ll continue to fight for broadband funding until every home and business in New York has access.”
The Orleans County Legislature last week voted unanimously to accept a $3,608,435 bid to make high-speed internet available for the current 1,351 address points that can’t connect to the service.
The Niagara County Legislature on Tuesday accepted a $4,286,325 bid to make high-speed internet in unserved areas of the county.
Both counties selected the proposal from RTO Wireless of Wellesley, Mass.
In Orleans, RTO will co-locate their technology on existing county-owned communication towers. Those sites include at the Emergency Management Office on West County House Road in Albion, Route 31A in Clarendon, Maple Ridge Road in Medina, Route 31 in Albion next to Public Safety Building, West Avenue in Lyndonville, Route 237 in Kendall, Route 237 in Holley by the water tank.
Orleans will use some of its American Rescue Plan funds for the project. The Orleans County Legislature in June accepted $3,918,951 from U.S. Department of Treasury, the first half of the American Rescue Plan Act funds for Orleans.
The county will use some of those funds for the broadband project, but also will be seeking other federal grants, including to help some of the homeowners with the hook-up costs for connecting to the technology.
Niagara also is seeking other state and federal funds to help fund the project.
File photos by Tom Rivers: Employees with Environmental Enterprises in Cincinnati empty fluids into large drums to be hauled away during the household hazardous waste collection on Aug. 12, 2017. The event was cancelled last year and will be back Aug. 14. It is free to Orleans County residents, but doesn’t include commercial waste.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 August 2021 at 8:58 am
There were 349 empty propane tanks collected in August 2019 at the last household hazard waste collection event in Orleans County.
ALBION – Last year the household hazardous waste collection event was cancelled due to concerns and restrictions with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event will be back on Aug. 14 and there are still many slots available. The registration times are from 8 a.m. to noon with 15-minute slots. Each 15-minute time frame includes up to 20 registrants. To register, call the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development at (585) 589-3198.
The event, which is held in several stations at the Orleans County DPW on West Academy Street, allows residents to dispose of tires, propane tanks, auto/marine batteries and other hazardous household waste in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Some of the items include oil-based paints, solvents, adhesives & resins, aerosols, motor oil & filters, pesticides, acids, fluorescent bulbs, corrosives, household batteries and antifreeze.
The county typically pays Environmental Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati about $18,000 to collect and remove the household hazardous waste, with the state them reimbursing the county about half of the costs.
Orleans County in 2019 accepted tires for the first time. There was a big response from the public with about 1,000 tires dropped off at by the Orleans County DPW on West Academy Street. The event this time is limiting people to 10 tires. The tires must be rimless. Only non-commercial and non-farm tires are accepted.
The collection event doesn’t include explosives, pressurized tanks, ammunition, PCBs, pathologic waste, infectious waste, radioactive waste, syringes, pharmaceuticals, computers and electronics.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 5 August 2021 at 7:48 am
Ten high school seniors in Orleans County were recently selected to receive the first of what will most likely become an annual award from United Way of Orleans County.
Earlier this spring, following a successful year in obtaining grants, the United Way board voted to award $500 scholarships each to two students in each of Orleans County’s five schools.
In July, the scholarships were awarded to Colburn Spierdowis and Aisha Drisdom at Albion Central School; Andrew Drechsel and Julia Buck at Holley Central School; Ethan Kuhn and Madison Nardi at Kendall Central School; Isaac Becker and Lyndsey Snell at Lyndonville Central School; and Amanda Woodruff and Jacob Velesko at Medina Central School.
“The mission of United Way of Orleans County is be a connector of people, resources, ideas and funding to make our community stronger, and those students reflect and embrace that mission,” said Dean Bellack, executive director of United Way.
Criteria for receiving a scholarship was that each student must be heavily involved in community service and giving back, have good grades (not necessarily straight A’s), and be a good citizen.
“Rather than have students apply to us and we choose recipients, when we don’t know the students, we decided to have the schools pick the candidates,” Bellack said. “United Way is thrilled to be able to reward those who are giving back to their community.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 August 2021 at 9:07 am
Provided photo
BATAVIA – A new billboard has been installed along the Thruway near the Batavia exit, promoting fishing in Orleans County, in particular, the Oak Orchard River.
The billboard is just east of the Batavia exit on the northside of the Thruway.
The County’s Tourism Department has a two-year agreement with Outfront Media in Boston, Mass. for the billboard. The design will change every six months.
Outfront will be paid $28,600 over the two years with the money coming from the American Rescue Plan Act. Guidelines for using the funds allow the federal dollars to be used to promote tourism.
The county has transferred $67,978 in American Rescue Plan funds to the Tourism Department.
County officials want to better promote the fishery, which is the county’s top tourism attraction.
A survey in 2017 by the state Department of Environmental Conservation put the total economic impact from fishing in Orleans at $27,989,393 in 2017, according to survey results. Out-of-state anglers account for 70 percent of the fishing economic output in Orleans County, $19,620,488 of the $27,989,393. County residents who fish accounted for $1,767,334 in economic activity while other New York state residents outside Orleans represented another $6,601,571.
The DEC report also ranks which species of fish the anglers were primarily trying to catch. The survey reports that 23 percent said they were primarily fishing in Orleans County for Chinook salmon, with 20 percent saying were after brown trout. Another 18 percent said largemouth bass were their primary target and 14 percent said steelhead/rainbow trout.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 3 August 2021 at 8:18 am
Having a grant writer available in Orleans County for non-profit organizations is a game changer, said Dean Bellack, director of United Way of Orleans County.
Matt Holland
Bellack pushed for a $450,000 grant over five years from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation, which has allowed United Way to hire a grant writer and fundraiser for Orleans County.
Matt Holland of Medina assumed his duties as grant writer on July 6, joining Nyla Gaylord of Clarendon, who started as fundraiser several weeks earlier. Gaylord wrote the grant on her own time which resulted in United Way receiving the $450,000.
Holland is a native of Oregon and has worked for 10 years with non-profits, including museums, historic preservation and cultural research.
He has a master’s in anthropology from the University of Buffalo and a bachelor of arts in history from the University of Oregon. His most recent job was with the Buffalo History Museum as program and volunteer coordinator.
He has done a lot of grant writing with the History Museum and Gresham Historical Society in Oregon.
“I thought this job with United Way was a good opportunity to work with and learn about the community I’d just moved into,” Holland said.
His wife Catherine is tasting room manager at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery on Ridge Road.
Having a grant writer free of charge in Orleans County means a lot of non-profit organizations will be able to apply for grants who weren’t able to before, Holland said.
“The sky’s the limit now,” he said. “My goal is to take that burden off agencies who don’t have the time, staff or expertise to write a grant.”
Holland is getting to know everyone in the non-profit community and what needs they have, he said. He is working with United Way to form a committee to look at priorities.
“It has been fascinating to learn all the different projects and needs in the county,” Holland said.
“Our expectations are that we are going to see this impact all non-profits in our county,” Bellack said. “Our priority is to help agencies we support, and eventually all non-profits in the county. Matt has been busy gathering information from the non-profit agencies and prioritizing how we work and who we will work with going forward. We are looking to put together partnerships with our board and the non-profits in the county.”
While people are excited and calling about assistance in writing a grant, Bellack said they have to be sure those asking for help are ready for the grant process.
“They have to have a defined need and their books have to be in order,” he said.
Bellack said it is a complicated process and there are different reporting requirements for federal, state, foundational and corporate grants. Holland is the only full time grant writer in Orleans County, Bellack said.
Any non-profit in Orleans County can contact Holland for information on applying for a grant by e-mailing him at grants@orleansunitedway.org.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 July 2021 at 3:07 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Luci Welch, director of the Orleans County Probation Department, receives a special recognition award from County Legislator Skip Draper on Wednesday.
ALBION – Luci Welch, director of the Orleans County Probation Department, has been elected by her peers that lead probation departments around the state to serve as president of the New York State Council of Probation Administrators (COPA).
Welch was presented with a “special recognition award” on Wednesday by the County Legislature for her leadership in the state-wide association.
“You have added great value to the New York State Probation Council and the Orleans County Probation Department through your endeavor assisting justice-involved individuals,” the citation reads from the Legislature. “Your continued dedication to the Public Safety of the people of Orleans County will forever be widespread, long lasting and extremely appreciated. The Orleans County Legislature does hereby commend you for your passion and dedication to our Orleans County residents.”
The County Legislature also presented Welch and two probation officers with a proclamation recognizing July 18-24 as “Pre-Trial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week.”
Legislators said the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the services provided by these essential workers at probation.
“During these times of uncertainty, change, and unrest, Probation Professionals provide essential public services that our communities depend on,” legislators said in the proclamation. “Even as their roles expand and change, Probation Professionals help offenders rehabilitate and keep the public safe.”
Probation workers connect individuals on probation to drug and alcohol counseling, mental health assistance, job training, and other services.
The probation staff perform “an array of law enforcement work, including the supervision of a wide range of offenses involving both adults and juvenile offenders, from DWI cases to sex offenses to domestic abuse,” legislators said.
The probation workers “continue to perform this public service even as the Covid¬19 pandemic has added many complications for probation officers to supervise and made their jobs more difficult,” legislators stated in the proclamation.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 July 2021 at 6:16 pm
‘It’s essential we act to finally close the digital divide that has kept so many of our rural communities from reaching their full potential.’ – Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Leg chairwoman
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature today voted unanimously to accept a $3,608,435 bid to make high-speed internet available for the current 1,351 address points that can’t connect to the service.
RTO Wireless of Wellesley, Mass., was awarded the bid from the County Legislature, which culminates a 10-year effort from the county to close the internet gaps.
“Today marks the end of an ambitious and long sought after quest, and the beginning of a new era for Orleans County – high-speed, reliable and affordable internet for every home and business in the county,” said Lynne Johnson, Legislature leader for the county.
The county on May 25 sought requests for proposals (RFPs) for companies to provide wireless internet service for 1,351 addresses in the county currently without access to the service. Companies were asked to submit proposals where they would co-locate their technology on existing county-owned communication towers.
Those sites include at the Emergency Management Office on West County House Road in Albion, Route 31A in Clarendon, Maple Ridge Road in Medina, Route 31 in Albion next to Public Safety Building, West Avenue in Lyndonville, Route 237 in Kendall, Route 237 in Holley by the water tank.
The total of unserved addresses in the county includes 74 in Albion, 302 in Barre, 35 in Carlton, 57 in Clarendon, 39 in Gaines, 16 in Kendall, 41 in Murray, 287 in Ridgeway, 206 in Shelby, and 294 in Yates for 1,351 total.
The last month the Legislature voted to accept $3,918,951 from U.S. Department of Treasury, the first half of the American Rescue Plan Act funds for Orleans. The county expects to use some of those funds for the project, but also will be seeking other federal grants, including to help some of the homeowners with the hook-up costs for connecting to the technology.
Johnson said the FCC considers Orleans County to be nearly covered with high-speed internet access.
“But residents report the service is slow and unreliable,” she said. “And with only one provider serving much of the county, customers have little leverage to demand better service.”
The high-speed internet is critical for students to do online coursework, for residents to have the option to work at home, and for other quality of life issues that depend on high-speed internet.
“Our ability to diversify our economic base is dependent on modern infrastructure, and that includes broadband,” Johnson said during the Legislature’s meeting. “We can say, ‘Come and work here,’ but if we don’t have modern amenities, modern infrastructure, the sales pitch falls flat.”
David Godfrey, a Niagara County legislator, has worked with Johnson and Orleans officials on the issue through the Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance. He said the Niagara County Legislature next week is expected to award a bid to provide internet in its unserved areas.
“We’ve put a lot of time and labor and heartache into this,” Godfrey said.
The counties have been shut out in previous attempts to get state and federal funding.
“I can think of no better way to use the Rescue Funds than to bring our communities into the 21st Century,” he said.
The U.S. Census Bureau today released population counts for each county in the United States. The data shows a 5.9 percent decline in Orleans County, which was biggest drop among Western New York counties and most in the GLOW region.
