County looking to do study for short-term, long-term options locally

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Association of Municipalities last week at the Clarendon Rec hall watched the documentary, “Honorable but Broken: EMS in Crisis.” The film is about an hour long and explores the world of EMTs and paramedics, and the collapse of the EMS system, while offering ways to save it.

CLARENDON – Officials in Orleans County last week watched the documentary, “Honorable but Broken: EMS in Crisis,” and could relate all too well to the film.

The county in 2022 experienced the end of COVA Ambulance and the volunteer ambulance through the Kendall Fire Department.

Seven towns in central and eastern Orleans County in 2023 started paying Monroe Ambulance in a contract for ambulance services. Medina Fire Department is the primary provider on the western end of the county. Medina often loses some of its paid staff to larger departments that offer bigger paychecks.

The documentary shows a profession with a high burnout rate due to low pay, the emotional toll of many traumatic and stressful calls, and danger through exposure to Covid and people overdosing on fentanyl and other drugs.

“This is a national issue, not just a New York or Orleans County issue,” said Justin Niederhofer, the county emergency’s management director.

He screened the documentary for the local officials last week and also for the community on June 20 at the Carlton Rec Hall. Niederhofer wants the local officials to keep discussing the issue, and the public to be aware of the challenges in providing the service.

EMS providers have a challenging business model, especially in poorer communities where there is a higher mix of patients on Medicare and Medicaid, where the reimbursements may only be 20 to 30 percent of the bill.

EMS providers also tend to only be paid of patients are transported, and not for responding to a scene where there isn’t a transport.

The documentary said ambulances should be able to bill for providing care, and not just for transports. If there was more revenue for the businesses, non-profit organizations and municipalities providing EMS, staff could be paid a living wage, and not have to juggle two or three jobs, with some living out of their cars, the documentary said.

Orleans County may do a study of the local EMS system, and consider alternatives for how to best provide the service in the short-term and long-term. That study could look at what reimbursement rates are needed to make the service more viable, with more ambulances based locally so there is a better response time throughout the county.

The study could also look at a scenario where there are ambulances run by the county with staff who are county employees, looking to fill some gaps or augment coverage with the current system.

The county Emergency Management Office is applying for a grant to do the study, Niederhofer said.

“This is an issue that won’t go away,” County Legislator Ed Morgan said. “We can’t stick our heads in the sand.”

Medina is the only fire department with paid career firefighters in the county. They are cross-trained as both firefighters and for EMS services.

The Medina model could be looked at as an option around the county, not only for EMS, but also to shore up the firefighting response. Niederhofer said many of the departments have a shrinking base of volunteers who are getting older.

Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said she sees the county taking a bigger role in the challenge, with EMS and the fire service possibly becoming a county-run issue.

But Morgan said a feasibility study, looking at many options, will be an important first step to help the local officials with a plan for providing the services.

District attorney in Orleans County praised for strong leadership, innovative programs

Photo by Tom Rivers: Joe Cardone holds an award he was presented on Saturday by the New York Prosecutors Training Institute and the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York. Cardone was named “Prosecutor of the Year.” The organizations cited his nearly 33 years as Orleans County district attorney, and his efforts to introduce innovative programs, restructure the local court system, and be a law enforcement leader for the community. “It’s a great honor,” Cardone said about the award. “These are fabulous and brilliant people.”

ALBION – The association of district attorneys around the state presented Orleans County DA Joe Cardone with the “Prosecutor of the Year” award on Saturday during a conference for the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York and its training arm, the New York Prosecutors Training Institute.

Cardone was picked for the award because of “his strong leadership, innovative programs, and impeccable character, enhancing the criminal justice in New York State for decades,” the group said in recognizing the Orleans DA.

Cardone is one of the longest tenured district attorneys in the state. He started the position in March 1992, when he was 34 and the job was considered part-time. It has been full-time for about three decades. Cardone has successfully prosecuted many murder cases and other serious crimes during his career.

He also has pushed to introduce a Drug Court (now known as Treatment Court) to reduce the severity of some felonies if people can successfully complete drug treatment programs. The court also imposes sanctions if people miss appointment or have lapses and use drugs.

Cardone also pushed to create a Traffic Diversion Program to reduce the severity of some traffic violations, which don’t take points off motorists’ driving records and also keeps more fine money in the local community (just over $2 million since 2011).

“It’s not all about convictions,” he said. “You have to show humility and compassion.”

He has since been elected to eight consecutive terms. He will be retiring from the position on Dec. 31, and intends to pursue some business interests and remain working as an attorney.

Cardone, a Medina resident, said being the district attorney in his home county for more than three decades has been a great privilege.

“I was bound and determined to make people’s lives better, for the both the victim of a crime and the defendant,” he said. “The goal of this office is to do justice.”

Cardone was also cited by the DAs’ Association for his efforts to restructure local justice courts. During his tenure the number of town and village justices is down from 24 to the current 12. Albion and Medina have dissolved their village courts, with the caseloads shifting to the towns in those municipalities.

Most towns have gone from two justices to one. Cardone is trying to bring a district court to a public vote, which would combine many of the court functions from multiple municipalities into a centralized location.

The County Legislature won’t put the issue to a vote this year because the State Legislature needs to first give the county permission to have a referendum. Cardone said Orleans has been a leader for the rest of the state in court efficiency through consolidation and dissolution.

Provided photos: (Left) Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone was joined by his family on Saturday when he accepted the “Prosecutor of the year” award at a ceremony in Bolton Landing. From left include Alex Eaton, Rosalind Cardone Eaton. Sophia Cardone, Jenifer Cardone, Joe Cardone, Michael Cardone and Alexis Barcena. (Right) Joe Cardone is presented with the award by Sean Smith, deputy director of the New York Prosecutors Training Institute.

Cardone will likely be succeeded in the office by Susan Howard, an assistant district attorney for the county since 2005. She defeated John Sansone in a Republican Primary last week. She also has the Conservative Party line in the November general election.

Howard has been a full-time first assistant DA since 2011. Sansone also worked as an assistant DA for Orleans since 2007. He resigned from the position last week, a day after he was defeated in the primary.

“John gave us many years of service,” Cardone said in his office during an interview on Monday.

Cardone didn’t pick a side publicly in the primary.

“I’m very appreciative of both Sue and John,” Cardone said. “They gave the county a choice at great personal and financial expense. I’m extremely sad for one and happy for the other.”

Howard has the skills and dedication to take the reins and lead the office on Jan. 1, 2025, Cardone said.

“She has been nothing but a significant force in this office,” Cardone said. “She will do a great job.”

Cardone said many attorneys and staff have contributed to the local DA’s Office during his career. He said the local law enforcement leaders and officers have been great partners, too.

“So many people have helped me along the way, great men and women of law enforcement,” he said. “From Sheriff (David) Green to Sheriff (Chris) Bourke, everyone has had the community’s best interest at heart.”

Cardone shared during the awards presentation that he is often motivated by the case of DeVante Boston, who was 4 years old when he was badly injured when his mother’s boyfriend threw him to the ground. David Ricks was convicted of first-degree assault in 2003. DeVante would live in a vegetative state for 15 ½ years, functioning at about a 6 month old level. He died at age 20 in 2017.

When DeVante died, Cardone brought a first-degree manslaughter against Ricks, who had served 17 years in prison. Ricks pleaded guilty and his sentence was extended to a maximum 25 years. (He is due to be released on Sept. 27, 2024.)

Cardone said he often found inspiration in the life of DeVante Boston, who was a cheerful presence despite his extensive injuries.

“I felt like he showed us, ‘If I can persevere, so can you,’” Cardone said.

These four are the longest tenured district attorneys in the state. From left Robert M. Carney, Schenectady County (since 1989); Joe Cardone (since March 1992); William J. Fitzpatrick, Onondaga County(since February 1992); and Joseph Fazzary, Schuyler County (since 1997).

County also approves how it will spend $238K from opioid lawsuit

ALBION – Orleans County has been approved for $275,119 as part of a $462 million multistate settlement secured by Attorney General Letitia James from JUUL Labs Inc. for its role in the youth vaping epidemic that led to a dangerous rise in underage e-cigarette use nationwide, James said.

The Orleans County Legislature last week voted to accept its allotted money from the settlement. The funding must be spent on the approved uses as provided by the NYS

Attorney General’s Office, such as prevent youth and young adults from initiating vaping, support community, school, college and university-based anti-vaping programs, to help people quit vaping, enforce vaping laws and regulations, as well as research and surveillance, according to a county resolution.

The Orleans-Niagara BOCES also will receive $507,353 in the settlement. The Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES will receive $492,991.

Other nearby counties were approved for the following: Niagara County, $1,062,901; Genesee County, $366,508; Livingston County, $345,541; Monroe County, $2,293,678.

“JUUL preyed on young people across our state by putting addictive products into their hands and convincing them that they were harmless,” Attorney General James said in a statement last month, announcing the settlement funds. “Their actions put a generation of children at risk, fueling physical and mental health problems among young New Yorkers.”

The County Legislature last week also approved how it will spend $238,008 from distributors of multiple pharmaceutical companies that were sued for allegedly helping to fuel the opioid epidemic.

The settlement funds need to used for treatment programs, prevention, and other

strategies that may be categorized as restricted or unrestricted use, according to a County Legislature resolution.

The county approved spending the funds in the following areas:

• $10,000 for Medical Examiners Fees for Service
• $38,028 for equipment for Sheriff’s Office
• $38,028 for equipment for Probation Department
• $39,657 for special grants for County Jail
• $64,295 for equipment for Major Felony Crime Task Force
• $48,000 for Public Health Lab Testing

Job Development leader will continue in that role

Kelly Kiebala

ALBION – Orleans County is turning to an established leader in the county government to run the Orleans County Youth Bureau.

Kelly Kiebala, the director of Job Development for the county, last week added Youth Bureau director to her responsibilities. The County Legislature agreed to expand her work week from 35 hours to 40 as part of her added duties.

Kiebala has been director of Job Development the past nine years. She said that department already works to provide services and job opportunities for youths.

Orleans for about 30 years paid Genesee County to administer youth bureau services for Orleans using Genesee County staff based in Batavia. But that arrangement ended in December last year.

Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer, led the youth bureau program on an interim basis.

The Youth Bureau administers funding to counties made available by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services. The Youth Bureau contracts with agencies and municipalities to provide prevention, intervention and recreation programming.

Some of the programs include Orleans Juvenile Adjustment Services, ARC Camp Rainbow, Hoag Library and the LIFE Program.

Youth recreation programs serve youth year round or during the summer months through drop-in programs and structured sports. The programs that receive state funds are Albion, Holley, Kendall and Medina recreation programs.

Before she was Job Development director, Kiebala worked the director of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce and the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

Job Development worker honored for commitment to youths

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Brian Ettinger, left, receives a citation on Tuesday from the County Legislature in appreciation for his 32 years of service to the county. He retired on May 28. He accepts a certificate from County Legislator Ed Morgan and John Papponetti, commissioner of the Department of Public Works.

Ettinger started working with the county in 1992 as a custodian in the Building & Grounds Department. He was promoted building maintenance worker in 1993 and to senior building maintenance worker in 2007.

Ettinger in 2009 transferred to the Highway Department as a motor equipment operator.

“Your efforts across our County will forever be widespread,  long lasting and extremely appreciated,” the citation states from the Legislature.

Peter Anderson, an employment & training counselor at Orleans County Job Development, also was recognized during the Legislature meeting. He accepts a citation from County Legislator Fred Miller.

Anderson received the Helen R. Brinsmaid Professional Award from the Orleans County Youth Board. The award goes to a youth-serving professional whose work exceeds normal expectations.

Anderson has worked with Job Development since October 2018, exhibiting tremendous dedication to the youths and their families, the Youth Board said. He coordinates work experiences for youths and young adults. He interviews young people, provides an orientation and educates them on their responsibilities at the job sites. He also assists with administrative services, trainings for youths, and seeking out work placements.

CLARENDON – The Orleans County Legislation on Tuesday accepted bids for two big infrastructure projects.

Keeler Construction in Barre will be paid $741,742 to replace a culvert on South Holley Road over the east branch of Sandy Creek in Clarendon. Keeler was the low bidder for the project, which will be paid from the county’s Road Fund capital bridge budget.

This is different from the emergency culvert replacement that was completed last week by Keeler on Upper Holley Road. The county hired Keeler for that project last month to replace the culvert after an inspection showed a partial culvert pipe failure.

In a smaller project, the Legislature on Tuesday approved paying Keeler $7,000 to assist the county Department of Public Works with asphalt shimming at the Blood Road bridge approaches in Yates. Keeler will provide a paver, operator and screedman.

The Legislature also accepted a $418,000 bid from STC Construction in Springville to replace a sanitary sewer pump station on Route 31, a project that serves the County Office Building and also the Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center, the former county nursing home. Comprehensive at Orleans LLC, owner of the nursing home, will pay half of the total costs for the project.

The sewer pump station needs to be upgraded due to multiple pump failures and the age of the pump station appurtenances, legislators said.

County will take lead from state on whether the issue moves forward

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Courthouse is shown on a foggy evening on Jan. 27, 2024 in Albion.

ALBION – Orleans County voters won’t get a chance to vote this November on whether the county should create a district court.

The County Legislature wanted to put the issue to a public referendum in November, but during two recent public hearings the Legislature has been urged against moving forward with a vote, saying there are too many uncertainties with a district court, especially whether the state would cover the salaries of judges, clerks and security.

“We received a lot of feedback and some really good questions that gave us a lot to ponder,” said Lynne Johnson, County Legislature chairwoman.

She announced during this afternoon’s Legislature meeting that the district court issue won’t be on the ballot in November. But she said it isn’t a dead issue.

The Orleans County Magistrates Association, a group representing town justices in the 10 towns, has been adamantly opposed to a district court, saying the town courts are serving the local citizens just fine and a district court may not function as well and could cost much more.

The county also received a letter on May 30 from James P. Murphy, Justice of the Supreme Court and deputy chief administrative judge for courts outside New York City.

Murphy said the county’s push to establish a district court is partly due to anticipated funding from the state. The county sees how the state is funding district courts in Nassau and Suffolk counties. However, Murphy said those courts were established more than 60 years ago “under very unique circumstances.”

Murphy advised the county officials he is surprised no one from Orleans reached out to the Unified Court System for input on a complex issue.

The county faces “serious constitutional issues” with the district court proposal, he said in his letter. He said the county’s local law establishing the district court is unconstitutional because it first needs permission from the State Legislature to allow the county to consider a district court.

There have been no bills introduced in the Assembly or Senate of the State Legislature, which enable the county to consider a district court, Murphy said.

The county needs the state legislation first, before it can proceed to a referendum.

In his letter, Murphy said the state assumes the expenses of district court salaries for judges , clerks, officers and other expenses, except for providing the courts facility. That would fall on the local government – the county.

“There are several other provisions of your proposed Local Law that are contrary to New York State law, including but not limited to establishing residency of staff, defining who designates the number of judges and determines their salaries,” Murphy said. “I respectfully submit that the passage of your proposed Local Law is unconstitutional and will not achieve the results that you are hoping to accomplish.”

Johnson said the District Court Committee will likely reconvene in the fall, and will work to draft a resolution to submit to the State Legislature requesting legislation to determine the merits of a district court in Orleans County and the process to accomplish that.

“While I think the concept holds tremendous potential for Orleans County, it has become clear we need the state to be fully onboard and have answers to questions like funding the district court, before we can go any further,” Johnson said.

Provided photos: Paint cans fill large boxes on June 15 during a free community paint recycling event held at the former GCC campus parking lot in Albion.

ALBION – The numbers are in for the first community paint recycling event which was hosted by Orleans County.

There were 346 vehicles that stopped by the former GCC campus in Albion to drop off paint.

The tallies included 41,621 pounds of latex/acrylic/water-based paints and 5,394 pounds of oil-based paints.

The event was funded for by the state’s PaintCare Program, which paid Greensheen to collect and dispose of the paint. County residents were able to dispose of their old paint cans at no charge.

Greensheen reported to the county that approximately 90% of all latex paint and cans were recycled, and the oil-based paint will be sent for fuel blending.

GreenSheen has developed their own innovative process to refine recycled paint to create a premium latex paint for reuse.

Orleans County will have its household hazardous waste collection day on Aug. 10 from 8:30 to 4 p.m. Registration is required by call (585) 589-3198. Click here for more information.

The team from Greensheen accepted paint from 346 vehicles.

Orleans County registered Republicans go to the polls on Tuesday with voting from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Most of the polling sites are at town halls, although Albion votes at Hoag Library, Carlton uses the Rec Hall and part of Ridgeway uses the Volunteer Fire Company.

Here is a list of the polling sites:

• Albion – Districts 1 through 6: Hoag Library, 134 South Main St.
• Barre – Districts 1 and 2: Town Hall, 14317 West Barre Rd.
• Carlton – Districts 1 through 3: Carlton Fire Co. Rec Hall, 1853 Oak Orchard Rd.
• Clarendon – Districts 1 through 3: Town Hall, 16385 Church St.
• Gaines – Districts 1 through 4: Town Hall, 14087 Ridge Rd.
• Kendall – Districts 1 through 3: Town Hall, 1873 Kendall Rd.
• Murray – Districts 1 through 6: Murray Town Hall/Highway Garage, 3840 Fancher Rd.
• Ridgeway – Districts 1, 3, 6, 7: Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company, 11392 Ridge Rd.
• Ridgeway – Districts 2, 4, 5: Town Hall, 410 West Ave.
• Shelby – Districts 1 through 4: Town Hall, 4062 Salt Works Rd.
• Yates – Districts 1 and 2: 8 South Main St.

There are countywide primary contests for district attorney and coroner.

• For District Attorney, the election is between Susan Howard and John Sansone.
• For County Coroner, voters can choose 3 candidates between Kevin Dann, Julie Woodworth, Rocco Sidari and Scott Schmidt.

There is a primary in the 24th Congressional District between Claudia Tenney and Mario Fratto.

There is also a primary for Carlton Town Board member for a one-year term to fill a vacancy between John Olles and Jeffrey Gifaldi.

The remaining elections are for members of the Republican County Committee.

• In Shelby District 3, choose two between Bruce Schmidt, Alana Koneski and Stephen Seitz, Sr.
• In Shelby District 4, choose for any two between John Pratt III, Benjamin Flansburg and Thomas Winans.
• In Yates District 2, choose for two between Terry Chaffee, Jr., William Jurinich, Lynne Johnson and Steven Colon.

County will have new district attorney for first time in 33 years

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Republican Primary for district attorney on Tuesday is a matchup between Susan Howard and John Sansone.

ALBION – For the first time in 33 years, Orleans County will have a change in district attorney on Jan. 1. Joe Cardone has served as the county’s top prosecutor since 1992. He is retiring on Dec. 31.

On Tuesday, two of his assistant DAs will battle for the Republican line. John Sansone was endorsed by the Republican Party Committee, but Susan Howard forced a GOP primary. She has been endorsed by the Conservative Party.

Cardone has stayed out of the race on who will be his successor, opting not to pick a side.

Both candidates oppose state legislation that they said benefits criminals, such as bail reform where judges cannot set cash bail on some non-qualifying offenses. The candidates want judges to have more discretion in setting bail.

Susan Howard, 57, touts her lifelong roots in Orleans County. Sansone, also 57, recently moved to Holley. He is a native Lockport resident but has worked for more than two decades in the county as a municipal attorney. He worked as an assistant public defender beginning in 1998 and then joined the District Attorney’s Office as an assistant DA in 2007.

“When I became an assistant DA it changed my life,” Sansone said in an interview last week at Hoag Library. “As an ADA you represent the People of the State of New York.”

Sansone also has prosecuted cases in Niagara County since 2001 as an assistant county attorney doing cases with juvenile delinquents.

Sansone was on a pre-med track at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, earning a degree in biology. He was working as a reporter at the Lockport Union Sun & Journal, covering the crime beat and the Niagara County Legislature.

He was always interested in being a lawyer, and decided to follow that passion, rather than pursuing medical school. He earned his law degree at Ohio Northern University and joined a Lockport law firm as a criminal defense lawyer in 1995. He encountered Cardone in the early part of Sansone’s career, and Cardone convinced him to join the Orleans County DA’s office as an assistant.

Sansone would leave the Lockport law firm, and opened his own law office. He said he didn’t shy away from trials, and that reputation has served him well. As a prosecutor, he said defendants know he won’t accept delays or try to avoid the added time and effort in a trial.

John Sansone is shown outside Hoag Library in Albion. He has worked as an assistant DA in the county since 2007.

As a criminal defense lawyer, on the other side, prosecutors knew they had to have a very strong case if they wanted to go to trial or pursue a plea with a long sentence. His experience as a defense attorney also helps him see potential holes in the prosecutor’s case. He said it would help him present more thorough cases to the grand jury.

Sansone said the position as DA is about holding people accountable for their actions. That doesn’t always mean the longest prison sentence.

In some cases, he supports mandated anger management counseling, and drug and addiction treatment.

“You can be the hammer to get them help,” he said.

But someone who repeatedly breaks the law, putting others in danger, needs to face punishment, Sansone said.

“If people are breaking into garages and stealing others’ property, you need to send a message it won’t be taken lightly,” Sansone said. “The DA position is a very crucial position. The people need the best champion for justice. I will do what I can to hold people accountable.”

Howard didn’t go to law school until she was 33. Before that she was a paralegal and a caseworker with the Department of Social Services.

Her father, the late Richard Schult, owned the Lakeland restaurant at Point Breeze. He also worked at Kodak and flipped houses. He often reached out to a lawyer for advice.

Howard said she wanted to be that person who could help people through a  problem. It wasn’t until she did an internship at the DA’s Office that she turned her attention to being a prosecutor. After that experience in 2000, she said she found her passion as a lawyer.

“I was hooked,” she said. “It was exciting. I felt every day we touched people’s lives.”

Howard said she wants to see the office continue to be welcoming to interns. Some years there are as many as three. She said the county needs more attorneys, and she wants to facilitate a great learning experience for them through the DA’s Office.

Howard became a lawyer in 2004, and wanted to work in Orleans County, but there weren’t any positions open at that time. She worked a year in the Niagara County DA’s Office before coming back to Orleans in 2005.

Susan Howard, shown inside Hoag Library, has been an assistant district attorney in the county since 2005, and the first assistant DA since 2011.

In 2011, a full-time assistant DA position was created and Howard took the job. She has been there since. She has run the traffic diversion program since it was created in 2011. It allows some drivers to resolve tickets easily without incurring a court appearance, points on a license or a hike in insurance premiums. It also keeps more of the ticket revenue locally. Howard said the program recently passed the $2 million mark for keeping revenue in the county rather than sent to the state. The traffic diversion program works with about 400 to 500 people a year.

Howard also represents the DA’s Office for misdemeanors and felonies at Town Courts in Albion (in cases with Justice Gary Moore), Carlton and Gaines. The role means she prosecutes the crimes in the state prisons, and also the welfare fraud cases.

She also has handled cases since 2011 at the County Court level, doing indictments and trials. She also does some of the family court prosecutions for juvenile delinquents, where the focus is on helping the families.

“I feel like I’ve been working at this all my law career,” she said about her experience in the DA’s Office. “This is my community. No one will work harder for them.”

Sansone, as assistant DA, is assigned to cases that originate in Barre and Shelby. He also handles some of the cases at the county court level. He also has worked as the municipal attorney for the Village of Holley, and towns of Murray, Clarendon and Kendall.

Howard is vice president of the Orleans County Bar Association and a member of the District Attorneys Association of New York. From the DA Association, she said district attorneys are pressing state legislators to change bail reform and discovery laws. The DAs want more crimes to be considered “qualifying crimes” and eligible for bail, Howard said.

With discovery laws, the association was able to successfully advocate for more time to turn over evidence to the defense lawyers. Howard said the time frames were not realistic and prosecutors and law enforcement agencies still could use more time to process body cam video and other evidence.

She said working collaboratively is the best chance for meaningful change.

“This job is all about leadership and relationships,” she said. “You have to come together and work with other people.”

Both candidates have amassed official support in their campaigns. Sansone has the backing of Sheriff Chris Bourke, the union representing deputies, and a union representing dispatchers and corrections officers. The Holley mayor and town supervisors in Clarendon, Murray and Kendall all back him, saying he has been an advocate for those communities as the municipal attorney.

Howard has the endorsement of retired County Court Judge Jim Punch, who was also a district attorney. Other law enforcement officials have sent letters to the editor in support of her, and so has current Crime Victims Advocate Michelle Werth.

Voting on Tuesday is from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the 10 towns in the county.

Sunday is last day for early voting before Primary on Tuesday

Photo by Tom Rivers: This sign directs people to the early voting spot at the Board of Elections at the County Office Building.

ALBION – The turnout has been light so far with early voting in the Republican primaries.

Today is the eighth day of early voting and 216 had cast ballots as of 2:30 p.m. Early voting continues until 5 p.m. today, and then there is a final day on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. before the primary on Tuesday.

The county has one early voting site and it’s in Albion at the County Office Building on Route 31.

The turnout each day so far includes: 26 on June 15, 12 on June 16, 29 on June 17, 33 on June 18, 43 on June 19, 43 on June 20, 30 in June 21, and 22 on June 22 (as of 2:30 p.m.).

There are countywide primary contests for district attorney and coroner.

• For District Attorney, the election is between Susan Howard and John Sansone.
• For County Coroner, voters can choose 3 candidates between Kevin Dann, Julie Woodworth, Rocco Sidari and Scott Schmidt.
• There is a primary in the 24th Congressional District between Claudia Tenney and Mario Fratto.
• There is also a primary for Carlton Town Board member for a one-year term to fill a vacancy between John Olles and Jeffrey Gifaldi.

The remaining elections are for members of the Republican County Committee.

• In Shelby District 3, choose two between Bruce Schmidt, Alana Koneski and Stephen Seitz, Sr.
• In Shelby District 4, choose for any two between John Pratt III, Benjamin Flansburg and Thomas Winans.
• In Yates District 2, choose for two between Terry Chaffee, Jr., William Jurinich, Lynne Johnson and Steven Colon.

More oxen could be around the county to help celebrate the 200^th anniversary in 2025; Creature to be named during fair next month

Photos courtesy of Robert Batt: Joan Gabalski, a summer assistant at the Cornell Cooperative extension in Orleans County, stands next to a fiberglass ox that was delivered on Thursday at the fairgrounds.

KNOWLESVILLE – An animal harking back to the Orleans County’s early days about two centuries ago is back at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds and will be given a prominent part of the upcoming fair, July 22-27.

A fiberglass ox was delivered by FedEx on Thursday afternoon, traveling from Texas. Robert Batt, the executive director of the Extension, welcomed the idea of having an oxen on display to celebrate the county’s roots.

“It’s impressive,” Batt said about the ox. “We think it’s a fantastic piece to add to the county fairgrounds.”

Joan Gabalski and the ox are shown next to the pie tin that was a world record breaker in 1977.

Orleans County officially formed on April 15, 1825. The State Legislature recognized Orleans County that day, allowing it to splinter from Genesee County. Orleans is now less than a year from its bicentennial. Batt is on the Bicentennial Committee.

The committee is considering having a public art project with fiberglass oxen around the county, and painted in different themes.

But first the committee wanted to see if the public would embrace the idea of the oxen as a public art project, and also as a symbol for the county. The ox will be painted by artist Stacey Kirby Steward during the fair from July 22-27. She is planning an agricultural theme for the ox.

If there are enough sponsors for more oxen, there could be several of them around the county in 2025.

Batt is happy to have an ox at the fairgrounds. He expects it will join the giant pie tin as a fun curiosity. That pie tie celebrates the world’s largest apple pie that was baked at the fair in 1977.

“I see a lot of people stop here to get photos with the pie plate,” Batt said.

The ox is expected to draw a crowd, too. The creature will be on display and Batt thinks it will be a hit with kids and younger adults who like to get selfies for their social media pages.

He also thinks the ox is great way to remind people of the county’s pioneer days. The animal was critical for the fledgling county, pulling wagons across rough terrain, helping to clear trees, dig the Erie Canal and provide lots of muscle for taming the land. Oxen also weren’t picky eaters. They could subsist on poor grass.

Batt would like to name the ox, and wants to see ideas on the Orleans Hub social media page. He already has heard the suggestion, “Orlo,” giving the ox an Orleans-sounding name.

The Bicentennial Committee is expected to create a short list of names to present as options. People can vote during the fair. The ballot box will likely be near the ox while it is painted by Steward, who has created many murals in Albion and Holley. The ox’s name will likely be announced on Saturday, the last day of the fair.