ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature voted on Wednesday to seek a $200,000 grant to continue a small business education program.

More than 500 people have graduated from the Microenterprise Assistance Program since it started in 1999. The 10-week program is offered in the spring and fall and gives small business owners tips in marketing, handling stress, computers, legal issues, bookkeeping and taxes – all factors that are key to running successful businesses. They also must complete a business plan.

The spring class that starts April 6 is already full. The class sessions are held at the Arnold Gregory Office Complex in Albion.

ALBION – The Orleans County District Attorney’s Office is applying for a $170,000 state grant to help the county with its expenses to meet new state regulations for discovery, or the evidence to be shared with the defendants and their lawyers.

The DA’s Office has added two employees and purchased equipment to comply with the regulations. That equipment connects the DA’s Office, law enforcement agencies, defense attorneys and others to share discovery materials.

Beginning last year the state required the DA’s offices and law enforcement agencies to turn over evidence to defendants and their lawyers within 15 to 30 days after arraignment. Discovery often includes police reports, 911 calls and recordings, and DNA results.

The state is making the $170,000 available to the county through what is expected to be a one-time grant, District Attorney Joe Cardone said.

There will be $40 million available statewide. The funding covers expenses retroactively from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

Press Release, Genesee-Orleans County Weights & Measures Department

With the current spike in fuel prices, the Genesee-Orleans County Department of Weights & Measures wants the public to know that all pumps in service are up to date with their state-mandated inspections and have been approved for use.

“We pumped over 13,000 gallons of fuel testing and verifying fuel meters last year,” stated Ronald P. Mannella, Weights and Measures director in the two counties. “If a pump is out of tolerance and under delivering, it is removed from service until repaired. Our tolerances are tight in order to establish fairness and equity in the marketplace.”

Of the 457 petroleum pumps between the two counties, only one was found under delivering and out of tolerance in 2020.

$10.7 million project improves traffic flow in canal towns

Photo by Tom Rivers: Traffic passes over the Gaines Basin Road canal bridge on Nov. 26, 2020. The bridge reopened after a major rehabilitation, one of seven canal bridges that were upgraded as part of a $10.7 million initiative by the state Department of Transportation. The Gaines Basin bridge was closed for about six months for the construction work.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Cuomo today announced the completion of a $10.7 million project to rehabilitate seven historic single-lane bridges across the Erie Canal in the towns of Murray, Albion, Gaines, Ridgeway and the Village of Medina.

The state Department of Transportation replaced the steel flooring and raised the legal weight limit on all seven 100-year old truss bridges to allow farm equipment, trucks and other commercial vehicles to safely pass while simultaneously improving the flow of both people and commerce throughout the region.

The historic project builds on the regional Finger Lakes Forward initiative, which has already invested over $8 billion to revitalize communities and facilitate commerce along the Erie Canal and the surrounding region.

“New York has made unprecedented investments to upgrade the state’s infrastructure to increase public safety while boosting economic activity along the Erie Canal,” Governor Cuomo said. “The historic Erie Canal is critical for doing business in the region and we’re proud to honor the Canal’s commercial legacy by bringing these bridges into the 21st century. This project will ensure that locals and visitors alike get where they need to go quickly and safely.”

Construction on the project began in December 2018 and has included repairs to the structures and installation of high-strength galvanized steel to replace steel flooring systems and truss elements of the bridges. Each bridge also received a fresh coat of paint. Work took place at the following locations:

• Bennetts Corners Road, between Route 31 and Gulf Road, in the Town of Murray.
• Telegraph Road, between Route 237 and Groth Road, in the Town of Murray.
• Transit Road, between Route 31 and West Brockville Road, in the Town of Murray.
• Densmore Road, north of Route 31, in the Town of Albion.
• Gaines Basin Road, between Albion Eagle Harbor Road and West Bacon Road, in the Town of Gaines.
• Bates Road, between Telegraph Road and Portage Road, in the Village of Medina.
• Marshall Road, between Route 31 and School Road, in the Town of Ridgeway.

Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said, “The residents of Orleans County are very grateful to Governor Cuomo and the NYSDOT for providing the funding to complete seven Erie Canal Bridge rehabilitation projects. After two years of construction efforts we now have safe and reliable access over the canal for our emergency services, commuters, and farmers. These bridges not only are a part of our rich heritage, but provide vital connections to our local businesses and residents. Investing in infrastructure is an easy thing to ignore, and you don’t know it’s too late until you are in crisis mode. It’s great to see this kind of investment paying dividends in developing reliable infrastructure that will keep our economy strong.”

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “The Erie Canal is a treasured part of the history of New York State and continues to play a vital role in sustaining the economic health and well-being of the Finger Lakes Region. The rehabilitation of these bridges demonstrates our commitment to improving the canal’s infrastructure to meet the needs of a 21st century economy while still respecting the important role the canal and the bridges have played in the history of not only the region but also the entire state and nation.”

New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “The rehabilitation of these seven iconic bridges over the Erie Canal is another example of Governor Cuomo’s continued investment in canalside communities that ensures these vital crossings continue to support the economic needs of the region. The Canal Corporation is proud to collaborate with the Department of Transportation on this project as it greatly improves the safety for all vehicles, including local farming equipment and emergency responders, crossing over the bridges and for the boats passing underneath on the canal.”

Melissa Blanar of the Office for the Aging and Robert Batt of Cornell Cooperative Extension praised for service to county

Melissa Blanar

ALBION – Leadership Orleans has announced its alumni of the year for 2020: Melissa Blanar and Robert Batt.

Blanar, director of the office for the Aging in Orleans County, graduated from Leadership Orleans in 2019. Batt, a graduate of the inaugural class in 2018, is executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County.

Robert Batt

“Their ongoing leadership efforts during 2020 supported many areas of need in Orleans County,” The Leadership Orleans Steering Committee said. “Both went far and beyond their professional leadership roles through their organizations to serve at even greater levels. In reaching out, their natural leadership styles inspired the volunteer efforts of many others who to this day are still assisting them in fulfilling those needs. From distributing food to community members to addressing other pandemic realities, Robert and Melissa have been there to share their leadership skills.”

Leadership Orleans is a year-long program with about 25 members in a class who learn about the different sectors of the county, from agriculture, manufacturing, education, healthcare, government and other industries and services. Last year’s class was disrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead of a graduation in December, the Class of 2020’s commencement is tentatively scheduled for May 20, 2021. Batt and Blanar will be recognized at that ceremony.

Batt and Blanar have both been instrumental in the food distributions during the pandemic. They have worked with Foodlink and other distributors to have boxes of food available for free to local residents. (There is a food distribution this morning at Medina Central School.)

Those distributions have been at Holley, Clarendon, Albion, Medina, Ridgeway and the 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville.

Melissa Blanar, left, carried milk to residents’ vehicles at a food distribution on Nov. 13, 2020 in Albion. Her office has been extra busy in the past year assisting seniors during the Covid pandemic, including recent efforts trying to help them make appointments for the vaccine.

Robert Batt carries a box of food to a car on July 2, 2020 during a distribution at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds. Batt helped at similar events throughout the county. He also wrote a grant and is on a committee to bridge the digital divide in the county by bringing more high-speed internet access to Orleans.

File photo by Tom Rivers: Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone said legalizing recreational marijuana will make the roadways less safe.

ALBION – Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone is concerned the state will follow through with legalizing recreational use of marijuana, which he said will result in more accidents and fatalities on the local roadways.

Cardone said Colorado legalized marijuana and marijuana-related traffic deaths went up by three times.

“In other stats, road fatalities have more than tripled,” Cardone said in a conference call Tuesday evening with other local officials. “It’s created a tremendous amount of problems.”

The District Attorneys Association of New York expects the State Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to approve legalizing marijuana this year, Cardone said.

Cuomo this week said he will push to have legalization approved as part of the state budget, which is due by April 1.

Cuomo said legalization is projected to create more than 60,000 new jobs, spur $3.5 billion in economic activity while generating an estimated $350 million in tax revenue once fully implemented.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley spoke on the Tuesday conference call and said the state’s fiscal woes are putting even more pressure on state legislators and the governor to legalize marijuana. Hawley said he opposes the move and said the governor has inflated numbers on the economic benefits of legalization.

“It’s hiding in the budget bill,” Hawley said about the marijuana proposal. “It should be based on facts and figures and statistics. We’re going to do all we can to make sure this isn’t going to happen.”

Cardone said the state shouldn’t ease up on laws to generate revenue.

“I see it as selling out on our morality to balance budget, which is wrong,” Cardone said.

Provided photo: Correction officers Kyle Strickland, left, and Jenna Reglan, right, graduated from the Niagara County Corrections Academy. They are shown with Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson, center.

Press Release, Sheriff Chris Bourke

ALBION – Two part-time Correction Officers Kyle Strickland and Jenna Raglan graduated on Jan. 22 from the 22nd Niagara County Corrections Academy Class.

The Basic Corrections Academy provides newly appointed officers with the basic skills and requirements for becoming a corrections officer. The basic corrections academy, is physically and mentally demanding and requires students to attend eight weeks of instructional training that include the following topics:

• Effective Communication
• Security and Supervisor
• Defensive Tactics and Physical fitness.
• Legal Issues
• Special Needs Inmate Care and Supervision
• Essential Services
• Officer Wellness
• Basic Firearms Training
• Aerosol Chemical Agents
• Criminal Procedure Law
• Fire Prevention
• Written Communication / Report Writing
• Interagency Cooperation
• Crime Scene Preservation
• Penal Law
• Extensive Use of Force Training
• Stress Management
• Hostage Survival
• First Aid/CPR
• Direct Supervision
• Suicide Prevention
• Inmate Transportation

In addition to the above listed training, students also received 40 hours of crisis intervention training, which provides officers with de-escalation techniques to reduce the need for using force with inmates that are suffering from a variety of mental health disorders.

Basic Corrections Officer Training is the foundation for new officers that are beginning their careers as corrections officers with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office. Newly appointed officers will also receive extensive on-the-job field training that provides a practical and procedural application of the required regulations for the Orleans County Jail.

Morning DMV appointments can be honored after 11 a.m. Tuesday

Press Release, Jack Welch, Orleans County chief administrative officer

ALBION – In anticipation of the first major snow storm of this year, Orleans County officials have decided to delay the opening of the County Offices until 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

“Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our workers and our residents we are delaying the opening of our County Offices until 11 a.m. on Tuesday,” said Orleans County Chief Administrative Officer Jack Welch.

This delay will allow the Department of Public Works to plow the parking lots and shovel the sidewalks prior to our opening to the public at 11 a.m. This delay in opening should allow the majority of workers a safer commute into work with the anticipated amount and duration of snowfall which is set to begin this evening.

Employees who are not involved in our public safety operations or our Department of Public Works operations should delay their report to work until 11 a.m. on Tuesday. For any residents who have appointments between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., we will do our best to accommodate those appointments prior to the end of the workday on Tuesday.

From Orleans County Clerk Nadine Hanlon: “Due to Orleans County Offices delaying their opening until 11 a.m. tomorrow, Orleans County DMV customers who had appointments scheduled between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16, will be allowed to come to DMV, by checking in first with security, to have their appointments honored until 4 p.m. that afternoon.  We ask for patience as we still will need to follow COVID protocols.”

County revenues increased 9.2% while sales tax plummeted 10.0% statewide

Photo by Tom Rivers: Main Street in Medina is pictured on Aug. 18.

Sales tax revenues plunged 10 percent statewide in 2020, with New York City the hardest hit. Its sales tax collections were down 18.7%, from $8.23 billion to $6.69 billion.

Orleans County, however, had one of the biggest increases in the state, up by 9.2 percent – from $17.7 million in 2019 to $19.4 million in 2020.

Orleans was up while the neighboring counties – Niagara, Genesee and Monroe – all experienced sales tax declines, according to a report from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

Orleans saw sales tax gains in three out of the four quarters in 2020. January through March sales tax collections were at $4.4 million in 2020, up from $3.8 million in 2019. April through June dropped from $4.6 million in 2019 to $4.4 million. Collections were then up from July through September, from $4.7 million to $5.4 million, and then from October through December the sales tax was up from $4.7 million to $5.2 million.

Here are the sales tax collections for Orleans County and other nearby counties:

• Orleans County, $17.7 million in 2019, $19.4 million in 2020 – 9.2% increase
• Genesee County, $42.5 million in 2019, $41.4 million in 2020 – 2.5% decrease
• Livingston County, $35.5 million in 2019, $36.3 million in 2020 – 2.3% increase
• Wyoming County, $19.0 million in 2019, $20.0 million in 2020, 5.1% increase
• Erie County, $829.4 million in 2019, $814.6 million in 2020, 1.8% decrease
• Niagara County, $129.8 million in 2019, $129.1 million in 2020, 0.5% decrease
• Monroe County, $526.0 million in 2019, $511.2 million in 2020, 2.8% decrease

The 9.2 percent increase for Orleans was topped only by Westchester at 9.8 percent, Oswego at 10.5 percent and Delaware at 10.7 percent. (The comptroller said Westchester’s increase was largely due to an increase in the local sales tax rate from 3 to 4 cents.)

State-wide, 30 of the counties had sales tax increase while 27 suffered declines, with Tompkins County showing the biggest drop at 10.4 percent.

DiNapoli’s report said the sales tax took its biggest hit from march through May when many businesses were closed due to Covid-19 restrictions. The sectors with the biggest year-over-year declines were restaurants, traveler accommodations and clothing stores.

Some sectors saw increases, including “beer, wine, and liquor stores” and “other information services” (internet content publishers and broadcasters). The comptroller’s report noted increases for “electronic shopping and mail-order houses,” which includes major online-only retailers, such as Amazon.

The sales more than doubled from electronic shopping and mail-order houses from both March to May and then June to August periods, the comptroller’s report stated.

The $1.7 million increase for Orleans County doesn’t all go in the county coffers. The county is seeing the state take some of the local sales tax and divert it. The county is having $102,814 in its sales tax withheld by the state and sent to the Fiscally Distressed Hospital Fund, with another $87,460 to be withheld later 2021, said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.

The county also will have $290,276 taken from its sales tax for AIM (Aid and Incentives to Municipalities). That used to be paid for by the state to some towns and villages but now comes from the local sales tax.

The county’s sales tax also includes $1,366,671 to be shared with the 10 towns and four villages. That amount hasn’t changed since 2001.

Issue highlighted as county tries to build support for expanded broadband coverage

ALBION – Orleans County senior citizens, who are feeling desperate to get an appointment for a Covd-19 vaccine, are struggling to access online websites to sign up, Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said today.

Lynne Johnson

Instead of trying online to register for the vaccine, 500 seniors have instead called the Orleans County Office for the Aging to get on the waiting list.

She highlighted the issue today during a Zoom conference call with Congressman Chris Jacobs, news reporters and members of the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative Steering Team.

“They dial the Office for the Aging because they don’t have internet or don’t know how to use internet,” Johnson said during the news conference.

In rural Wyoming County, Jacobs said he was told about half of the available vaccines administered in the county have been claimed by people outside Wyoming because that county also struggles with spotty or nonexistent internet service.

Johnson has been working nearly a decade to expand broadband in Orleans County, including by partnering with neighboring Niagara County. Cost estimates to fill the gaps in coverage in the two counties are about $10 million, including $4 million for the areas in Orleans County.

‘This issue (high-speed internet) is critical to the future prosperity of the region. This is the rural electrification of years ago and we need to view it as such.’ – Congressman Chris Jacobs

Orleans hasn’t been unable to make significant progress in expanding the service locally. Johnson said the county has been bypassed by the state and federal governments for funding.

Johnson is optimistic, however, that federal funding soon will be available for the county. She praised the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative Steering Team for helping to documents the need in the county. That group has received nearly 3,000 surveys from residents, and conducted more than 50 interviews with business and community leaders, which all quantifies the woes of inadequate or nonexistent internet service.

It effects students trying to do homework online, businesses that need to file reports, residents trying to fill out job applications and anyone trying to enjoy a movie through Netflix.

Johnson said about 20 percent of the county does not have high-speed internet service available, and more places have subpar coverage. It’s a major issue as the county tries to retain and attract residents and businesses.

Chris Jacobs

Jacobs thanked the local officials and the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative Steering Team for their work on a “critically important issue” that he said “cuts across entirety of 27^th Congressional District.”

The gaps in coverage has been even more apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic, with more students forced to school remotely at home and more people trying to work from their residence.

One issue to resolve in Orleans is a clear data map that shows where coverage doesn’t exist in the county, and current addresses where it needs to be upgraded. Johnson said local officials have gone house by house and have showed 20 percent doesn’t have access to the service.

That differs from state maps which put coverage at about 98 percent. That’s because if one house in a census block has high-speed internet, the state considers that block covered, Johnson said.

Jacobs said he will be pressing the Public Service Commission at the state to provide accurate data maps about where the service isn’t currently available.

“This issue is critical to the future prosperity of the region,” Jacobs said. “This is the rural electrification of years ago and we need to view it as such.”

In Orleans County, nearly 3,000 people have already completed online surveys in English or Spanish about their internet needs and current service. There are also printed surveys at local libraries and some non-profit agencies.

The survey will remain available until the end of February. The Steering Committee welcomes more feedback from residents through the surveys.

“The more people that fill out the survey, the more accurate data will be and we can make a more compelling case,” Jacobs said.

The Steering Committee also is moving to a solutions phase and already has about 250 people committed to 2-hour sessions to help brainstorm solutions, said Mary Beth Debus, a consultant hired to assist the county with the project, which is led by the Orleans County United Way.

The response from the survey and the commitment to attend the sessions shows the widespread support and determination from residents and community leaders to improve the situation, Debus told Jacobs.

Dean Bellack, executive director of the United Way, told Jacobs the county needs more than just expanded connectivity with high-speed internet. Many people, including seniors, lack expertise to use the service and devices.

The Steering Committee is looking to have trained people available to help people use technology, including telemedicine services. The county may also want to look at technology literacy camps, including for youths, Bellack said.

“These are some of the hundred different ideas we’re putting together,” he said.

Here are some other highlights from the survey so far:

• 81% of Orleans County residents who do not have internet at home (15% of respondents) do not have an option for getting internet because it isn’t available to them.
• When asked how reliable their internet is, only 23% said it was very reliable. A larger percentage (27%) described it as spotty or not working well at all. (The remaining said they had occasional problems.)
• 78% said that they experience problems if there are multiple devices being used at the same time.
• 35% of residents need to always, often, or sometimes leave their homes in order to do activities on the internet.
• One in five students is having trouble using the device their school provided them.
• 32% of students do not have an adult in the house who can help them with their technology needs.
• 59% of respondents could work from home all or part of the time.
• 67% of respondents have been asked to work from home all or part of the time by their employers but 12% of them were unable to. 60% of those who did encountered poor and/or slow connectivity.
• About 15% of job seekers are having trouble with digital literacy interfering with job search process (filling out job applications, using email, etc.)

Committee members say Sheriff’s Office is responsive to community, embracing more training to de-escalate volatile situations

This screen shot from Thursday evening’s public forum through Zoom shows, from left, County Chief Administrative Officer Jack Welch, County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson and Sheriff Chris Bourke.

ALBION – Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke on Thursday evening led the first of two public forums on police reform, which is required by all 500 police agencies in the state.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo in June issued an executive order, mandating the law enforcement agencies review policies on use of force and de-escalation, with training of officers on bias in profiling. The governor urged each department to form a committee to review the policies and solicit feedback from residents.

Each department needs to submit a plan to the state by April 1, or they could be cut off from state funding.

Bourke and his committee will hold another public forum at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 8. Click here to see a link to the Zoom instructions for the meeting.

“What we are really boiling this all down to is we want the community, no matter your background, that when they deal with law enforcement they are getting a fair shake,” said District Attorney Joe Cardone.

He is a member of the Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative Committee for both the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and Medina Police Department.

Cardone spoke at the Sheriff’s Office public forum on Thursday. He said the committee wants to hear from the public if they have concerns when they have interactions with law enforcement. There is also a form (click here) for people to submit comments about the Sheriff’s Office that will be directed to the committee.)

Joanne Best, the county’s public defender, also is on the committee. She asked residents to fill out the form or be part of the Feb. 8 public forum.

“We welcome input from community on how things could be done better,” she said.

That feedback can help the Sheriff’s Office and the committee work on policies that may need improvement and possibly more training for officers.

“Even though it can be adversarial it’s important the population feels respected and that law enforcement is dealing with them in a fair manner,” Cardone said.

‘We heard about defunding our police. For all that our Sheriff’s Department does for our county I wish that we could fund them more.’ – Lynne Johnson, County Legislature leader

The Sheriff’s Office website currently lists policies on de-escalation of force, implied bias, community relations, citizen complaints and investigation of hate crimes.

Bourke said deputies have received more training in responding to people in a mental health crisis. They are trained to help de-escalate those and other potentially volatile situations.

The Sheriff’s Office operates with the purpose that “all persons have the right to dignified treatment under the law; protection of this right is a duty which is binding upon all members,” according to the community relations policy.

The policy about bias-based profiling states that all members of the Sheriff’s Office “will not affect a stop, detention, or search of any person which is motivated by race, color, ethnicity, age, gender or sexual orientation.”

Bourke said the Sheriff’s Office has about 100 employees with 45 at the county jail. There are usually 22 to 24 deputy sheriffs, which includes two investigators, three sergeants, a lieutenant and one civil sergeant. The Sheriff’s Office currently has two vacancies for deputies and an investigator.

Jeff Gifaldi, the chief deputy, said the Sheriff’s Office has three patrol cars out 24-7, except on the weekends, when it is increased to four cars.

The Sheriff’s Office also runs a marine patrol from April 1 to Nov. 1 with a full-time deputy and 10 part-timers. The work in 26 miles of water along Lake Ontario, as well as Lake Alice, Glenwood Lake, the Erie Canal and other smaller bodies of water, Bourke said.

The Sheriff’s Office also runs the 911 dispatch center with nine full-time dispatchers and two part-timers. Last year they handled 32,000 calls.

County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said the Sheriff’s Office could use more funding to carry out its mission.

“Last years in the events of civil unrest throughout nation, we heard about defunding our police,” Johnson said. “For all that our Sheriff’s Department does for our county I wish that we could fund them more. Defunding our police is not an option in Orleans County.”

She praised the Sheriff’s Office for its community outreach efforts, and increased training for officers.

“I can’t see how we could have better peacemakers,” she said. “Orleans County supports the law enforcement we have 100 percent.”

Terry Wilbert of Albion asked the lone question from the community during Thursday’s forum. He asked about the diversity of the workforce, including if there are women among the deputies.

Bourke said there two women among the deputies, which includes an investigator and a school resource officer. There are four corrections officers who are Black and one of the seasonal marine deputies is Latino, Bourke said.

Thaddeus Nauden, a community member on the committee, said the Sheriff’s Office and local law enforcement have the trust of the community.

“My problem isn’t with the police department in Orleans County,” he said during the forum. “In Orleans County I haven’t seen any problems. The problem is with justice system after the arrest. Too many criminals are put out on the street after their arrest.”

Eddie English, pastor of The Lord’s House in Waterport, also commended the Sheriff’s Office for “doing a great job” and for building many partnerships in the community.

Margie Aldacco, director of a safe house in the county, also is on the committee. She said residents likely aren’t aware of the many programs by the Sheriff’s Office.

James White, a seasonal deputy on the Marine Division, also serves on the committee.

“It’s not just about writing tickets,” he said. “It’s about effecting real change in the community.

We have a good department, with good leadership and they strive to serve the community.”

Trellis Pore, another committee member, said the Sheriff’s Office is embracing training and is focused on serving residents.

“It’s a breath of fresh air to see our Sheriff’s Department wants to have a safe community,” he said.

Bourke said a “few bad apples” among police officers have given law enforcement “a black eye.” He said incidents of police brutality “turn my stomach.”

He said the Sheriff’s Office will continue to have officers trained in de-escalation with mental health and other crises.

“My opinion is the training never stops,” he said. “You have to adjust with the times.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: A crew from Russia travelled the Erie Canal on a boat, Pilgrim, last Aug. 7. They are shown headed west under the Ingersoll Street lift bridge in Albion.

The leader of the New York Power Authority, which oversees the state’s canal system, responded to rumors about the upcoming canal season, saying it should be back on a normal schedule after a shortened season last year due to Covid-19.

Gil C. Quiniones, president and CEO of NYPA, issued this statement this morning:

“The New York State Canal system has been, and continues to be, a significant driver of economic development for upstate communities and a valuable resource for recreation. As the 2021 navigation season approaches, the Canal Corporation is actively engaging with a wide range of local stakeholders across New York who rely on the waterway to identify their needs.

“The Canal Corporation is also assessing and addressing portions of the system’s aging infrastructure. These projects include undertaking efforts to optimize operation of the locks and lift bridges based on usage data when the Canal system opens this spring. As in previous years, the Canal system is projected to operate mid-May through mid-October and no changes are expected to the normal hours of operation.

“In addition, New York State’s iconic Erie Canal is not being renamed. The Erie Canal will remain the Erie Canal just as it has been for two centuries.”

Last year the opening of the canal system was pushed back from May to June 26, after canal staff and construction crews were sidelined early in the pandemic. That prevented the State Canal Corp. from doing some of the work needed before the canals could be opened.

During a conference call on Tuesday evening with Orleans County officials, Josh Veronica of State Sen. Rob Ortt’s office said there was concern in the canal communities that the start of the season might again be delayed.

Many of the businesses along the canal “took a big hit” last year and already have boating trips and other services scheduled for this year, said Veronica, Ortt’s director of community relations.

“The rumors of shortened season are not true at this point,” Veronica said. “We’ll advocate for those canals being open for as long as possible.”

New York’s Canal system spans 524 miles and includes four historic canals: the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca. The New York State Canal Corporation is a subsidiary of the New York Power Authority.

Community Action, Office for the Aging team up for the service

ALBION – A handyman to perform minor repairs for seniors in Orleans County is something Orleans County Office for the Aging’s director Melissa Blanar has wanted for years.

Annette Finch, director of Emergency Services for Community Action, said it has been a dream of hers for a very long time.

The dream has been realized with the announcement of James Westphal of Albion, hired as county’s first handyman.

His position is funded by a $10,000 grant from the WNY Covid-19 Community Response Fund, which Finch learned about and applied for. It is effective until 2023.

“This gives Melissa and I the opportunity to look for other grants to continue the service,” Finch said.

“We are very excited about this program,” Blanar said. “We get calls all the time from seniors who don’t have family in the area.”

“Now they have a place to turn,” Finch said.

Westphal is highly qualified for the handyman position, Finch said. He also had to pass a background check because the job requires him to go into the homes of senior citizens.

Westphal had been working as an inspector for power plants, when his job was terminated due to cutbacks in the Covid pandemic.

“We gave him this opportunity to go back to work,” Finch said. “He is very friendly and everybody loves him.”

Prior to his job as a power plant inspector, Westphal worked for 15 years as a sales person for Coca Cola and Budweiser.

“I enjoy having a job,” he said.

The handyman position is part time now, but Finch hopes she’ll be able to eventually put him on full time.

Westphal knows Community Action’s maintenance supervisor Greg Gilman, and works together with him very well, Finch said.

The handyman service is available to seniors 60 or older who reside in Orleans County, Blanar said.

Finch would love to be able to offer it in the future to disabled younger adults.

Finch said the service is a collaboration between Community Action and the Office for the Aging. Community Action acquired the grant and hired the handyman, while the Office for the Aging will accept and screen requests for handyman projects.

Requests for minor repair work can be made by calling Samantha at the Office for the Aging at 589-2863, between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The types of projects Westphal will be able to handle include installing handrails, grab bars or handheld shower heads; installing smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors; repairing stairs; minor ramp repairs; limited window repairs; minor electrical repairs; replacing lightbulbs; taking out or installing window air conditioners; fixing faucets; unclogging drains; minor flooring repairs; minor roof patching; weather stripping; adjusting doors; repairing existing storm doors; installing locksets and deadbolts; installing heat tape; and repairing or installing mailboxes.

Some projects may be ineligible for the handyman service, or if there is a job which Westphal can’t do, Community Action or the Office for the Aging will refer it to the appropriate agency, Blanar said. For instance, if a furnace quit, it could be referred to HEAP.

In a case where a repair might be expensive, the senior might be asked to pay for the materials, Finch said.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Contractors put in the racking system for a solar project at Beals Road by Route 31 in Ridgeway on Oct. 12, 2019. Borrego Solar Systems also built a solar array on Allis Road. The projects are on 16.5 acres on Beals Road and 29 acres on Allis Road, land owned by Ken Baker, a local livestock farmer.

ALBION – Many of the towns in Orleans County are being eyed for renewable energy projects, especially solar projects.

The smaller-scale solar typically take up 20 to 50 acres. But one project in Barre and Shelby would need 1,300 acres.

Utility-size wind energy projects in Barre and Yates would also consume some farmland for turbines, and perhaps for access roads and other infrastructure for the projects.

The solar projects, however, are more plentiful locally and would take up more land.

Matt Passarell, an Albion town councilman, told Orleans County Planning Board members he doesn’t want the county to lose prime farmland to the projects. Agriculture is the county’s top industry, and Passarell said the community leaders need to work with state and federal officials to make sure agriculture stays a powerful economic driver in the county. Albion is among the towns being considered for solar projects.

Jim Bensley, the county’s director of Planning and Development, said there is concern from planning officials in other rural areas in Western New York that farmland could be lost due to the energy projects.

Orleans County could see more big solar projects which could put some of the prime farmland at risk.

Jim Panek of Panek Farms was on the agenda last Thursday for a solar project in Lyndonville. That 340-kilowatt solar energy system is at Lynwood Drive along the right-of-way for the former Hojack railroad line on land that isn’t good farmland.

Panek also has solar arrays on Eagle Harbor Road in Albion at a former harness racing training track, which also was;t good for crops.

He said he gets three or four letters a week from solar companies looking to do projects. He would only consider them on marginal farmland.

“We aren’t going to take our prime farmland away to do a solar farm,” he told the Planning Board.

The energy companies want land that is close to transmission lines. Farmers have tried to steer companies to land without drainage tile or that isn’t very productive.

If more renewable energy projects are in the future, some of the more fertile soil could be targeted for the projects.

Bruce Kirby, a retired fruit grower on Densmore Road in Gaines, is a member of the County Planning Board. He said his farm twice was approached for solar projects, which didn’t become a reality.

He said the revenue from those projects can provide critical funding to keep farms, especially smaller operations, in business.

He also said the projects don’t change the land forever. The soil could be farmed when the solar panels or turbines are removed.

“It’s not permanent,” Kirby said. “We’re not destroying the ag resource you have in this county. Ask around and see how much people are making in farming. These projects provide secondary money to help farms.”

Nearly 3,000 have filled out survey so far

A group that is researching the internet gaps in Orleans County and developing a plan to improve broadband access is moving to a solutions phase.

The public is welcome to sign up for different sessions beginning this week. The more participation, the better in helping the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative Steering Team pursue funding for expanded internet in the county, said Mary Beth Debus, president of Program Savvy Consulting.

She is assisting in the steering team in compiling the data about the internet shortcomings in the county, and trying to identify funding sources to expand services.

“The first several months we’ve been trying to define how different communities within the community are impacted by the lack of internet,” Debus said.

So far, nearly 3,000 people have filled out 48-question surveys about internet access and needs. The steering committee would like to have 5,000 surveys completed, but Debus said having nearly 3,000 surveys filled out so far “is a really impressive number” and shows the community is engaged in the issue. Click here to see the survey.

The committee will have 16 different sessions to dig deeper in the local internet challenges and gaps. Click here to see the topics and to register. If you register for a session, you should also register for the orientation.

Some of the topics include:

• Digital Literacy: Older Adults – How might we help older adults discover opportunities provided by learning technology as well as how to use devices/access internet? How do we alert to concerns of fraud and misinformation? Might we push in these services through existing infrastructure?
• Digital Literacy: Youth – How might we address gaps in digital literacy for Youth? How might we integrate internet safety into programming? How might we teach computer skills (vs. just phone).
• Economic Equity: Access to Internet and Devices – How might we increase access to internet and devices for those with economic barriers?
• Increasing Content for the Spanish Speaking Community – How might we increase access to content, training, coaching, and resources for primarily Spanish speaking community? How might we teach use of translation options?
• Digital Literacy: Expanding Existing Services – There are existing training and coaching programs within Orleans County including BOCES, GLOW Workforce Development, NIOGA Libraries, and GCC BEST Center. How might we make these more accessible to the community? How can we design to be fully utilized and self-sustaining?
• Digital Literacy: The Unemployed and Underemployed – How might we build the digital literacy skills of those out of work or displaced such that they can more successfully find and secure jobs? How might we link the unemployed to existing programs to support them?
• Digital Literacy: Preparing the Future Workforce – What are the skills most needed in the future and what are some mechanisms for building these skills in future employees? In what ways can the business community/employers help to develop this workforce? What services/trainings/supports would be helpful to exist to support all businesses?
• Digital Literacy – Supporting Schools, Students, and Families – How might the school systems support the community in developing digital literacy skills? What is the best way to offer support? How do we take full advantage of investment in technology? How do we support educators, students, and families?
• Accessing and Using Internet: Solutions – How might we develop access to information technology resources for nonprofits? How might we enable use of technology for nonprofits to better achieve their missions?
• Improving Internet Access – How can people with poor internet improve that internet? What options might be available? How do we alert people to these options? How might we reduce economic barriers?
• Digital Literacy: Improving Access for Those Living with Disabilities – How might access to internet and devices be improved for those with disabilities? How might we teach digital literacy in an inclusive manner? How do we teach safety?
• Improving Access to Health Care – How might we help patients learn to successfully participate in tele-med? How do we share the benefits? How do we develop health literacy? How do we ensure that they have access to devices that will work for them? Could we design positions that support digital/health literacy?
• Developing an IT Workforce – How might we both attract educational programs to the community and recruit participants to these programs? How might we connect need to future jobs? How might we support those most in need of employment?
• Designing a Digital Literacy Campaign – How do we get the community engaged in wanting to improve skills? How might we help the community to know the value of digital literacy? How do we share where to go to get help?
• Putting It All Together: Developing an Initiative – This set of sessions will review all of the ideas from the individual sessions and search for overlaps, contingencies, and opportunities for coordination. This will be a longer process and will take place over three sessions and will require prework of reading prepared document of prior work.