Press Release, Holli Nenni, DSS Commissioner in Orleans County

ALBION – In New York, May is traditionally recognized  as Foster Parent Month. This year, due to Covid-19, the Orleans County Department of Social Services/Child and Family Services held their Foster Parent Appreciation Night on June 29 at Roadies Pizzeria and Sports Bar.

The foster families, including foster children, enjoyed the evening mingling and visiting with each other. Flowers were given to 3 foster families that reached milestones – two with 5 years each and one with 40 years as foster parents for Orleans County. The foster parents were also given a box of Case-Nic Cookies and a “Thank You” yard sign.

We are always in search of people willing to open their hearts and homes to children in need.  To learn how you can help,  please contact our Foster Care home finder at (585) 589-3161 or visit us on the web at www.orleanscountyny.com, click on “Departments” and then “Social Services.”

Be sure to check out our video featuring Orleans County foster parents and Child and Family Services staff sharing their impressions and experiences of fostering. Click here to see the video.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Marsha Cook, a 4-H volunteer, and Peter Beach, a buildings and grounds employee for the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, work together getting cans of corn and beans ready as part of a pop-up food pantry today at the Fairgrounds.

Foodlink in Rochester delivered two trucks of food earlier today at the fairgrounds. The Extension is hosting the first pop-up food pantry in a switch from the food distributions from April 2020 to last month, when 20-pound boxes of food were set in the trunks of vehicles.

In the new format, people park their cars and go into the Lartz Building and pick and choose what food they want. The CCE had about 200 people come through by 2:30 today, in the first hour and half of the program.

Detonse Burroughs of Kendall, a summer worker for the Job Development Agency, and Kayli Miller, a 4H’er from Albion, have watermelons ready for people to pickup.

There was enough food for about 400 households. There were limits on the quantities, including one watermelon per household.

The pickup today was scheduled to 5 p.m., but Extension staff and volunteers are expected to stay longer if the food isn’t gone.

Two brothers from Medina, Aeddon Cayea (left) and Alwyn, have Romaine lettuce and bags of pears ready. The two are working as summer employees for the Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Robert Batt, CCE executive director in the county, said he expects more of the pop-up pantries at the fairgrounds. He would like to offer them to the community on a monthly basis.

“It fits with our mission and we’re centrally located,” he said.

The new format was much easier on the CCE staff and volunteers, who didn’t have to lug heavy boxes to vehicles, Batt said.

He also thought the people receiving the food preferred the new format where they could select what they wanted.

“It’s been nice to see people who we have only been seeing through their car window,” Batt said.

Press Release, United Way of Orleans County

MEDINA – The United Way of Orleans County is the recipient of a $364,130 implementation grant from the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund administered by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo through its Moving Forward Together initiative.

The funding will be applied over three years to overcome digital literacy gaps by providing digital education and one-on-one community mentors across Orleans County (pop. 40,352). The grant will fund eight mentors this year and 16 by the end of 2022.

The aim of the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative is to bridge access and learning gaps for individuals with limited or no digital dexterity. This grant establishes a foundation for the Orleans United Way to provide support and services throughout the county.

Orleans County residents will soon have assistance applying for jobs, renewing driver’s licenses, making medical appointments, or submitting college applications. Local growers and small business owners will have digital support options to make their local operations more productive and resilient.

Community mentors will be available to seniors to teach them how to use a mobile phone, sign-up for email, and access online healthcare options.

“The Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative was established to address widespread societal gaps created by 20 years of rural digital divide,” said Dean Bellack, Executive Director of the United Way of Orleans County.  “The Moving Forward Together grant from the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund supports the initial phase of digital solutions – one-on-one community mentors, tech and cyber education.”

In 2020, the Orleans United Way formed the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative to study community needs resulting from the lack of reliable, high-speed broadband internet service options in the county. The Initiative, co-funded through the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund, identified communal barriers across 10 towns and four villages that included large gaps in internet availability, significant internet unreliability, economic barriers, and general lack of digital skills across the local population.

A 2021 Digital Literacy survey commissioned by the Initiative revealed those barriers were made worse by the pandemic, which substantially impacted local schooling, businesses, agriculture, health care, and work done by government offices and nonprofits. As the pandemic continued and citizens were unable to access or navigate online portals for essential services, businesses, and education, the Orleans United Way conducted focus groups to evaluate and prioritize solutions designed to largely improve digital literacy. A Community Mentors program was the first of 14 solutions developed to facilitate internet access and digital learning with programs and services more equitable and within reach across the county.

The Moving Forward Together grant will enable the Orleans United Way to embed tech coaches and basic internet education programs into local nonprofit groups, libraries, and community organizations. The grant will be administered by the Orleans United Way in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension Orleans County.

Robert Batt, Executive Director Cornell Cooperative Extension said, “The opportunity to provide digital literacy programs to Orleans County residents and people who work here will strengthen the community. Digital mentors will help people interact with each other, connect, shop, and learn in ways that, in the past, have been inaccessible or intimidating. This funding means there will be friendly, helping hands when you just can’t figure out the digital world.”

“In addition to addressing immediate needs in our community, the philanthropic community has come together through the Western New York COVID-19 Community Response Fund Moving Forward Together initiative to fund innovative collaborative solutions to long-standing systemic challenges,” said Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, President/CEO of Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. “We commend this cross-sector community effort led by the United Way of Orleans County to identify and address critical barriers to digital access that have existed for a long time and were exacerbated by the pandemic. The dedicated partners in this effort have an exciting and innovative solution to addressing digital literacy through mentorship and assistance and we look forward to seeing the impact in Orleans County and beyond.”

“The continued support of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo will offer residents opportunities to update their online skills and actively engage in 21st century connectivity,” said Ken DeRoller, Orleans County legislator and United Way board member. “The WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund grant will also provide more resources for seniors, many of whom did not have the digital awareness or skills during the pandemic to access information about local testing sites or where and how to get Covid vaccines.”.

At the height of the pandemic, more than 1,000 seniors required assistance from the Orleans County Office for the Aging to register for Covid vaccines online “…because they don’t have internet or don’t know how to use the internet,” said Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman.

Julie Christensen, Superintendent of Kendall Central School District said, “It is important to both improve internet access for our families and also to help all to learn how to use it effectively. Covid made this need a crisis, but even without Covid our attempts to connect families to school through technology is hampered.”

While Orleans County led the state a decade ago in identifying digital disparities facing upstate New York’s rural communities, the county has not received state aid or federal assistance to bridge $4.1 million in coverage gaps necessary to bring high-speed broadband services to all Orleans County residents and businesses.

“As the world moves more online, we need to respond in kind to increase digital literacy across Western New York. This grant is the product of excellent work done by the United Way and will allow Orleans County to shrink the digital divide,” said Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27). “I remain committed to expanding access to broadband in Orleans and other rural communities throughout WNY so more students, businesses, farmers, and seniors can access critical services.”

Cornell University defines digital literacy as “the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet.” Pew Research Center studies found most rural counties in the United States have “insufficient broadband options to meet the needs of residents, businesses, and organizations.”

Research from Brookings reflects continuous learning pathways are not available to students who may reside in rural areas, citing implications that are “far-reaching for school-age children without internet access.” During the pandemic, 15 million school-age children were without home broadband access or a device.

“The mission of the United Way of Orleans County is to be a connector of people, ideas and resources that will make the community stronger,” Bellack emphasized. “The Moving Forward Together grant is an important first step to improving the daily lives of all those who live, work, and go to school in Orleans County.”

Photo courtesy of Orleans County Sheriff’s Office: Jeff Smith, an instructor in the Orleans-Niagara BOCES adult/continuing education program, congratulates graduates for receiving their diplomas on June 21 in Medina.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke and Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson

MEDINA – The Orleans-Niagara BOCES graduated 45 students from their continuing/adult education program on June 21. The graduates include seven people incarcerated at the Orleans County Jail.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Medina. Each graduate received a diploma that was presented by the instructors and the administration of program.

The continuing/Adult Education Program have been very successful in providing instruction to prepare participants with the necessary skills to take the Test Assessing Secondary Completion Examinations (TASC).

This program was formally known as the General Education Development Program (GED). Students that are enrolled are required to take a nine-hour examination in order to receive a diploma.

In 2014, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with the O-N BOCES to provide educational services to individuals that are incarcerated at the Orleans County Jail. The primary goals of this collaboration effort is to successfully graduate students in order to instill a sense of accomplishment and to provide the individuals with a greater chance of becoming gainfully employed. This also has a direct impact on breaking the cycle of incarceration in order to become a productive citizen of Orleans County.

The continuing/adult education program has been extremely successful at the Orleans County Jail with over 26 graduates, including the seven that graduated on June 21. Sheriff Christopher Bourke has strongly supported the efforts of this program and has provided inmates with an opportunity to complete the program. Any inmate who has been released is allowed to return to the jail to take the TASC examination.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office would like to recognize all of the individuals who graduated on June 21 and especially those individual who demonstrated the determination to attend classes while incarcerated and successfully graduate from the program with a formal diploma.

In addition, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office would like to recognize Jeff Smith for his efforts with instructing students at the jail and preparing them for the TASC examination. His dedication to the program has greatly improved the success rate of graduation.

RFPs due today for companies to co-locate wireless technology on county communications towers

Photo by Tom Rivers: This 180-foot-high communication tower on Maple Ridge Road is next to Medina’s water tank. Orleans County is seeking proposals to co-locate wireless internet technology on county-owned communications towers.

ALBION – Proposals are due today from companies looking to land a contract to cover the internet gaps in Orleans 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 are 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. If necessary, additional towers may need to be constructed to meet the county’s service goals.

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 proposals are due today by 11:30 a.m. to the County Legislature and Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.

The county’s Public Safety Committee will review the sealed competitive proposals and then determine the next steps in the process. One criteria in the evolution of the proposals will be the “ability to deliver a high quality service at a reasonable cost in a timely manner,” according to the county’s specifications.

The county has estimated it will cost $4.1 million to put the infrastructure in place for the service. Residents would then likely pay a subscription to internet providers for the service.

County officials expect they will use some of the American Rescue Plan Act funds for the project. The County Legislature last week accepted $3,918,951.50 from U.S. Department of Treasury, the first half of the county’s payment with the other half expected in about a year.

County officials have asked towns and school districts to also contribute to the cost of closing the high-speed internet gaps.

The 10 towns in the county will share $4,430,000 with some of that going the four villages. The five school district collectively will receive $12.5 million in federal funds. However, the districts will be expected to use most of those funds to help students catch up in lost learning during the pandemic. Districts aren’t sure if they can legally put any of that money to the wireless internet infrastructure.

Welch, the county chief administrative officer, said county officials look forward to seeing the proposals, which he hopes will address an important need in the county of closing the internet gaps.

“Needless to say, we will take time to review the responses to see if they meet our requirements,” he said.

ALBION — The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce normally holds a Legislative Luncheon with county and state elected officials in January. That event was cancelled this past winter due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

But now, with most Covid restrictions lifted, the event is returning on July 16 at Tillman’s Village Inn from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The luncheon is a chance for residents and the business community to ask questions of the government leaders, share concerns about the economic climate or discuss opportunities for community development.

“We have decided that this event is too important to simply skip over,” said Darlene Hartway, Chamber executive director. “Our theme for this year is ‘Be Engaged. Be Informed. Be the Difference.’”

Attendees are asked to RSVP by July 9 to the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 501, Medina NY 14103, or by email at director@orleanschamber.com or by phone or text at (585) 301-8464.

Press Release, Orleans County Clerk Nadine Hanlon

ALBION – Nadine P. Hanlon, Orleans County Clerk, is pleased to announce that the County Clerk’s Office and DMV are now authorized NYS Thruway E-ZPass On-the Go retail locations.

Drivers can purchase E-ZPass On-the-Go Tags for $25 for passenger vehicles at the County Clerk’s Office or at our DMV. Once purchased, the Tag must be registered with E-ZPass, either online or with a toll free customer service telephone number, before using it. The full $25 payment is moved to an EZ Pass account.

“The County Clerk’s Office is always looking for ways to provide beneficial services to our community,” Hanlon said. “We hope that by becoming a retail location it will be more convenient for people to purchase a tag especially by those who wish to travel using the NYS Thruway and/or are traveling through fifteen additional states that take EZ Pass.”

With the new cashless tolling on the NYS Thruway, tolls by mail customers will pay 30% above the NY E-ZPass toll rate, in addition to a $2 administrative surcharge per billing statement.

EZ Pass On-the-Go Tags also make the perfect gift, especially for that high school graduate who will be traveling back and forth to college.

It is important for E-ZPass customers to be aware that not having their E-ZPass properly mounted, will result in their tag not reading properly while traveling on the Thruway, and could be charged the tolls by mail toll rate.

For further information, contact the Orleans County Clerk’s office at 589-5334 or click here for the E-ZPass website.

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Dave Viterna Group performed on July 2, 2019 at the Orleans County Marine Park to kick off the summer concert series. There were about 500 people at the concert. The band kicks off the series on Tuesday at the Marine Park in Carlton.

Press Release, Orleans County Tourism Department

The Summer Sizzle has just begun in Orleans County with live concerts and events! After suffering a year without live entertainment, festivals and fairs, get ready to fill your dance card!

Orleans County Tourism recently published a Summer Concert & Events rack card featuring the weekly summer concert series and major festivals taking place in Orleans County. Pick up a schedule at your local libraries, info centers or contact the Tourism Office at 585-589-3100. And, visit our website’s calendar for additional events as many are still being organized, www.orleanscountytourism.com.

OONA Concert Series – The first concert to kick off the summer starts next Tuesday, June 29. The Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association in partnership with Orleans County Tourism hosts the OONA Summer Concert Series at the Orleans County Marine Park in Point Breeze opening with the Dave Viterna Group. The Clarendon Lions Club will be back serving grilled items, along with Dubby’s serving their specialty wood-fired pizza and the Black North Inn selling beer and wine. New this year will be a merchandise tent featuring items from Orleans County Tourism, the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum and OONA – all branded to promote our region.

Doug Egling of Albion performs a solo on his saxophone during a performance on June 27, 2019 in Albion’s Canal Concert Series. Egling performed with the Trellis Cooper Band.

OONA organizers expect record crowds this summer after taking a year off due to the pandemic. The series will welcome first-time performers at the marine park – Highway 31 (July 6) and the Trellis Cooper Band (July 27). The Who Dats (July 13), the Brick Band (July 20) and Jonesie & the Cruisers (Aug 3) round out the series. Rain dates are scheduled for August 10 and 17. Admission is $2, $5 for a family and free to OONA members and seasonal dock renters at the Marine Park.

HOLLEY – Friday concerts are at the Holley gazebo on the Erie Canal. They begin July 9th through August 13 and feature the Don Newcomb Band, Dinosaur Stampede, the Who Dats, Triple Play, Old Hippies and the Chris Moore Band.

YATES – On Monday, July 12th, the Yates Community Library in Lyndonville begins an 8-week series featuring a variety of genres along the banks of picturesque Johnsons Creek and the library grounds: Mystic Sisters, Old Hippies, Celtic Spirit, Blue Sky, Eagle Creek, Mr. Mustard, Laces Out and the Barker Community Band.

ALBION – The village of Albion hosts four Thursday night Concerts on the Canal at the gazebo at the end of Pratt Street starting July 22 through August 12. They include Jonesie & the Cruisers, the Who Dats, Cold Fusion Arts and the Trellis Cooper Band. The Albion Fire Department will be serving food and beverages.

The villages of Holley, Albion and Yates Library concerts are free and are made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO Art.

Additional events include the Friday night Cruise-ins at the Medina Canal Basin, a weekly fundraiser for the United Way of Orleans County, the Lyndonville Lions Club’s 4th of July Celebration and fireworks on the 4th, the Kendall Fire Dept Carnival, July 15-17, the Orleans County 4-H Fair July 26-31 and more that are still being organized.

Get your dancing shoes polished and celebrate live music in Orleans County this summer!

Press Release, Nadine Hanlon, Orleans County Clerk

ALBION – The Orleans County Department of Motor Vehicles will reopen for walk-in DMV services on July 1^stand will no longer require appointments.

Walk-in services will be available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. We will be closed on Wednesday in order to process mail-in and dealer transactions.  The Drop Box will continue to be utilized as well.

The DMV Office is on summer hours and will open at 8:30 a.m. Anyone visiting the DMV office on any given day should plan on being through the DMV door by 3 p.m. to allow the proper amount of time to complete the necessary transaction. In some instances it may become necessary for clients to return on another day.

Due to social distancing requirements, the number of clients allowed inside the DMV office will be limited and will be closely monitored by security staff at the County Office Building.

We appreciate your cooperation and continued patience during this transition. As always, as guidelines change we will re-evaluate our systems and adjust accordingly.

Forms are still available at the main entrance of the County Office Building for use in preparing your paperwork ahead of your visit to our office.

We will do our best to serve as many of our clients as possible each day. Please continue to utilize our “local” DMV Office so that we can keep the revenue in our county.

Again, we appreciate your patience and we look forward to seeing you in our local DMV office.

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board will be meeting Thursday to consider referrals from local towns including a proposal for a new campground in Murray.

The Planning Board will meet at 7 p.m. at the Legislative Chambers in County Administration Building on Route 31 in Albion and also virtually via Zoom.

The board makes a recommendation to the municipalities, which the towns and villages can override with a super-majority vote.

The referrals include review of the site plan, a special use permit request and area variance for Big Guys Campground. This would be at 3739 Monroe-Orleans County Line Rd., the Brockport Country Club.

• Also in Murray, planners will review a request for a special use permit for a storage and incidental repair for construction equipment at 16473 State Route 31.

• There are two referrals from Shelby. Planners will review the site plan for an outdoor recreational facility (ice cream stand, putt-putt course, corn maze, and other activities) at 11412 Maple Ridge Road. Planners will also consider a special use permit and review the site plan for an auto sales business at 5138 South Gravel Rd.

• In Ridgeway, planners will review the site plan for an 11,200-square-foot addition for product storage at 3161 Fruit Ave.

• In Albion, planners will review the town’s proposal to a law regulating the installation of battery energy storage systems.

Nyla Gaylord previously led Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Former Ministry of Concern director Nyla Gaylord meets with Dean Bellack, director of United Way of Orleans County, after the announcement she has been hired as a fundraiser and event planner for United Way. 

After a very successful year in fundraising, United Way of Orleans County has announced the hiring of Nyla Gaylord as fundraiser and event planner.

Gaylord had formerly been with the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern for 5 ½  years, more than 4 of those years as director.

While she was in that position, she worked on a grant on her own time to secure $450,000 to hire a grant writer, who would be available free of charge to any non-profit in Orleans County, and eventually Genesee County. In addition, the grant, which was received in April, also pays the salary for Gaylord’s new position with United Way.

“I worked on the grant on my own time because I felt very strongly a grant writer was what the county needed,” Gaylord said. “It had become increasingly clear to me how stretched thin the administrators of organizations are, plus their staff doesn’t have a grant writer or anyone with the skills to write a grant.”

Gaylord praised United Way’s director Dean Bellack, whose vision resulted in searching for funds outside of the county and a never-before collaboration between county agencies and the big foundations.

“What Dean and United Way have done (and the pandemic contributed to it, as well) is start to collaborate with other agencies and look strategically at areas they serve,” Gaylord said. “Also, these big foundations realized they were underserving rural counties. The Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo came to us. As a result of the Western New York Covid-19 Response Fund, we were able to hire Mary Beth Debus, who worked on the Orleans Initiative Digital Divide study.”

Bellack said the knowledge Gaylord has is invaluable.

In her past jobs, Gaylord said she has worked for low pay at human service agencies. She has learned a lot about not-for-profits’ community needs and what is available to help people. She has knowledge of entitlement programs, SSI, immigration and the disability system.

“Diversity is our strength – people coming together to look at community needs,” she said.

Gaylord felt she had done all she could at Ministry of Concern and wanted to look at a bigger picture in the community.

“I’m not interested in public office, and I realize under Dean’s leadership United Way is evolving in a new direction which is much needed,” she said. “It’s role will be to support not-for-profit agencies, not just raise money. It will be ‘boots on the ground.’ Everybody is stretched too thin and trying to do a lot with a little. It’s now time for United Way to evolve as an agency of support. United Way in Orleans County is broadening its scope in terms of how we bring resources to not-for-profits and the entire community.”

With the $450,000 grant for a grant-writer, the soon-to-be-announced $349,000 for Orleans County’s Digital Divide Initiative and half a dozen other grants, United Way last year was responsible for bringing more than a million dollars into the county, much of it to help those affected by the pandemic.

In spite of these gifts, Bellack stressed how important local donations and workplace campaigns are to United Way’s mission.

“These local donations are absolutely necessary,” he said.

Gaylord started her new position with United Way on June 14. She will expand fundraising opportunities throughout the community, while the new grant writer will go after foundation money and other funding opportunities which didn’t exist before.

“We will be approaching fundraising on two different levels,” Bellack said.

Gaylord has already acquired Las Vegas entertainer Jimmy Mazz for a gala United Way event at Maison Albion in the fall. She is also visiting town clerks throughout the county, in an attempt to create more relationships. She is promoting the sale of tickets to United Way’s chicken barbecue July 10, which will be a drive-thru event from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds. Tickets are $12 and will be for sale Friday nights at Medina’s cruise-in at the Canal Basin or by logging on to United Way’s web site. A limited number will be sold the day of the event.

As a lifelong resident of Orleans County, Gaylord said she just wants to see things better.

“I see tremendous potential for Orleans County,” she said.

She can be contacted at development@orleansunitedway.org or at (585) 703-0564.

Bellack said United Way will now have four employees with four different skill sets. In addition to Gaylord and the new grant writer, there is administrative assistant Dawn Winkler, who Bellack says knows everything about financials, web site design and promotions. She is an organizer, he said.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The sign by the driveway leading to the Orleans County Administration Building promotes early voting in the county last week.

ALBION – There was a small turnout through nine days of early voting in Orleans County. Only 108 people cast ballots in the primary, which includes Republican races in six towns.

The 108 votes, for an average of 12 per day, is down significantly from the 3,753 who used early voting in 2020 from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1. That was an average of 417 each day. This was during a presidential election and was open to all registered voters, not just Republicans.

Here is the daily breakdown for early voting:

• Saturday, June 12, 7 votes
• Sunday, June 13, 9 votes
• Monday, June 14, 9 votes
• Tuesday, June 15, 26 votes
• Wednesday,June 16, 12 votes
• Thursday, June 17, 15 voters
• Friday, June 18, 13 votes
• Saturday, June 19, 6 votes
• Sunday, June 20, 11 votes
• Total: 108 votes

During early voting there were two election inspectors on duty from both the Democratic Party and Republican Party.

Primary Day will be Tuesday, June 22, with polls open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Here is a list of the polling sites:

• 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.
• Gaines – Districts 1 through 4 – Town Hall, 14087 Ridge Rd.
• Murray – Districts 1 through 6 – Murray Town Hall, 3840 Fancher Rd. (Route 31)
• 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.

There are many letters to the editor about the local primaries on the Orleans Hub. Click here to be directed to the letters to the editor.

Press Release, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County

Provided photos: The new little free library is filled and ready for the public. It is located outside the Dwight “Buzz” Hill Education Center.

KNOWLESVILLE – The Cornell Cooperative Extension office on Route 31 has a new structure on its grounds, albeit a small one. In a collaborative effort between Master Gardeners, 4-H and CCE staff, a mini free library has been constructed and installed at the entrance to the Honor Garden in the front lawn of the office building.

Horticulture Educator Katie Oakes had the idea for the library after cleaning out the Master Gardener closet in the office.

“There were so many gardening, wildlife, and nature books that have never sold at our plant sales. I was just brainstorming the best way to get these educational resources out into the community,” explained Oakes. “My kids and I love browsing the little free book boxes located all over the county, and I thought something similar on the grounds here would be a great way to get people interested in some of these topics.”

Oakes brought up the idea to the Master Gardeners in early February, seeking feedback and guidance. With budgets tight because of the ongoing pandemic, funding the project appeared to be the first hurdle. Long-time Master Gardener Don O’Keefe stepped in and generously offered to personally donate the funds needed to purchase building supplies.

“I really liked this idea because unlike flowers and plants that have their own seasons, if nurtured… a library is forever,” O’Keefe said. “I hope that with it being on the extension grounds, it continues to provide information and encourage the public to exchange ideas.”

Other collaborators to the project included Sherwin Williams of Brockport who donated paint and primer. Construction of the library was done by OCCCE facilities manager Pete Beach with the help of his grandson Joe Cecchini, an enrolled 4-Her.

The cheerful red library stands along the sidewalk to the OCCCE office, at the edge of the Honor Garden, a project designed by Master Gardeners and paved with memorial bricks honoring contributors’ loved ones. The public is welcome to take any material they’d like with no obligation to leave another book in its place.

The intention will be to keep the library stocked with educational materials the Cooperative Extension office no longer has need for – the gently used gardening books, older versions of 4-H textbooks, Cornell booklets that are no longer in print, etc.

The sign on the library door encourages people to take a book “and grow your mind!”

Several of the books included in the library were donated by the family of lifelong CCE supporter Gail Culver after she passed away last year. Gail worked for years as the Genesee County CCE Master Gardener Coordinator, then served as a Master Gardener volunteer in Orleans County after her retirement.

Gail was a volunteer with the Orleans County 4-H program for over 40 years and tirelessly devoted herself to educating children about gardening, nature and wildlife. Many of the books donated by her family are duplicates or older editions of books already on the Orleans County CCE office bookshelves, and sharing them with the public allows for Gail’s legacy of education and volunteerism to continue.

“I hope people can take a book home and learn something new because of this new library,” Oakes stated. “Our offices are here to help our community grow, and I think this library enables that mission even when there’s not an actual event or program going on.”

To learn more about the subjects described in the free books or any other 4-H, agriculture, or gardening topic, contact the Orleans County CCE office at 585-798-4265 or email orleans@cornell.edu.

ALBION – The turnout in the first three days of early voting is way down compared to the response last year in early voting during the presidential election.

Voting has started for Republicans with primaries in six Orleans County. The turnout so far include 7 on Saturday, 9 on Sunday and 8 today at about 3 p.m. Voting today is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Early voting continues each day through Sunday at the Orleans County Board of Elections Office at the County Administration Building, 14016 State Route 31.

There was early voting in 2020 from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1 and 3,753 people voted over 9 days, an average of 417 each day. This was during a presidential election and was open to all registered voters, not just Republicans. Some people also preferred early voting during the Covid-19 pandemic, expecting smaller crowds at the BOE office. Some people were also concerned last election it would be more difficult to vote if they needed to isolate at home if they were in close contact with someone who had Covid.

When there was early voting for the first time in 2019, there were 32 voters on the first day and then 26 on Sunday, the second day. In the nine days of early voting in 2019, there were 374 early voters out of about 23,000 registered voters in the county, an average of about 42 per day.

Here is the schedule for early voting for the remaining six days:

• Tuesday, June 15, from noon to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, June 16, from noon to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, June 17, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Friday, June 18, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Saturday, June 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sunday, June 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The regular primary election day will be June 22 with a polling location in each town with a primary. The Republican primaries include:

• Barre – Four candidates seeking two four-year positions on the Town Board: George McKenna, Tom McCabe, David S. Waters and Lynn Hill. McCabe and Hill currently are on the Town Board.
• Carlton – Two candidates are seeking a four-year term as town clerk. Karen A. Narburgh and Dori Goetze are the candidates. Narburgh is the current town clerk.
• Gaines – Two candidates are running for Gaines town justice. Bruce Schmidt is retiring from the position after this year. Henry Smith, Jr. and Charles Prentice, Jr. both are seeking a four-year term.
• Murray – Former Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower is challenging current Town Supervisor Joe Sidonio for a two-year term as town supervisor.
• Ridgeway – There are three candidates seeking a four-year term as Ridgeway town clerk. They include Laurie Kilburn, Hannah Hill and E.J. Cox. There are also three candidates seeking two four-year terms on the Town Board: Cliff Barber, Jeffrey Toussaint and David M. Stalker. Toussaint and Stalker are currently on the Town Board.
• Shelby – There are three candidates seeking two four-years on the Town Board: William H. Bacon Edward, Mathew Zelazny and Stephen J. Seitz, Sr. Bacon and Seitz are current board members.