By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 February 2025 at 8:09 am
Artists urged to be part of the show that opens July 18
File photo by Tom Rivers: Kim Martillotta Muscarella, owner of the Marti’s on Main art gallery in Albion, poses in April 2022 with two of her paintings, of an acorn woodpecker and red-headed woodpecker, both acrylics on Masonite.
ALBION – Kim Martillotta Muscarella is working on the schedule of art shows for 2025 at the Marti’s on Main art gallery.
She wants one of the shows to highlight Orleans County and the Erie Canal, which are both celebrating their 200th anniversaries this year.
Muscarella welcomes artists to display paintings, photographs, sculptures, quilts and other art forms for the bicentennial show. The opening reception will be from 6 to 9 p.m. on July 18.
Artists can submit photos of complete art or their ideas for new art for the show by April 4. For more information, contact Muscarella at (585) 590-9211.
Muscarella will display up to two works from artists in the juried show which is not limited to people who live in Orleans County. She is excited to see the art and the different ways artists express themselves in highlighting Orleans County and the Erie Canal.
Muscarella also is planning an environmental show after the bicentennial display. The environmental show will open on Aug. 15. Artists can submit photos of their work or ideas for the show by May 1 by texting Muscarella.
Marti’s is located at 2o South Main St., a prominent historic building that used to be the offices for the Cornell Cooperative Extension.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 February 2025 at 7:41 am
ALBION – Applications are now being accepted for a new class offering 10 weeks of instruction for small business owners or people looking to start a new business in Orleans County.
The Orleans Microenterprise Assistance Program can accommodate 15 students each class. A new class will run on Thursday evenings from April 3 to June 5 at the Cornell Cooperative Extension on Route 31 in Knowlesville.
The most recent class from the fall 2024 included 14 graduates, which brings the total to 558 people who have completed MAP since it started in 2002. More than 200 have started a variety of businesses in the county.
The 10-week program covers topics such as legal requirements for starting a business, forms of ownership, business plan development, taxation for sole proprietors, marketing and advertising strategies, bookkeeping and record keeping, banking essentials, pricing goods and services, and cost analysis.
To see the application to be in the program, click here. The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. on March 14.
Prospective entrepreneurs aged 18 and older, who maintain a permanent residence or business physically located in Orleans County, are encouraged to apply.
The course fee is $300. However, financial aid is available for qualifying applicants based on financial need. Interested individuals can complete the application online in under 10 minutes or contact OEDA with further program questions at (585) 589-7060 ext. 1 or MHolland@orleansdevelopment.org.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 February 2025 at 7:38 pm
ALBION – The Orleans County offices will be closed on Tuesday due to the anticipated hazardous travel conditions.
“While we strive not to reduce the availability of county services, we felt it was imperative in this situation for the safety of the public and employees,” said Justin Niederhofer, the county’s emergency management director. “Essential employees still need to report to work at their scheduled times.”
The lake effect snow warning issued by the National Weather Service remains in effect until 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke also has issued a travel advisory until 1 p.m. Wednesday. He recommends against non-essential travel.
“Motorists are urged to use extreme caution, as reduced visibility or zero visibility at times and snow-covered roads pose significant travel risks,” Niederhofer said. “Road and weather conditions will be monitored, and the travel advisory will be updated accordingly.”
The County Legislature meeting for Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. has been pushed back two days to Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Modern Disposal is planning to do trash pickup on Tuesday. If there is a change, it will be announced, Niederhofer said.
“Emergency services and essential personnel will remain operational during this time,” he said. “Residents are encouraged to stay informed through official county social media pages, county website and local media updates.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 February 2025 at 5:26 pm
Sheriff recommends no unnecessary travel until 1 p.m. Wednesday
ALBION – Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke has issued a travel advisory, recommending no unnecessary travel until 1 p.m. on Wednesday when a lake-effect snow warning expires.
Bourke said he consulted with local highway superintendents, the county Department of Public Works, county officials and the Emergency Management Office to issue the travel advisory.
“Currently, we have snow and blowing snow producing low visibility, white-outs and extremely dangerous conditions in some areas,” Bourke said. “We are also expecting very high winds with dangerously low wind chill factors during this storm.”
As conditions change, the advisory will be reassessed, Bourke said.
The county could get another 10 to 18 inches of snow in a lake-effect storm. The low tonight is 10, followed by a high of 17 on Tuesday and an overnight low of 10. On Wednesday, the high is forecast for 18 degrees with an overnight low of 12.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 February 2025 at 3:28 pm
EDA changes from PILOT to lease-leaseback arrangement with Falls Road Railroad
File photos by Tom Rivers: A Genesee Valley Transportation train travels through Albion in this photo from March. Some Albion students were doing a cleanup day near the railroad tracks.
ALBION – The Falls Road Railroad, which runs from Lockport through Orleans County to Brockport, has been approved for a $1,652,330 state grant from Department of Transportation.
The funding will go towards new turnout lines and replacing some rail lines along the 41-mile railroad, Orleans Economic Development Agency officials said during the board meeting on Friday.
Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Sept. 9, 2015 shows the Falls Road Railroad in Albion. The railroad runs through Orleans County near Route 31, and stretches from Lockport to Brockport.
The Orleans EDA board approved ending PILOT agreements and instead having a lease-leaseback arrangement for the railroad in the county. The EDA is conveying the deed of the property to Falls Road, which is owned by the Genesee Valley Transportation company in Batavia.
The EDA helped Falls Road secure a previous grant of $480,000 from the Northern Border Regional Commission in 2019. NBRC has informed GVT and the Orleans EDA that the EDA doesn’t need title ownership for the railroad to receive grant funding. A leasehold agreement is sufficient, the Orleans EDA stated in a resolution adopted by the board on Friday.
The new grant from the DOT for $1,652,330 is an Industrial Access Improvements Grant and can include an agreement directly between the railroad owner and the DOT, the Orleans EDA said.
The EDA will instead have a lease-leaseback transaction to facilitate construction and operation of the railroad improvement project, the EDA board stated in the resolution.
The improvements to the railroad are expected to go through a bidding process.
The railroad is a key resource in the county for economic development, EDA officials said.
They praised GVT for recent upgrades along the railroad, which is seeing increased use. The EDA said additional siding could be added to serve Stockham Lumber in Holley and the former Bernzomatic plant in Medina.
“This is an important artery for our county,” said Craig Tuohey, an EDA board member.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 February 2025 at 11:22 am
Provided photos
Orly the Ox, the Orleans County bicentennial mascot, has been out and about in Orleans in the past few weeks.
He was in Kendall last Wednesday for the finale of a euchre tournament between residents of Kendall and Hamlin. Orly is shown next to Bill Hardenbrook of Kendall.
The Kendall team triumphed over Hamlin in a friendly rivalry going back 71 years.
Orly also stopped by Dustin’s Pizzeria in Holley last week to highlight the Super Bowl as one of the busiest food holidays of the year. (Orly was happy to see the Kansas City Chiefs get walloped by the Philadelphia Eagles in the game.)
Photo by Tom Rivers
Our beloved ox also needed to satisfy a hunger craving and made a beeline to the Village House Restaurant where he scarfed down a Greek salad and some pie.
You can follow Orly’s adventures on the Orleans County Tourism social media accounts on Facebook (click here) and Instagram (click here).
Photo by Tom Rivers: State Sen. Rob Ortt held a news conference at the Ridgeway fire hall on Friday, highlighting the need to recruit more volunteer firefighters. County Legislators Ed organ, left, and Skip Draper joined Ortt at the conference. Firefighters pictured in back from left include Scott Buffin, deputy director of Orleans County Emergency Management Office; Justin Niederhofer, director of Orleans County EMO; Marc Major and Robert Margie of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Company; Jerry Bentley of the Barre Volunteer Fire Company; and Gary Lamar of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 February 2025 at 11:48 am
RIDGEWAY – A fire consumed a grocery store in Wilson on Jan. 28. When the call went out at 7 p.m., Wilson firefighters found they needed more help in containing the blaze at the Wilson Lakeside Market.
State Sen. Rob Ortt highlighted the Wilson fire during news conferences on Friday at the Ridgeway Fire Hall and the Wilson Volunteer Fire Company. Ortt said many volunteer fire departments find themselves often with too few firefighters at emergency scenes. He worries the situation will become more dire with communities unable to protect themselves due to a shortage of trained volunteers.
“It is not a given that these departments have the manpower to handle what will be thrown at them,” Ortt said at a news conference at the Ridgeway fire hall on Friday. “I want to raise the challenge and concern for our rural communities.”
Ortt highlighted five proposals in the Legislature that could help recruit and retain volunteer firefighters.
The legislation includes:
S2314 – Extends tuition free course benefits to volunteer firefighters or volunteer ambulance workers.
S2720 – Creates a wage tax credit for employers who employ New York national guard members, reservists, volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel
S3527 – Relates to enacting the volunteer emergency services mileage reimbursement tax credit
S3529 – Relates to volunteer members of village fire companies. (This law would allow the percentage of non-resident volunteer members in village fire companies to exceed 45 percent of the actual membership of the fire company.)
S2008 – Authorizes municipalities to fund training of firefighters; allows a municipality to recoup the cost of sending a firefighter to training school from another municipality that hires that firefighter within three years of their training. (The legislation would allow a municipality to recoup the cost of sending a firefighter to training school from another municipality that hires that firefighter within three years of their training. Current law allows for this recoupment when the individual is a firefighter.)
Ortt attends many fire department banquets at this time of year from January through April in Orleans, Niagara and western Monroe. He said a small group of volunteers are responding to the majority of the calls, and those volunteers seem to be getting older.
“The red line that protects us is getting thinner and thinner,” Ortt said.
He noted fire departments are trying to draw more members, including on April 26-27 for RecruitNY. Ortt said the volunteer fire service tends to have families of firefighters, with younger generations drawn to it because of the examples of their parents and other family members.
Justin Niederhofer, director of the Orleans County Emergency Management Office, said the county will be doing a study of the local fire service, looking at different options including the possibility of more paid firefighters.
The RecruitNY open houses welcome everyone in the community, and give them a chance to see roles they could serve in their fire department.
“We got to find a way to bring in people who have maybe never thought about being a firefighter,” Ortt said.
He believes it has a universal appeal of offering people a strong sense of purpose and giving back to their community, as well as camaraderie.
Justin Niederhofer, the director of the Orleans County Emergency Management Office, said local fire departments are using mutual aid to respond to many calls.
“We are facing a recruitment problem,” he said. “We need more people. We can’t face the job we are tasked to do without more people.”
He said the county will be sending out an RFP to seek proposals from firms to help the county with a study of the local fire service, and perhaps reimagine how that service could best be provided in the short-term and long-term. That could include a hybrid of volunteers with more paid firefighters. Right now Medina has the only career firefighters, and they also run an ambulance service for western Orleans. Niederhofer said
Many departments with paid personnel also face staffing challenges, Ortt said, and that includes paid EMS and police. Municipalities are often competing with each other for the staff, Ortt said.
Justin McAdoo, age 20, loves being a volunteer firefighter with Ridgeway. He joined on his 16th birthday, the first day he could. He said he has been able to invite 10 to 15 people who have joined local fire companies.
Justin McAdoo, 20, has been a part of the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company for nearly five years, joining the day he turned 16. He was the department’s firefighter of the year in 2024 and already has been promoted to lieutenant in the department.
McAdoo’s mother Kristin is the deputy chief and his grandfather Don Marchner has been an active firefighter for more than 50 years.
McAdoo shares his love of being a firefighter with many of his friends, and he estimates 10 to 15 have joined a local fire company.
“They see that I enjoy it so much,” he said.
That may be part of the recruitment effort, having current firefighters be ambassadors in welcoming more people to join.
Niederhofer said many of the local departments also are allowing 16- and 17-year-olds as restricted members to get them involved as younger members. As restricted members they can take training and help at emergency scenes with changing air packs and cleanup but they can’t do active firefighting.
He is reaching out to local schools to see if the restricted membership could be promoted.
“If we can tap into local schools, it may spread,” he said.
Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke
Provided photo: K-9 Odin will have a protective vest while it serves with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.
ALBION – K9 Odin will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.
Odin, a Belgian Malinois, recently joined the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Jeff Cole is the dog’s handler.
K9 Odin’s vest was sponsored by Karla Kimmey of Charlotte, FL and will be embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of Zayla.” Delivery is expected within ten weeks.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States.
This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and National Institute of Justice certified. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s has provided over 5,882 vests valued at $6.9 million to K9s in all 50 states made possible by both private and corporate donations.
The program is open to U.S. dogs at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.
Vested Interest in K9s accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a single donation of $1,050 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1,800, weighs an average of 4 to 5 pounds, and comes with a five-year warranty.
For more information, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call (508) 824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you may mail your contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 February 2025 at 9:21 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Renee Hungerford, executive director of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, stands outside the Head Start school on East State Street in Albion. After two weeks of worry, Hungerford was relieved when the agency’s federal funds came through on Wednesday.
ALBION – Renee Hungerford felt a deep relief on Wednesday morning when she checked to see if federal funding came through for Community Action of Orleans and Genesee. The money, thankfully, was in the account.
Hungerford leads the agency that has 110 employees and serves 5,000 people in the two counties. She received notice last week that federal funds would be frozen to Community Action, only to see that directive rescinded.
But she still worried because some of her colleagues who run Head Start programs had closed programs when the money didn’t come through.
“What we don’t know is if it will happen again,” Hungerford said at her Albion office on East State Street. “I have not slept now for two weeks. It’s the fear of the unknown.”
Community Action of Orleans and Genesee receives its federal funds every two weeks and they are a reimbursement for services. The agency does not have a deep well of reserves to weather a financial impasse from the federal government.
“We have a contingency plan,” she said. “We have a little money to float. Other (Community Action organizations and head Start programs) are opening lines of credit.”
Hungerford said most of Community Action’s funds come from the federal government – about $5 million of the agency’s $8 million annual budget.
Community Action serves about 200 children in Head Start and Early Head Start programs in the two counties. It provides many other services – food, child care, housing and transportation – to lower-income people trying to become self sufficient.
Hungerford said many local residents are in very vulnerable situations, trying to maintain their households. It is a constant struggle.
“People experiencing poverty and kids should be last on the list” she said about a push to cut back federal spending and programs.
Leaders of the federal government are announcing changes that feel abrupt and are catching agencies off guard.
“I don’t think they’re doing an in-depth analysis,” Hungerford said. “They’re cutting and seeing what happens.”
Community Action began about 60 years ago, and has continued to grow and add programs and services to help needy families, while focusing on helping them become independent and self-sufficient.
The local programs include ACT (helping youth ACT responsibly), Stone Soup Success/Food Rx (educating to prepare healthy meals), Child Care Resource and Referral, Early Head Start and Head Start, Weatherization and Energy Services, Main Street Thrifts, Gifts and More store, a credit recovery program for Albion seniors, emergency services, holiday meals and gifts, and the Eastern Orleans Community Center in Holley, which provides daily meals, a clothing depot and food giveaway.
Hungerford said Community Action often helps steer people in crisis in the right direction, connecting them to services in the two counties.
She fears if there are cutbacks at the agency, local residents will lose a critical resource during a challenging period of their lives.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 February 2025 at 5:21 pm
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature recently approved the following voting members to the Emergency Medical Services Council, effective Jan. 1, with all terms expiring Dec. 31, 2025.
• Albion Fire Department: Fred Piano (primary) and Emma Klaver (alternate)
• Barre Fire Company: Kara Smith (primary) and Terry Bentley (alternate)
• Carlton Fire Company: David Bertsch (primary) and Brandi Fisher (alternate)
• Clarendon Fire Company: Don Mosier (primary) and Karl Beidlingmaier (alternate)
• East Shelby Fire Company: Mike Fuller (primary) and Sue Behrend (alternate)
• Kendall Fire Company: Sue Maslyn (primary) and Stephen Balka (alternate)
• Lyndonville Fire Company: Anna Schuner (primary)
• Medina Fire Department: Jacob Crooks (primary) and Steve Cooley (alternate)
• Murray Joint Fire District: Mark Porter (primary)
• Ridgeway Fire Company: Kristin McAdoo (primary) and Austin Mosher (alternate)
• Shelby Fire Company: Jenna Simmons (primary) and Donnell Bennett (alternate)
• Orleans County EMO EMS Coordinator: Scott Buffin (primary) and Justin Niederhofer (alternate)
• Orleans County Public Health: David Bell (primary) and Cora Young (alternate)
• Orleans County Sheriff’s Office: Christopher Bourke (primary) and Don Draper (alternate)
• Orleans County Sheriff Dispatch: Allen Turner (primary)
• Orleans Community Health/ Medina Memorial Hospital: Dr. Richard Elman (primary) and Kerry Miller (alternate)
The following were approved as non-voting members of the Council:
• County Legislature: Lynne Johnson and William Eick
• Public Safety Chairmen: Merle Draper and John Fitzak
• Mercy EMS: Adam Wengrzycki and Michael Gugliuzza
• University of Buffalo Medical Doctors: Rob McCartin and Mike Shaw
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 February 2025 at 10:32 am
State senator concerned over rising costs, including electricity from Power Authority
Photo by Tom Rivers: State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt speaks during Friday’s Orleans County Chamber of Commerce Legislative Luncheon at Bent’s Opera House in Medina. Ortt said state policies and spending are driving more businesses and residents to flee to other states.
MEDINA – State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt listened to presentation Friday on how Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed budget would help with an “affordability crisis” in the state.
The governor wants refunds to help with the rising cost of inflation, increased child tax credits, universal school meals with free breakfast and lunch, increased access to child care, and a middle-class tax cut. State Canal Commissioner Brian Stratton went through a power point about the governor’s proposed budget during the Legislative Luncheon organized by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
Ortt said he favors proposals to help residents keep more of their money. But Ortt said the governor’s proposed budget doesn’t rein in the state spending. The budget goes from $233 billion in 2024-25 to $242 billion in Hochul’s plan.
Ortt said he expects the spending will go even higher after the State Legislature, led by strong Democratic Party majorities, gets through with it.
“We cannot spend our way to a more affordable state,” Ortt said during Friday’s Legislative Luncheon with the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. “We need to reduce costs to stop residents and businesses from leaving.”
New York, population 19.6 million, spends more than states with bigger populations, Ortt said. Texas (population 30.5 million) spends $321.7 billion in a two-year budget, while Florida (population 22.6 million) has a proposed $115.6 billion budget for 2025-26.
“Why is New York so much more money?” Ortt said. “”You can’t spend your way to prosperity.”
The state senator cited two other price hikes that have him concerned about the affordability of the state.
Many businesses in Western New York, including some in Orleans County, have access to low-cost hydropower through the New York Power Authority. But NYPA is proposing to nearly triple the rates charged to customers for renewable hydropower from the Niagara Power Project. The proposed rate increase would go from $12.88 per megawatt-hour to $33.05 per megawatt-hour over four years.
Congestion pricing in New York City is imposing up to $9 fees on cars, $4.50 on motorcycles and $14.40 to $21.60 on trucks and buses. The pricing started on Jan. 5 to try to reduce some of the traffic in the city.
Ortt said he and Republicans in the Legislature are pushing for “immediate bold relief with taxes.”
Hochul, Ortt said, needs “to be more forceful” with Democrats in the Assembly and Senate about reducing costs in the state, addressing the negative impacts of bail reform, and targeting crime.
The state is entering a budget cycle with no more federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, adding to the challenges and pressure on New Yorkers to foot the full bill, Ortt said. ARPA was passed as part of a $1.9 billion federal stimulus package in 2021.
“We have got to do something about the rising costs in this state or we’ll continue to lose our most valuable asset, our people,” Ortt said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 February 2025 at 8:18 am
‘Human trafficking can happen to anyone, but certain populations are disproportionately at risk, including people affected by prior abuse or sexual violence, poverty, and unstable living situations or homelessness’
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Orleans County Legislator Fred Miller, right, presents a proclamation from the County Legislature last week to Teresa Elam-Zwifka, Director of Child & Family Services for the Department of Social Services (left), and Heather Jackson, a senior caseworker at DSS.
The Legislature issued a proclamation declaring January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
Legislators highlighted human trafficking which is a commercial sex act induced by force, fraud, or coercion or when a person induced to perform such an act is not yet 18 years old.
Legislators also said trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.
“Human trafficking is a public health issue and crime affecting individuals, families, and communities across generations, in every state and territory across the United States, exploiting the most vulnerable among us and weakening our collective well-being,” the proclamation states.
People can be trafficked in person and online, and in industries such as restaurants, cleaning services, construction and factories, legislators said. People can be trafficked by strangers or someone they know, including partners, parents and other family members.
“Human trafficking can happen to anyone, but certain populations are disproportionately at risk, including people affected by prior abuse or sexual violence, poverty, and unstable living situations or homelessness, as well as those systemically marginalized and underserved,” legislators stated in the proclamation.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 February 2025 at 10:37 am
12 percent gain led Greater Niagara Region; Residents urged to be ambassadors for Orleans County
Photos by Tom Rivers: These fishermen try to catch trout and salmon on Oct. 21 at Johnson Creek in Lyndonville near the dam. Fishing is Orleans County’s top draw for visitors.
MEDINA – Orleans County experienced 12 percent growth in visitor spending in 2023 compared to the previous year, the biggest gain among the five counties in the Greater Niagara Region, according to a report from Tourism Economics.
Orleans has been stepping up its promotion efforts and the work is paying off, Tourism Director Dawn Borchert told about 125 people during the Legislative Luncheon on Friday at Bent’s Opera House. The event is coordinated by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. Niagara County was right behind Orleans with an 11.7 percent gain.
Dawn Borchert, the county’s tourism director, talks about the county’s bicentennial and shows the cover of the new tourism guide. The cover includes a photo of 1906 “Old Home Days” in Medina, the Seneca Chief canal boat in Medina, a harvest luncheon at Hurd Orchards in Holley, and two fishing buddies. Brian Stratton, the canal commissioner for the state, is at left.
In Orleans County, the visitor spending totaled $42 million in 2023. That breakdown includes $3 million for lodging, $8 million for recreation, $15 million for food and beverage, $6 million at retail and service stations, $1 million in transportation, and $10 million for second homes used for income, according to the report.
The totals for the five counties in visitor spending in Greater Niagara Region include:
Erie, $2.423 billion
Niagara, $1.082 billion
Genesee, $140 million
Wyoming, $71 million
Orleans, $42 million
Orleans County’s biggest draw is fishing, and anglers trying to catch trout, salmon and other fish accounted for an economic impact of $28 million in 2017, according to a survey by the DEC. With inflation factored in that impact is now about $34 million a year, Borchert said.
The county is promoting more than fishing. This year’s tourism guide is hot off the presses and arrived Friday. It was distributed to many people at the legislative luncheon. The guide celebrates the county’s bicentennial in 2025.
There are 35,000 copies that will be distributed at Thruway rest stops in New York and Pennsylvania, and airports in Buffalo, Rochester and Niagara Falls, as well as trade shows. The guides also will be available in the county at local businesses, libraries and the tourism office at the County Office Building.
The guide was bumped up by 12 pages to 60 to celebrate more facets of the county on its 200th anniversary. It highlights all 10 towns and four villages, as well as agri-tourism, art galleries, campgrounds, the Erie Canal, history and heritage, marinas and yacht clubs, prominent local memorials and monuments, local trails, parks and the wildlife refuge.
Borchert said revenue from the county’s bed tax has helped increase promotion efforts. That bed tax money is used to match state funding from I Love NY.
The county imposes a 4 percent “bed tax” on lodging. That revenue has been increasing.
$51,002 in 2018
$58,424 in 2019
$58,438 in 2020
$79,102 in 2021
$111,013 in 2022
$119,003 in 2023
County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said tourism promotion is a factor the county and local residents have some control over, unlike any of the mandated programs and policies from the state and federal governments.
Many visitors describe Orleans County as “cozy, charming and under-the-radar,” Johnson said.
She would like to raise Orleans County’s profile, and she welcomed residents and businesses to be part of that and serve as Orleans ambassadors in their conversations and social media posts.
“Through your friends, your social media accounts, your business networks and elsewhere, let’s be sure we all invite people to visit Orleans County and enjoy all we have to offer,” Johnson told the crowd at the luncheon.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 January 2025 at 10:04 am
Fire chiefs urge county to work on new EMO site
File photo by Tom Rivers: The emergency management office was built as early 1960s bomb shelter. It has a leaking roof and a shortage of space. The building is 8,000 square feet – 80 by 100 feet. Most of the structure is underground. It isn’t handicapped accessible and doesn’t have enough space for the emergency management office, said Justin Niederhofer, the EMO director.
ALBION – Orleans County officials have downsized the plans for a new emergency management office, seeking to reduce the expense from an estimated $10 million to an estimated $2.3 million.
The lower price would be covered entirely by state and federal grants and would give the emergency management office and first responders a modern facility for offices and training.
The County Legislature on Tuesday approved a $6,000 contract with Vanguard Interiors and Design of Buffalo for structural design and interior layout of the Emergency Management Office at 14064 West County House Rd. in Albion.
Justin Niederhofer, the county’s EMO director, said the new facility will be “bare bones” but will still be a much-needed improvement.
The county was awarded a $2 million grant from U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Aug. 18, 2023 towards the project, the maximum in federal funding towards the facility. Orleans also has been awarded $600,000 towards upgrades of the EMO site.
The county is looking to spend $2.3 million towards the new building. Some of the grant funds would also go towards demolition of the existing site. That 8,000-square-foot building – 80 by 100 feet – was built as an underground bunker in the 1960s.
The new facility would have offices for the EMO staff, space for training, a classroom and a backup 911 dispatch – “the bare essentials,” Niederhofer said.
‘The current building dating from the early 1960s is cramped, dilapidated and unsuitable for the operations of the EMO staff and for fire service training classes.’ – Orleans County Fire Advisory Board/Orleans County Fire Chiefs Association
The County Legislature received letters of support for a new EMO this month from the Orleans County Fire Advisory Board/Orleans County Fire Chiefs Association, Clarendon Volunteer Fire Company and Carlton Volunteer Fire Company.
“The current building dating from the early 1960s is cramped, dilapidated and unsuitable for the operations of the EMO staff and for fire service training classes,” wrote Robert Freida, chair of Orleans County Fire Advisory Board/Orleans County Fire Chiefs Association. “For too many years the plan to modernize this facility has been ignored or cancelled as it has been the previous two years. The fire service in Orleans County has a rich history and being mostly volunteer, saves the taxpayers an enormous amount of money.”
Freida sent his letter on Jan. 21. He urged the county to set aside some of its own funds to make the project a reality.
“We understand that county finances are limited for a project such as this, but we implore you to earmark funds in addition to the $2 million provided through Senator Gillibrand’s office, to construct a modern facility that is long overdue,” Freida said. “We are not asking for anything extravagant, just a good quality construction that can be utilized for training and emergency operations for the next several decades.”
Freida, the fire chief at Clarendon, also sent a letter from the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Company in support of a new EMO site. In that letter, Freida cited the following benefits:
Improved Training Opportunities: “An advanced training facility with modern technology would provide hands-on, realistic scenarios for responders to practice and refine their skills.
2. Enhanced Collaboration: “A larger, modernized space would accommodate multi-agency exercises, fostering improved coordination among fire, police, EMS, and other critical partners.”
Community Preparedness: “The facility could also serve as a resource for public education, offering community members training in CPR, first aid, and disaster preparedness.
Recruitment and Retention: “Volunteer membership is at an all-time low not only county and statewide but nationally. A state-of-the-art training facility demonstrates the county’s commitment to emergency services, which can attract and retain highly qualified personnel.”
In the Jan. 13 letter from the Carlton Fire Company, Fire Chief Seth Dumrese and President David Bertsch said the 1960s’ building is inadequate for the emergency management office and for training for first responders.
“The building needs improvements and has for years and it would not be feasible to spend more money on the current building,” Dumrese and Bertsch wrote in their letter. “There is not enough room for many of the training classes/programs needed by our personnel or enough room for an emergency operations center if the need arose. We would respectfully request that constructing a new Emergency Management Office be a priority in 2025 for the Legislature.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 January 2025 at 12:13 pm
Soldier from Albion was killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan in 2009
Jason Johnston
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature is seeking to have a section of Route 31A named in honor of Jason Johnson, a soldier from Albion who was killed in combat in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb on Dec. 26, 2009.
Johnson was a specialist and paratrooper with the U.S. Army. He was 24 when he was killed. He is the only soldier from Orleans County killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan during the War on Terror.
The Legislature last June sought to have Route 98 in Orleans County named for Johnston. The State Legislature and Go. Hochul need to give their approval.
The County Legislature on Tuesday rescinded that resolution from last year because 98 already has been named the “Veterans Memorial Highway.”
The Legislature now is asking the state to name the Route 31A corridor between Powerline Road to Route 98 in Albion in memory of Johnston.
Legislators asked State Sen. Rob Ortt and Assemblyman Steve Hawley to take up the issue in the Legislature.
Johnston is survived by his parents, Brad and Jenny Johnston; and his sisters, Carrie, Heather and Holly; and several nieces and nephews.
