‘Fresh Air Adventures – New York’s Falls to the Finger Lakes’ encourages exploration in 4 rural counties

The GLOW counties have developed a new logo and branding campaign to encourage people to explore sites and attractions in the four rural counties.

Press Release, Tourism departments from GLOW counties

Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties are excited to launch a new regional tourism program – “Fresh Air Adventures – New York’s Falls to the Finger Lakes.”

This is a refresh of the successful long-running Country Byways of Greater Niagara and the Finger Lakes program, which has existed for over 25 years and has given the GLOW counties collaborative capabilities to leverage our unique rural towns and villages, collective attractions and prime location between Niagara Falls and the Finger Lakes.

File photos by Tom Rivers: Fishermen try to catch salmon and trout along the Oak Orchard River in October 2015.

“In 2020 people were forced to rethink their travel plans,” said Dawn L. Borchert, Orleans County Tourism Director. “Many had to forfeit air travel to exotic locations and be creative with road trips. Fresh Air Adventures is a great tool to plot out a stimulating excursion off the ‘beaten path,’ especially while driving from the metropolitan area of New York City to Niagara Falls. They will be pleasantly surprised to find family friendly towns and villages along the route, as well as the wide open spaces that Letchworth State Park, the Erie Canal and Lake Ontario have to offer.”

The goals of Fresh Air Adventures are to encourage travel to our world-class attractions, discover our quaint towns and villages, and experience all that our great region has to offer.  The initiative includes a new comprehensive website (www.FreshAirAdventuresNY.com) designed by Corporate Communications based out of Rochester, as well as Facebook and Instagram (@FreshAirAdventuresNY) platforms.

Each of these digital tools will provide tourists a wealth of valuable information, including outdoor recreation experiences, culinary and craft beverage fare, overnight accommodations, events, adventure ideas/itineraries, interactive maps and trip planning capabilities.

Fresh Air Adventures, as part of New York Empire State Development’s I LOVE NY program, will continue Country Byways work of marketing approximately 1,000 GLOW tourism businesses. As we navigate the Covid-19 pandemic, our marketing will concentrate on NYS travelers and once the pandemic is over, we will resume marketing to national and international leisure and group tour travelers and those passing along major routes traveling to Buffalo, Niagara Falls USA/Canada and the Finger Lakes from places like New York City, Toronto, Canada and elsewhere within a six-hour drive.

This visitation is critical to our area economy and the sustainability of our small business community. Tourists spend more than $238 million in the GLOW region each year, which translates to $28 million in sales tax dollars, over $15 million of which remains local so the GLOW counties can improve the quality of life for residents.

A hot air balloon takes off at Letchworth State Park in Wyoming County this photo from May 2015.

Along with the Fresh Air Adventures moniker, includes a new logo that features earth-tone colors, adventurous fonts, the profile of New York State to give visitors a sense of location/place, and clever touches like a bird in flight and a waypoint marker dotting the “i” in AIR – adding to the explorative nature of the brand. The tagline, “New York’s Falls to Finger Lakes” adds to the intrigue, playing on internationally renowned outdoor landmarks like Niagara Falls, the major waterfalls in Letchworth State Park and the Finger Lakes.

“Fresh Air Adventures tells tourists exactly what they can expect when they visit our region,” said Eric Szucs, Tourism Director for the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. “We have a spacious, safe, and beautiful natural setting, so the GLOW counties collaborated to build this incredible program supported by a comprehensive website and social media platforms. In doing so, we can share the outdoor experiences and uniqueness of our rural villages and the small businesses that make up our communities. It’s an incredible way to connect so many outdoor landmarks like Lake Ontario, Letchworth State Park and the Finger Lakes.”

“The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to continue the long-standing collaboration between our tourism offices in promoting our great region.  Each county has a unique set of offerings that once packaged together offer visitors a wide range of activities to experience all within a one-hour radius.  Working together, we are also able to enhance our individual marketing reach,” said Kelly Rapone, Genesee County Tourism Marketing Director.

“A regional collaboration connecting ‘Falls to the Finger Lakes’ stands to benefit the hundreds of small businesses through the region that cater to and delight tourists year-round,” said Laura Lane, President & CEO of the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. “Travelers looking for Fresh Air Adventures will surely delight as they make their way throughout the GLOW region counties and enjoy the multitude of experiences coupled with an array of complementary shopping, dining and indoor explorations. Livingston County appreciates working with our neighboring counties to truly connect New York’s Falls to Finger Lakes – creating a memorable vacation experience.

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‘Our kitchens don’t have to be a dangerous place. With a little patience and care, we can make sure that we are never the victims of a kitchen fire.’

Press Release, Orleans County Emergency Management Office

With a recent surge in kitchen fires in our area, now is a great time to remind people of some very important fire prevention/safety tips.

Kitchen fires are the most common fires that occur inside of structures in our country today. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an average of 470 home cooking fires per day happen in the US. This results in 173,200 cooking fires annually.

However, there are ways to make cooking a safer and more pleasant activity.  Here are some safety tips that you can put into practice to ensure that you aren’t one of the many people who experience a kitchen fire:

• Do not leave your stove/oven/microwave unattended! If you start to cook something, remain with it until you are finished cooking. (An unattended stove is the leading cause of all kitchen fires).
• If pots or pans catch fire, do not move them! You could spread the fire or burn yourself.(Simply cover the pot or pan with a lid or cookie sheet and turn off the heat).
• Never throw water on a grease fire! This could cause the fire to flare up and may help it to spread onto the ceiling or walls. (As mentioned above, covering the pot or pan and turning off the heat should work).
• Don’t leave flammable items on the stove. (Keep potholders, towels, paper products and other flammable items away from any heat source).
• Make sure that you can easily read your stove’s dials and knobs. This will help you to see if your stove is on or not.
• Make sure you turn on the proper burner. Oftentimes, a person will put a pot on the stoveand turn the wrong burner on.
• Do not overload electrical outlets with multiple appliances.
• Plug appliances in only when you need them. Unplug them when they are not in use.
• Keep pot handles pointed toward the back or inside of the stove to avoid being knocked off the stove.
• Keep children away from the stove!
• Wear snug clothing or short sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can get too close to a burner and catch fire. (If you do catch fire: stop, drop, and roll to put the fire out).
• Do not put metal in the microwave oven.
• Slowly remove lids from containers in microwave ovens after cooking. Steam inside containers can scald.
• If you have a fire in your microwave, keep the door shut, unplug it, leave the house immediately, and go to a neighbor’s house (or use your cell phone from outside the house) and call 911.
• If you have a self-cleaning oven, make sure you know how to use it. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Make sure everything is clear both inside and outside of the oven beforehand so that nothing can catch fire.
• If you are come home tired at night, don’t use the stove. Many fires start when people put food on the stove and fall asleep while it is cooking.

If you find that you have a kitchen fire, get out of the house immediately and don’t return. You should have a fire escape plan complete with working smoke alarms, at least two ways out of every room in the house, and a meeting place outside in front of your house. Practice this plan and help your family members understand the importance of such a plan.

Call 911 from a neighbor’s house or your cell phone if you have it on you. Always pay attention when you are in the kitchen.

Our kitchens don’t have to be a dangerous place. With a little patience and care, we can make sure that we are never the victims of a kitchen fire.

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The U.S. Census Bureau has staff going door-to-door in Orleans County, trying to get residents to fill out the Census.

Orleans has a low response rate to the census so far. Only 51.6 percent have filled it out. The county’s neighbors have a higher rate. In Niagara, it’s 68.3 percent; in Genesee, 62.2 percent; and Monroe, 65.2 percent.

The state-wide response rate is 59.1 percent.

The Census Bureau says the survey is quick to fill out, taking 5 to 10 minutes.

The survey s done by law every 10 years. An accurate count is important for communities so they receive their fair share of state and federal dollars. The census is also used to draw the boundaries in legislative districts.

Census officials are also working in partnership with local organizations to host events in public places where there will be assistance filling out the census.

The census will be collected until Sept. 30.

Households can still respond now by completing and mailing back the paper questionnaire they received, by responding online at 2020census.gov, or by phone at 844-330-2020.

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo isn’t alone among elected officials in New York State seeking federal funding to preserve local services and stave off property tax hikes.

Cuomo on Friday was joined by Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie in sending a letter to New York’s Congressional Delegation, seeking $30 billion in federal funding over two years for state and local governments.

The New York State Association of Counties also is pressing the federal government to come through with local government aid due to the loss of revenue and rising expenses from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Over the past several months, we have been assured through the many steps of the legislative process that state and local needs would be addressed in subsequent legislation,” according to the letter from Cuomo, Stewart-Cousins and Heastie. “As it appears as we have now reached the end of that road, it is essential that we receive this assistance without further delay.”

They say that revenues to local and state governments have been in “free fall” during the pandemic while government has spent more to fight the spread of the virus.

“The actions you take in the coming days to address many needs of the pandemic can serve to bolster these efforts while transitioning our state to the next and necessary phase of economic recovery,” Cuomo and the Legislature leaders wrote.

The NYSAC group of county officials across the state also issued a “Last Call to Save Local Jobs and Services” on Friday. They are urging President Trump and congressional leaders to reach an agreement on a stimulus bill that includes direct, flexible aid to states and local governments.

Counties are more than halfway through their budget year and facing the increased costs of fighting Covid-19 while experiencing big drops in revenue.

NYSAC says thousands of jobs, vital services and millions of dollars in economic activity are at risk if Congress fails to act. Congress and the president need to act or else there will be further cuts to local governments that could jeopardize efforts to keep Covid-19 under control and slow the economic recovery, NYSAC said.

“For nearly 6 months, counties have been responding to a pandemic that began as a public health crisis and evolved into an economic crisis,” said John F. Marren, president of NYSAC and chairman of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors. “Counties have tightened their belts to do more with less than anyone ever thought possible—leading the local health response to the virus and providing essential services to support our communities. But local governments are out of time and need Congress to reach an agreement to provide direct, flexible aid to local governments before they’re forced to make drastic cuts to jobs and services.”

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‘It’s time for our leaders in Washington to come together and compromise on a plan that provides direct federal aid to support our communities during this crisis and keep us moving forward.’ – Lynne Johnson

Photo by Tom Rivers: Lynne Johnson is chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature.

ALBION – Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said federal funding is essential for the county as part of a new stimulus relief package in Congress, or else the county will be forced to cut services and lay off employees.

The county already is feeling the economic pain from Covid-19, with a steep drop in sales tax revenues, hotel and bed taxes, and gaming revenue.

The New York State Association of Counties released a report that puts Orleans County’s revenue losses at $4,198,375 in 2020 in a “milder” scenario and $7,722,264 in a severe case.

The county also is looking a revenue hits in 2021 at $1,049,594 in a milder projection to $3,861,132 in the severe scenario.

Combined, in the two years, Orleans County is looking at revenue reductions ranging from $5,247,969 to $11,583,396.

“Local governments are teetering on the edge of a fiscal cliff as demands for services rise and economic activity is at a standstill,” Johnson said today in a statement. “With Covid-19 cases rising around the nation and the economy struggling to get back on track, now is not the time to be cutting services, jobs or limiting the capacity of our frontline workers to keep the virus in check. It’s time for our leaders in Washington to come together and compromise on a plan that provides direct federal aid to support our communities during this crisis and keep us moving forward.”

This year’s county budget is $71.7 million. The county administers a wide array of social services, including childcare for first responders, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), child support, child welfare services, and substance abuse prevention services.

The report  from NYSAC shows counties and the New York City facing a $13.5 billion loss in revenue over two fiscal years that could lead to significant cuts to services and permanent layoffs, slowing the economic recovery and threatening gains made against the virus.

Without direct federal aid to backfill this loss of revenue, counties won’t be able to fund the testing, tracing, and emergency response activities needed to get the pandemic under control and get our communities back on their feet, Johnson said.

“County governments are facing a perfect fiscal storm, as severe revenue loss and high demand for social service programs threaten to grind county government to a halt and stall our progress in combatting Covid-19,” she said. “Without help from our federal partners in the form of direct aid to local governments, counties simply won’t be able to provide the essential services that are crucial to stopping the virus and reopening our communities.”

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ALBION – The announcement today that Rainbow Preschool is closing ends a program that is nearly 50 years old.

The school, with sites in Albion and Batavia, serves children ages 2 ½ to 5 with developmental and intellectual disabilities. There are no similar programs in Orleans or Genesee counties.

“The closure of Rainbow Preschool this close to the school year without sufficient notice presents a significant challenge to find suitable locations to provide center-based services to children in the pre-k program,” said Paul Pettit, public health director in the two counties.

The Health Department works with families to find options to preschool programs for children with disabilities.

“Our staff are currently working with all the county school special education committees to find alternate options for the school year,” Pettit said. “With such a late notice of closure, this is extremely challenging as many of the out-of-county facilities are already full so there is limited availability to take these now displaced children.”

Rainbow Preschool provided special education, physical therapy, occupational therapy, assistive technology, counseling, parent training, music therapy, and speech/language therapy for students to prepare them for kindergarten.

The school was run by the Arc of Genesee Orleans. At its peak, a former employee said the school served 300 children. The enrollment for 2020-21 was at 26 students.

“This decision was made with heavy hearts,” Donna Saskowski, Arc executive director, said in a statement.

She cited uncertain funding and declining enrollment as factors in the decision to close, as well as uncertainty with the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, no date has been given by the state for when students and teachers could return to class.

She said the Arc will work with parents and with school district representatives to find appropriate placements and ensure continuity of services.

Pettit said it will be difficult to find another preschool, especially when that is close to home.

“There is the new reality of having to bus children to out-of-county programs in surrounding counties which is challenging both on a logistics (time on the bus – could be up to an hour or more each way) and cost standpoint to the county (busing costs will increase significantly),” he said.

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ALBION – The county government is bringing back workers who were temporary laid off in April due to fiscal constraints on the county due to plummeting sales tax revenues, and delays in aid and reimbursements from the state.

The County Legislature on April 18 voted to temporarily lay off 34 employees and also not fill 10 vacant positions.

The county has already recalled nine of the laid off workers in the past month. County officials have notified 25 other employees they should report to work on Aug. 1 or their first scheduled day of work in August. The county will keep 11 positions vacant for now, said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.

The layoffs were voluntary with the employees receiving the $600 weekly in enhanced federal unemployment assistance, on top of the usual unemployment. The $600 from the federal government expires this week.

Republicans in Congress have proposed extending the enhanced federal unemployment benefits at $200 a week, while Democrats are pushing for the $600 weekly stipend to continue.

Welch said the county’s budget situation would be vastly improved if Congress and President Trump approve aid for local and state government as part of a stimulus and federal relief package currently under negotiation in Washington, D.C.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been pressing Congress and the president to approve federal funding for states and local governments or else there will be drastic cuts in services with local tax increases.

“Until we know where we stand in state aid we are not planning across-the-board type of cuts,” Welch said. “We are looking to target cuts directly with the reduction with state and or federal aid reductions. We need a few more pieces of this puzzle before we could make wise and prudent decisions. August will hopefully be the key month when all of these pieces finally come together.”

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Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office

ALBION — The Orleans County Animal Shelter remains closed to the public until further notice due to Covid-19.

Only animal control officers are permitted to enter the shelter and complete the adoption process at this time. We are now in the process of taking in stray dogs as well as voluntary surrenders of dogs and cats where applicable.

A list of our animals available for adoptions can be found on the Facebook page, “Friends of the Orleans County Animal Shelter.”

For any questions, please contact an animal control officer for a description or for a phone interview at (585) 589-5527.

We thank you for your understanding in this matter and appreciate your cooperation.

–  Sheriff Chris Bourke and Undersheriff Michael Mele

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ALBION – The annual auction of properties with several years of unpaid taxes has been set for Oct. 28. This is about five months later than usual.

The auction is usually in May. This year it was pushed back due to Covid-19.

The auction will be at a different location. It is usually at the Albion Elk’s Lodge, but will be at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville. The sales start at 10 a.m.

In other action at last week’s Legislature meeting, the Legislature:

• Approved conveyance of 5090 Salt Workds Rd. in Shelby to Gregory and Stephanie Farewell for the amount of $5,711.85. The Legislature said the sale of the property “is in the county taxpayers best interest.”

• Reappointed Tom Kuryla as commissioner of the Department of Social Services for four more years, until June 30, 2024. Kuryla has been the county’s DSS commissioner the past 10 years.

• Accepted $10,000 from the Rochester Health Foundation for the Public Health Department. The funding includes $7,750 for vaccines and medications, $1,350 for nursing supplies, $800 for office supplies and $100 for travel other than mileage.

• Observed a moment of silence for Ronald R. “Butch” Radzinski of Gaines. He passed away on July 16 at age 86. Radzinski served as a county legislator and Legislature vice chairman. He also was on the Gaines Town Board and served as Gaines town supervisor.

He owned and operated H & A Superette in Gaines for 42 years. His daughter Gayle Ashbery is Carlton’s town supervisor and son Mark is the Gaines highway superintendent.

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ALBION – Residents will soon have the option to access free wireless internet in the parking lot at the Orleans County Office Building on Route 31.

Rural Technology Operators (RTO) Wireless will put in the WiFi hotspot. The County Legislature eon Wednesday approved paying $99 installation charge of a Spectrum Business Class circuit and a cost of $64.99 per month, to be paid for by the Computer Services Department Budget.

RTO has been installing free WiFi hotspots at many of the village offices and town halls around the county.

Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said the WiFi can be used while residents are waiting for appointments and when they need internet access.

The county will have a firewall to prevent access to the county networks. The County Office Building is located at 14016 State Route 31, Albion.

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Photo by Tom Rivers: These flowers are in the downtown Medina business district. This photo was taken in front of City Hall on Main Street.

Orleans County’s unemployment rate was 11.0 percent in June. That is far more than a year ago when the rate was 4.2 percent, but the rate is going down from the high of 15.9 percent in April. It then dropped to 11.5 percent in May.

In March, before the Covid-19 pandemic peak, the unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in Orleans County.

The unemployment rates for June in Western New York counties includes:

• Allegany, 10.6 percent
• Cattaraugus, 12.9 percent
• Chautauqua, 11.2 percent
• Erie, 13.5 percent
• Genesee, 9.6 percent
• Livingston, 9.5 percent
• Monroe, 11.9 percent
• Niagara, 14.6 percent
• Orleans, 11.0 percent
• Wyoming, 9.2 percent
• Statewide, 15.7 percent

The latest data from the State Department of Labor shows the number of people employed in Orleans County is up by 1,000 in June to 15,300, compared to 14,300 in April. There were 15,000 working in the county in May. In March, before the pandemic caused many layoffs, there were 16,400 people working in the county.

The number of people unemployed in the county has gone from 900 in March to 2,700 in April, and then dropped to 1,900 in both May and June. That compared to 700 unemployed in May and June of 2019.

The highest unemployment rates in the state are in New York City with the Bronx at 24.7 percent, Kings at 20.5 percent, and Queens at 21.8 percent.

The only counties below a 9-percent rate include: Tompkins at 8.9 percent, Columbia at 8.8 percent, Yates at 8.5 percent, Chenango at 8.4 percent, and Hamilton at 7.7 percent.

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Photo from Sheriff’s Office: Deputy Adam Hazel, left, and Sgt. Kevin Colonna were happy to help this girl with her shopping during the debut of “Shop with a Cop” last December.

ALBION – The “Shop with a Cop” program will return this holiday season. The Walmart Foundation has awarded the Sheriff’s Office a $3,000 grant.

The money will allow the Sheriff’s Office to continue a local holiday outreach program benefiting children and families in Orleans County.

The program debuted last year with about a dozen law enforcement officers joining 16 local children who picked presents for their family members. The grant from the Walmart Foundation covers the costs of the presents.

The County Legislature on Wednesday voted to accept the grant from Walmart.

The Legislature also authorized the Sheriff’s Office to apply to the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation for Crackdown Grant Funding in the amount of $15,000 for 2020-2021.

Grant funds would allow the Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies to participate in increased STOP DWI patrols during peak holiday periods throughout the year.

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