By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 January 2019 at 8:07 pm
Treasurer’s Office will be open and some county employees will report for work
ALBION – Most Orleans County government offices will be closed again on Thursday with bitterly cold temperatures in the forecast.
Although most of the county buildings will be closed, some employees should report to work including county dispatchers, jail employees, deputies on the road patrol, highway department workers and buildings and grounds.
In addition, the Treasurer’s Office will be open for people to pay delinquent taxes.
The County Courthouse also is planned to be open on Thursday.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans Correctional Facility in Albion welcomed its first group of dogs to be trained by inmates this past fall. They are shown on Oct. 10 during a graduation program. The women’s prison in Albion now has a similar program.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 January 2019 at 12:14 pm
ALBION – Dogs at the Orleans County Animal Shelter are now being trained by inmates at the Albion Correctional Facility in a partnership between the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The county has two dogs staying in a dorm at the women’s prison for 12 weeks. Inmates will teach the dogs obedience, socialization and help make the dogs house-broken for when they go to their “forever homes,” said Kathy Smith, the county’s animal control officer.
The program is similar to one at the Orleans Correctional Facility, which trains dogs from the Genesee County Animal Shelter in Batavia. That men’s prison graduated its first class of trained dogs in October.
Susan Squires, the Albion Correctional Facility superintendent, saw the success of that prison and welcomed the program at the women’s prison.
Kelly Kukucka will work with the inmates, helping them to train the dogs, which will stay in a dorm at the prison in crates.
“It’s wonderful program,” Smith said today. “It’s a win for everybody.”
There will be three inmates working closely with each of the dogs. There is a lead handler and then two backup handlers for each dog. That gives the dogs lots of attention.
Working with the dogs also is good for the inmates.
“It gives them a feeling of accomplishment,” Smith said. “It also helps them deal with things in real life. They might feel frustrated and get upset because the animals aren’t doing what they want. You’re going to run into that in real life.”
The County Legislature last week approved the program, saying it is “a mutually beneficial program designed to enhance vocational skills to inmates and to make possible the adoption of trained canines.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 January 2019 at 1:34 pm
‘We haven’t given up the fight.’ – Lynne Johnson, Legislature chairwoman
Photos by Tom Rivers: Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, speaks during Friday’s Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Luncheon at Tillman’s Village Inn. Nathan Pace, moderator of the event, is at right.
ALBION – Orleans County officials remain committed in pushing for more high-speed Internet throughout the county.
Orleans has tried for several years to expand the service into the outlying rural areas, but hasn’t had much success, even with the state’ making $500 million available for expanded broadband.
“We haven’t given up the fight,” Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, said Friday during the Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Luncheon.
Orleans and Niagara have partnered to form the Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance to push for more broadband, and address other issues for the two counties, including dredging harbors.
The lack of high-speed Internet remains a top concern for the two counties. Johnson said broadband is critical for retaining and attracting residents and businesses. Increasingly, companies file reports online and students can do research and homework through the Internet.
“We will remain fighting for Orleans and Niagara counties to get each and every house wired,” Johnson said.
State Sen. Robert Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, said the $500 million from the state didn’t make much of a dent in reaching underserved areas, like Orleans and Niagara.
The federal government may have funding to help bridge the gap, representatives from U.S. senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand as well as Congressman Chris Collins said during the luncheon.
Johnson said she is hopeful a new rural broadband program through the federal U.S. Department of Agriculture can help in rural Orleans and Niagara.
• Johnson updated about 100 people at the luncheon on other county initiatives including the construction of a $10 million addition to the County Administration Building on Route 31. The county broke ground on the 23,000-square-foot addition in April. The construction is expected to be complete on May 3, with furniture, computers and office equipment to then go in. Employees should be moved over and settled into the new space by late June.
The addition will be used by 50 county employees from the Health Department, Board of Elections, information technology department and the Legislative office and staff. The building will be connected to the current Administration Building with the addition on the south side.
The new space will include a meeting room for the Legislature with about 60 seats. The current Legislative chambers has about 30 seats and is one of the smallest municipal meeting rooms in the county.
• The county will be transitioning to new 96-gallon recycling totes in 2019, with an implementation start date in July.
Residents currently use recycling bins that are emptied weekly by Modern. Modern will be switching to 96-gallon totes that have covers. Those totes can be grabbed by a mechanical arm, lifted into the arm and emptied into the recycling truck.
The change will allow Modern to staff each recycling truck with one employee. The company can also speed up the collection effort, spending an every of 12 seconds per stop.
The county will have public meetings to help educate the public about the new recycling totes, Legislator Ken DeRoller said.
The Orleans County Courthouse, shown last week, will get have a rubberized coating put on the roof this year to protect the dome from leaks.
• The dome for the Orleans County Courthouse needs $140,000 in repairs. The dome has several leaks. The county will have a rubberized coating put on the dome to protect it from leaks. The $140,000 repair on the dome is among $3,181,106 in capital projects for the county in the 2019 budget.
Johnson said work on the pillars on the courthouse will also need attention in the near future.
• The county was asked about its revenue-sharing with local sales tax. There is about $17 million in local sales tax revenue and the county keeps about 92 percent of that. The villages and towns get $1,366,671. The four villages and 10 towns have been frozen at that level since 2001.
The village and town shares shift depending on changes in assessed value. A question submitted to the Chamber about the issue said the revenue shares shouldn’t change based on assessed value.
Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer the past 14 years, said none of the villages have proposed a different formula for divvying up the sales tax money since he’s been working for the county.
He doesn’t want to see a municipality take a big hit with sales tax, given the era of 2 percent property tax caps.
Larger counties share a lot of the sales tax with towns, villages and even school districts. In Orleans the towns and villages may only get a small percentage, but Nesbitt said most other small counties, at 50,000 people or less, keep all of the sales tax.
He said there are 14 counties at 50,000 or fewer people and eight don’t share sales tax. Of the six that do, he said Orleans shares the most behind only Schuyler County, which has Watkins Glen International Speedway, a significant sales tax generator.
“In our peer group we’re number 2 in what we do with sharing sales tax,” Nesbitt said at the luncheon.
The current formula has resulted in a drop in sales tax for the villages. Their amount has declined by about $27,000 from 2013 to 2019, falling from $404,661 in 2013 to $377,019 for 2019. The villages’ decline has resulted in an increase of about $27,000 among six towns that have a village within their boundaries. Portions of the villages of Albion and Medina are in two towns.
• Johnson said she is optimistic a recent arbitration ruling will free up gambling revenues held back from the Seneca Nation of Indians. The county could receive $350,000 to $400,000 in funds that have been withheld by the Senecas in a dispute with the state.
• The Legislature chairwoman also said she supports making the 2 percent property tax permanent, which was passed by the State Senate. That cap will help prevent property taxes from any hefty increases.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 January 2019 at 12:36 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Brunner International in Medina, which produces components for heavy-duty trucks and trailers, is looking for more employees. The low unemployment rate has businesses competing for dependable and skilled workers.
Orleans County’s unemployment was 4.6 percent in December, much lower than the 6.2 percent in December 2017, according to data from the State Department of Labor.
There were 17,500 people working in county last month, up 800 from the previous December. The number of unemployed was down by 300, from 1,100 to 800.
The 4.6 percent unemployment rate in December ended a three-month streak where the county was below 4 percent. The 3.5 percent rate in October was lowest in Orleans County since at least 1990.
Statewide the number of private sector jobs increased by 120,600 from December 2017 to last month. In December 2018, the number of private sector jobs in the state was 8,243,700, a new all-time high, the DOL reported.
Orleans, at a 4.6 percent unemployment rate, fares better than Niagara, at 4.9 percent, and Wyoming County, 4.8 percent.
Other nearby counties have a lower rate than Orleans: Genesee, 4.1 percent; Monroe, 3.8 percent; and Erie, 3.9 percent.
Columbia County at 2.9 percent has the lowest unemployment rate in the state.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Brett Sobieraski speaks about his candidacy for Orleans County sheriff this morning in Holley’s Public Square. He was joined about 50 supporters.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 January 2019 at 4:37 pm
Kent resident says he would attack opioid epidemic with law enforcement, treatment
HOLLEY – A candidate for Orleans County Sheriff, with a 30-year law enforcement career, says he has the diverse and bold leadership “to make this county safer than ever.”
Brett Sobieraski, 52, of Kent was joined by about 50 people in 20-degree weather this morning in announcing his campaign for sheriff at Holley’s Public Square.
Sobieraski, a sergeant with the Rochester Police Department, said he would lead a Sheriff’s Office that would be better connected with village police departments in the county, as well as the Border Patrol and State Police.
Sobieraski is challenging Randy Bower, who is seeking a second term as sheriff. Sobieraski said Orleans County residents have a choice in the election.
Brett Sobieraski said he wants to use his experience and skills in law enforcement to lead the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.
“They can have a politician run that office or they can have a skilled, competent, experienced diverse leader at the top roll that can provide leadership that this county hasn’t seen for years,” Sobieraski said during his campaign announcement. “That is my pledge. Every decision I make will be rooted in one thing: what is the best thing for Orleans County residents to make this county safer.”
He started his career in Lockport and worked there for four years. He grew up in Lockport, where his late father John was a detective. His uncle also worked for the Lockport PD and Sobieraski’s cousin is a police officer for Lockport.
Sobieraski went to the Rochester Police Department about 26 years ago. He has lived in Orleans County for more than two decades. His sons graduated from Kendall Central School.
Sobieraski said the opioid epidemic is a powerful scourge in Orleans County, more so per capita than many other counties. Last year 10 people died of overdoses and another 45 had overdoses in Orleans. There were also 16 from Orleans who overdosed in Monroe.
In 2017, there were eight fatal overdoses in Orleans.
“We will push back the opioid epidemic,” he said. “This is the largest public crisis we’ll see.”
Sobieraski is a supervisor with the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, which includes officers from several law enforcement agencies in Monroe County. Sobieraski in that role also works with the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force and other local agencies, sharing information and assisting with searches and arrests.
He picked Holley for his campaign announcement because Sobieraski said Holley has been a destination for Rochester drug dealers to bring heroin and other narcotics. Sobieraski said stepped up law enforcement, including more vehicle and traffic stops on the gateways to the county – routes 31, 31A, 104 and 98 – would put drug dealers on notice and reduce some of the drug flow into the county.
He wants a better working relationship among all of the law enforcement agencies in the county, so they are sharing training and information. He also wants more resources for the Orleans County Major Felony Crime task Force, which has three full-time officers and works out of the District Attorney’s Office.
“I understand we’re not going to arrest our way out of this,” he said.
He has been a board member the past 17 years for Huther Doyle, which provides alcohol and drug addiction services in Rochester. The organization has a $6 million budget and 70 employees.
He said many people who overdose in Orleans County will often overdose again not long after. He wants to make mental hygiene arrests when people overdose and survive, so they can immediately receive drug treatment services, even at a hospital. He would also have peer counselors help people with addictions.
Sobieraski said the current law enforcement agencies are fragmented and need to work together more. He wants monthly meetings with the sheriff, police chiefs, and leaders of the State Police and Border Patrol in the area.
Sobieraski has worked as a police officer for 30 years. Many of the supporters with him this morning have been colleagues on task forces and a SWAT Team.
“I will re-establish the bridges that have been burnt with the regional law enforcement agencies,” he said. “We all benefit from a comprehensive, collaborative approach to law enforcement in Orleans County. “I will be a unifying figure. I won’t be a polarizing one.”
Sobieraski has extensive experience training officers in drug identification and awareness, active shooter, narcotics, stress awareness and other issues.
“I guarantee that Orleans County will be the most professional, best-trained deputies in the state,” he said.
Several local law enforcement officers attended Sobieraski’s announcement. Joe Sacco, supervising investigator with the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, said Sobieraski has been a great resource for the local Task Force through the years.
“He’s exactly what we need,” Sacco said. “We need to work together in law enforcement and that;s not happening right now.”
Sacco said Sobieraski has assisted the Task Force with hundreds of searches and arrests in the Rochester area.
“He’s always been there for Orleans County,” Sacco said.
Corey Black, an investigator with the Task Force, has worked with Sobieraski for about 20 years.
“He’s always been very helpful to us and accommodating,” Black said. “He’s been a huge asset for us, helping us to identify drug suppliers from Rochester coming into Orleans County.”
Black said Sobieraski also has proven he cares about people, serving as a youth wrestling coach in Kendall and raising about $50,000 for charities through endurance feats, including swimming across Lake Ontario and running 50 hours straight.
“He’s very passionate,” Black said. “He’s a genuine good person.”
Roland Nenni, police chief for Albion and Holley, said he has worked with Sobieraski for many years and would welcome a county-wide training program for law enforcement and regular discussions among the agency leaders.
“I’ve known Brett for many years and he is a great man,” Nenni said. “He is probably one of the most experienced law enforcement officers I know.”
Photos by Tom Rivers: State Sen. Robert Ortt said it’s a new environment in the State Legislature, now that Democrats have the majority in the Senate.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 January 2019 at 10:42 am
ALBION – Local state legislators said the state capitol is different now that Democrats have full control of the Senate, Assembly and Governor’s Office.
The Republicans were knocked out of power in the Senate after the November election. State Sen. Robert Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, now finds himself in the minority conference. He said legislation is getting passed that used to be blocked by the Senate.
He opposed the legislation to expand abortion rights and offer state aid for undocumented students to attend college.
“We’re not going to be able to stop nearly what we were able to stop in the past,” Ortt said Friday during a legislative luncheon at Tillman’s Village Inn.
He expects legislation, including expanded paid family leave and other progressive proposals that would raise businesses’ cost, to have a strong chance of becoming law.
“Right now it’s a challenging time,” he said. “They are moving fast and furious.”
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley decried new state legislation that expands abortion rights and offers college aid for undocumented immigrants.
Ortt said he worries about the budget priorities shifting money from distressed areas of upstate now, especially rural areas that don’t have a strong advocate in the majority conferences. The governor’s budget, for example, nears wipes out AIM (Aid and Incentives to Municipalities) for the Orleans municipalities, reducing that funding by $290,000 in Orleans County.
The State Senate, when it was in Republican control, would have blocked the AIM cuts to villages and towns, he said.
State Assemblyman Michael Norris, R-Lockport, said the new power structure in Albany puts more focus on New York City and urban areas.
“There has been a dramatic shift that has occurred in Albany,” Norris told about 100 people at the luncheon. “The state government is solely controlled by one party. The rural counties are not getting the attention that they deserve.”
The change comes after recent success in getting long-sought state funds to repave the Lake Ontario State Parkway from Hamlin to past the Kendall townline, and a plan for the state to fix seven canal bridges that have been either closed or had the weight limits significantly reduced.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, said the state has passed “lots of unheard of things” – the expanded abortion rights and college aid for students in the country illegally. Hawley said he is concerned about the impact of the rising minimum wage and other costs, such as workmen’s compensation rates, that make the state less competitive for businesses.
The higher costs and regulations discourage businesses from growing, and are part of the reason the state’s population is declining.
“The governor says it is because of the weather,” Norris said about the shrinking population. “It’s because of our property taxes and mandates.”
Norris said there are job opportunities across the state, but businesses struggle to find employees with the right skill set. He wants the state to push more vocational training programs to help businesses meet their needs and also have residents better equipped to excel in the economy.
Hawley said there is a chance he might have to give up his position because of a ban on outside income over $18,000 annually for state legislators.
The NYS Compensation Committee on Dec. 10 recommended the ban on outside income as part of a proposal to increase legislators’ pay from a base salary of $79,500 to $130,000. The committee gave legislators a one-year grace period with the outside income limits to take effect on Jan. 1, 2020.
The ban would effect Hawley, who owns an insurance business, and many other state legislators who works as attorneys.
“I want to continue,” said Hawley, who has been in the Assembly for 13 years. “I’m still energized. I still enjoy it.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 January 2019 at 10:08 pm
Brett Sobieraski ran as undersheriff candidate with Drennan in 2015
Brett Sobieraski
KENT – Brett Sobieraski, a sergeant with the Rochester Police Department, is running for Orleans County Sheriff against Randy Bower.
Sobieraski campaigned in 2015 as the undersheriff candidate for Tom Drennan, who lost a close election to Bower.
Sobieraski, a Kent resident, will officially announce his campaign on Sunday at 10 a.m. in Holley’s Public Square. He posted a campaign sign – “Brett Sobieraski for Orleans County Sheriff” – on his Facebook page this evening and had about 150 likes in an hour.
Sobieraski has a 30-year career in law enforcement, starting with the Lockport Police Department and then the past 26 years with the Rochester Police Department, including work as a supervising sergeant with the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team.
Sobieraski also has been a training officer, and has raised money for charities with endurance challenges, including swimming 32 miles across Lake Ontario and running 50 straight hours last July along the Erie Canal towpath.
Sobieraski ran over 175 miles in the 50-hour run, raising $13,000 for Special Olympics, which celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Bower and Sobieraski are both reaching out to Republican Party leaders for their support in the endorsement process. The Republican Primary is unusually in September, but has been moved up to the fourth Tuesday in June as part of changes in the state’s election calendar to have all the primaries on the same day in June.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Nathan Pace, moderator for the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Luncheon today, said a business leader told him he struggles to find enough skilled employees who can pass a drug test. Next to Pace include from left: State Assemblyman Michael Norris, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, State Sen. Rob Ortt, George McNerney (field director for Congressman Chris Collins), Lynne Johnson (Orleans County Legislature chairwoman) and Sarah Clark (deputy state director for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand).
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 January 2019 at 8:18 pm
ALBION – A push by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to legalize recreational marijuana could add to businesses’ difficulties in finding enough workers who can pass a drug test.
That was a concern shared by officials during today’s Orleans County Chamber of Commerce Legislative Luncheon, which was attended by about 100 people at Tillman’s Village Inn.
Nathan Pace, moderator of the luncheon, said he spoke with a leader of manufacturing company in Erie County with hundreds of employees. That company does very sophisticated manufacturing and needs employees at their best.
However, Pace said the company and many others lose some employees due to failed drug tests.
“Businesses are hindered because they can’t find enough clean workers to pass drug tests,” Pace said.
The issue may be compounded if the state legalizes recreational marijuana, which Gov. Cuomo announced last month as a priority for him in 2019.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley said many residents and families already are suffering from drug addiction. He doesn’t favor legalizing recreational marijuana use, believing it will only make the drug problem worse.
He asked the crowd how many support legalizing recreational marijuana. Four out of about 100 raised a hand in favor of the proposal.
Ken Pokalsky is vice president of the NYS Business Council, a group represents businesses throughout the state. He said there are concerns about legalizing recreational marijuana use, including the lack of an established standard for determining impairment. He expects the State Legislature will go along with the governor’s push.
“Recreational marijuana is coming,” Pokalsky said.
Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower said the community has stepped up efforts to assist people battling addictions. He praised GCASA for its expanded drug treatment programs, including at the County Jail.
The Orleans County Mental Health Department also is offering more assistance to residents fighting addictions.
The sheriff said the federal government has approved a grant for the jail to have a part-time rehab unit beginning on Jan. 30. That will help people fighting addiction to have a better transition out of the jail.
There also is a team of volunteers through Orleans – Recovery Hope Begins Here, a new organization that connects people struggling with drug addiction to local resources and mentors.
Bower said the mentors will be key in helping people to stave off their addiction.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 January 2019 at 6:49 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: State Assemblyman Michael Norris, R-Lockport, speaks during the Legislative Luncheon today at Tillman’s Village Inn. About 100 people attended the event organized by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
ALBION – Orleans County towns and villages are urged to fight proposed cuts in the governor’s budget that would take nearly $300,000 away from the local municipalities.
State Assemblyman Michael Norris, R-Lockport, said the state should be increasing aid to towns and villages, especially given the big disparity in funding provided to cities.
“We need our money,” Norris told about 100 people during today’s Legislative Luncheon. “Not only do we need it restored, but we need it increased.”
The governor’s budget cuts Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM) by $290,276 to Orleans County, which already receives a tiny sum compared to counties with cities.
The four villages in Orleans – Albion, Holley, Lyndonville and Medina – would all be wiped out in AIM, while eight of the 10 towns in Orleans would go to zero in AIM funding.
The governor proposed eliminating the funding unless it represented more than 2 percent of a town or village’s budget. Two towns in Orleans are just above the 2 percent threshold. So the governor proposed that Murray keeps its $44,677 and Albion, its $46,944.
The other villages and towns would lose the following in AIM funding, going from the amount listed to zero:
Villages ($108,371 total)
Albion, $38,811
Holley, $17,786
Lyndonville, $6,251
Medina, $45,523
Towns ($181,905 total)
Barre, $12,486
Carlton, $13,680
Clarendon, $11,416
Gaines, $21,323
Kendall, $21,299
Shelby, $45,007
Ridgeway, $46,273
Yates, $10,421
The governor has proposed cutting $59 million from the $715 million in AIM. The cities’ AIM is not touched, nor are villages and towns where AIM accounts for 2 percent or more of their budgets.
Norris urged the towns and villages to pass resolutions opposing the cuts and send those official stances to the governor and local state legislators.
“I encourage all of you to get on the record right now so we can have backup to take to Albany,” said Norris whose district includes Shelby in Orleans, as well as portions of Niagara and Erie counties.
Many of the local towns and villages have protested the AIM program before, sending resolutions to the governor and state legislators about the unfairness of the aid. Cities get far more per capita than towns and villages.
For example, the Village of Albion (population 6,056 in the 2010 Census) has been getting $38,811 in AIM or $6.41 a person. The Village of Medina, population 6,065, has been receiving $45,523 or $7.51 a person.
Those villages have more people than some cities in the state. For example, Salamanca in Cattaraugus County has 5,815 people and receives $928,131 in AIM or $159.61 per person. Sherrill in Oneida County has about half the residents as Albion and Medina. Yet, the small city of 3,071 people receives $372,689 or $121.35 per capita.
The total AIM budget has been $715 million in recent years, and hasn’t been changed until the governor proposed cuts in 2019-2020.
State Sen. Robert Ortt said Republicans in the Senate could have be counted on to stop any proposed cuts in AIM. But now that they are out of the majority, Ortt said the cuts could go through.
“If the Senate were in Republican control I have no doubt that would go back,” he said about the AIM cuts.
Ortt said it’s upsetting to think the proposed AIM cuts may be part of strategy by the governor, treating the upstate town and villages as “pawns” in budget negotiations.
To see a previous Orleans Hub article on the AIM disparity, click here.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jack Finley of Albion and his teammates work on the base of their robot during a work session on Tuesday evening at BCA Ag Technologies shop on Route 31A. Dan Squire of Medina is at right, Jacob Draper is at left, and Lance Moyer of Gaines is second from left with the ruler.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 January 2019 at 10:12 am
Jace Conn, a senior at Albion, is making an attachment for the robot to pick up panel hatches. Conn, who wants to study electrical engineering in college, said it’s a lot of trial and error to get the attachment designed to work properly.
ALBION – A group of nine 4-H’ers are designing parts, measuring and cutting metal, running wires and putting in electronics for a robot that will perform a series of tasks.
This is the eighth year the 4-H’ers from Orleans County are competing in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). There aren’t many robotics teams from rural areas. They will be up against about 50 teams on March 14-16 during a competition at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
They started building their robot about three weeks ago when they opened a box with a pile of parts. They need to build the robot and program it to go to specific spots on a space about the size of a basketball court. They will program the robot to move forward and backward, sideways and diagonally.
Each team gets about six weeks to build the robot. On Feb. 19, all of the teams have to stop work. The robot needs to be sidelined until the competition.
The robot will have attachments to pick up balls and hatches with a circular opening. The balls will be dropped through the hatches.
This year the theme is “Destination Deep Space,” in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing on July 20, 1969. The course for the FIRST challenge will include replicas of cargo ships and rockets, and the robots need to complete challenges with those elements.
The team has three main mentors – Erik Seielstad, Jody Neal and Jason Foote – as well as other assistants.
Seielstad has been with the program since it started. He works as a systems engineer with computers for Kodak Alaris, a spinoff of Kodak. His son Morgan, now 22, was part of the team in the beginning. Morgan recently graduated from college with a degree in computer programming. Some of the past members of the team are pursuing engineering degrees in college. One is also studying to be a pharmacist.
Jacob Foote, an Albion ninth-grader, is at work on Tuesday.
Seielstad said the kids do the work, with the mentors providing some guidance.
Zachary Neal, an eighth-grader on the team, stands next to last year’s robot. It has a lift to perform some of the tall tasks.
“It’s a lot of fun,” he said, explaining why he has stayed involved in the program.
It is also a relatively short-term commitment, with the teams building the robots over six weeks, and then having the three-day competition at RIT.
The team gets together three to four times a week. The Orleans team is unusual because it isn’t connected to a school district. Most of the programs are through school districts, with paid staff leading the teams.
The Orleans team has team members from at least three different school districts, and is led by volunteers.
It costs about $15,000 to run the program – to buy the robot and pay the competition entry fees. Xerox in Rochester and Baxter Healthcare in Medina have been the main sponsors for the program. BCA Ag Technologies allows the team to use its facility on Route 31A to build the robot.
The FIRST program is in its 15th year, and has a goal of helping to develop leaders in science and technology.
All of the teams have names, and the Orleans team initially was known as “Joe’s Average Slackers.” But team members decided to rebrand the program to “Hardwired” last year.
Seielstad said some of the team members didn’t like calling themselves “slackers” because of all the work, commitment and skills needed to build the robot and get it to complete the challenges.
Jack Finley, 17, of Albion has been with the program for several years, starting with the First Lego League in elementary school. Students in the FLL build a robot through Legos and program it to do many tasks.
Finley likes the current program better because he said the equipment is higher quality and the robot can be programmed to do very specific tasks. He is looking to pursue a career in a technology field.
These team members are at work on their robot. From left include Dan Squires, Jacob Draper, Jace Conn, Zachary Neal and Jayden Neal.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Orleans County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Marsceill stands by his patrol car with one of the prayer shawls which have been donated to the department by a group of Holley crocheters. Each deputy has a shawl in his car to comfort a child or anyone injured in an accident.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 20 January 2019 at 10:40 am
HOLLEY – Orleans County sheriff’s deputies have a new weapon in their arsenal – prayer shawls.
Recently Sheriff Randy Bower was put in touch with a parishioner of St. Mary’s Church who told him of a prayer shawl ministry there.
Although they have no official name, the group of eight to 10 ladies who meet monthly to crochet make more than 1,000 items a year, said Buffie Edick, who founded the group about 10 years ago.
“We are always looking for a new project,” Edick said.
The ladies have provided a dozen crocheted prayer shawls so each deputy, as well as investigators, can have one in their car. The ladies have also committed to keeping the Sheriff’s Office supplied with shawls in the future.
“In case of inclement weather when we respond to an accident or incident, or someone needs comforting, we can provide a warm prayer shawl,” Bower said.
They also have stuffed animals to comfort a child.
These women from the Holley area have crocheted prayer shawls for Orleans County sheriff’s deputies to carry in their patrol cars to comfort anyone in distress when they answer a call. Seated are Marge Kruger, left, and Cathy Renko. At rear, from left, are Kat Tsoukatos, Marcia Crosier, Dianne Colucci and Buffie Edick. Members not pictured are Linda Rossi, Lynn Szozda and Jeanne Sheffer.
Before the shawls were delivered to the Sheriff’s Ofice, they were blessed at St. Mary’s Church.
Edick was taught to crochet when she was 7 by her grandmother. After back surgery about 10 years ago, Edick said she had time on her hands and wanted something to do.
The group now meets once a month at St. Mark’s in Kendall. They have donated items to more than 50 local organizations.
New members are always welcome, even if they can’t crochet. They are looking for someone to make prayer cards and deliver them.
One member now takes donated yarn and washes and re-spins it so that all finished items are clean and sanitary. Most of the women in the group buy their own yarn.
They donate a lot of items to migrant workers.
“Every month we have a new project,” Edick said. “We like to keep our donations local.”
Photo from the Sheriff's Office: The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Lord’s House in Waterport with delivering toys to the church in mid-December. The toys were distributed to more than 40 families. Pictured from left includes Undersheriff Christopher Bourke, Deputy Adam Hazel, Sgt. John Doyle, Chief Deputy Mike Mele, Lord’s House First Lady Rose English, Rev. Eddie English (Lord’s House pastor) and Rev. William Morrell Washington, Rose’s sister and pastor of the Royal Church of God in Christ in Carlton.
Posted 14 January 2019 at 12:45 pm
Press Release, Sheriff Randy Bower
ALBION – In the month of December, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office 911 Dispatch Center processed 1,982 police incidents, including 765 events for Sheriff’s Road Patrol, 179 for the New York State Police and 1,038 calls for the Village police agencies of Lyndonville, Medina, Albion and Holley.
There were 526 Fire/EMS related calls dispatched countywide with 385 of those emergency medical in nature and a total of two drug overdoses.
Sheriff’s Office Road Patrol Deputies handled 76 automobile accidents, including 13 with injury and 41 car-deer collisions. Road patrol also made 56 service attempts and successfully served 24 subpoenas, civil or court papers. The Orleans County Jail processed in 98 inmates and handled 23 prisoner transports to court appearances.
The Sheriff’s Animal Control Division handled 59 incidents including nine stray dogs, two dog bite complaints, nine neighbor dog problems, and several other miscellaneous animal calls. In addition, 10 animals were taken in to shelter on voluntary surrenders.
In December the Sheriff’s Office assisted the Lord’s House Church, Waterport in spreading holiday cheer to those less fortunate. Members of the Sheriff’s Office helped collect and distribute goodies to over 100 area children in 40 families through the “Toys for Tots” program.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 January 2019 at 5:36 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
A contractor hired by the State Canal Corp. removes tree stumps along the Erie Canal this afternoon by Canal Road, between Holley and Brockport.
The state Canal Corp. has hired Hohl Industrial of Tonawanda and Tioga Construction of Herkimer to remove tree stumps, and do packing and grading of the embankments where trees were cut down about a year ago.
This is the second of an embankment maintenance program for the Erie Canal in Monroe and Orleans counties that will enhance the canal’s safety and security, the Canal Corp. said.
The work started about a month ago near Marshall Road in Medina and contractors have been moving east.
This photo from Thursday shows a crew near Eagle Harbor in Albion, removing tree stumps and clearing some vegetation.
The Canal Corp. initiated the tree-clearing and embankment maintenance in accordance with guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Administration, Army Corps of Engineers and Association of State Dam Safety Engineers. The consensus among these experts is that trees have no place on embankments, as their root systems can cause seepage and potentially lead to erosion and potential embankment failure that can cause catastrophic damage and loss of life, the Canal Corp. said.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The 2019 Leadership Orleans class includes, front row, from left: Susan Howard, Pattie Kepner, Beth Brown, Ellen Eaton, Vanja Zinaja, Jessica Downey, Carly Ward, Elizabeth Haibach, Rachel Hicks, Nicole Davis and Amanda Pollard. Second row: Sarah Olinger, Jerod Thurber, Jonathan Oakes, James Olinger, Dan Doctor, Jim Bensley, Greg Reed, Brittany Scott, Delano Alvarez, Steve Mowers, Melissa Blanar and Sean Casher. Not pictured: Angela DiRosa, Michele Bokman and Tessa Hartway.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 January 2019 at 8:19 am
Skip Helfrich, Leadership Orleans director, leads a retreat on Wednesday. He went over personality profiles, and how different types of personalities tend to thrive or struggle in different situations. Some people thrive on getting things done in an efficient manner. Some are very focused on details. Others are very social and like to involve many people in the process.
LYNDONVILLE – Leadership Orleans welcomed the second class of the program with a kickoff retreat over two days that will help members learn about themselves, their classmates and the community.
The class has 26 members and started with a two-day retreat on Wednesday at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville. That retreat will conclude this evening.
Leadership Orleans started in 2018. The year-long program meets monthly and the comes from a cross section of the community, including government department heads, farm leaders, agency directors and other business officials. The program picked residents who have demonstrated leadership abilities, interest in community affairs, and a commitment to Orleans County’s future.
Each month the group learned about a different sector of the community, including government, arts and culture, volunteerism and non-profit organizations, community health, tourism and recreation, agribusiness, economic & workforce development, and education.
This year’s class includes:
• Delano Alvarez, Quality Associate III, Baxter Healthcare
• James Bensley, Dir. Dept. Planning and Development, County of Orleans
• Melissa Blanar, Dir. Orleans County Office for the Aging, Orleans County
• Michele Bokman, Director of Operations, SUNY GCC
• Beth Brown, Business Administration Manager, Orchard Dale Fruit Company, LLC
• Sean Casher, Human Resources Business Partner, CRFS, LLC
• Nicole Davis, Director of Residential Services, GCASA
• Angela DiRosa, Executive Director, Orleans Community Health Foundation
• Daniel Doctor, Community Outreach Liaison, Medina Central School District
• Jessica Downey, Health Educator/Community Outreach, Orleans Community Health
• Ellen Eaton, Dir. of Recruiting and Employee Experience, Quorum Group dba Takeform
• Elizabeth Haibach, Librarian, Hoag Library
• Tessa Hartway, Dir. Of Marketing and Branding/Business Development, Talis Equity
• Carly Ward, Dir. of Planning and Oper., Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, Inc.
• Vanja Zinaja, QA Manager, Baxter Healthcare
Skip Helfrich leads a discussion at the opening retreat.
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By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 January 2019 at 11:33 am
GAINES – The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is planning its annual Legislative Luncheon for Jan. 25 when local and state elected officials discuss community issues and ways to improve the business climate.
The event will be at Tillman’s Village Inn from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. RSVPs are due Jan. 18. Rebecca Charland is director of the Chamber of Commerce. Call her at (585) 301-8464 or email director@orleanschamber.com to make an RSVP or to suggest a question to be asked.
Typically about 100 people attend the event, including some who aren’t members of the Chamber.
State Sen. Robert Ortt, and Assembly members Steve Hawley and Michael Norris have all confirmed their participation in the luncheon.
Besides local and state elected officials, the luncheon will include an analysis of state legislative proposals from Ken Pokalsky of the NYS Business Council.
