Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Ben Paratore was among the volunteers on Wednesday evening at a workbee to get the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds ready for next week’s return of the 4-H Fair.

Paratore is attaching a sun shade in the new goat/sheep barn. He has three kids who will be showing animals at the fair.

This group works together to put in the new sun shade at the goat/sheep barn.

Les Kuipers was among the parents at the workbee. There were about 150 people at the fairgrounds, getting the barns, booths and grounds ready for the fair, which starts on Monday.

The prep has been more challenging this year due to recent heavy rains. That has saturated the grassy fields, making it difficult to move equipment.

Charlie Ricci and Shawn Cook smooth out bank run sand in the new goat/sheep barn. This building is one of the bigger additions to the fair.

Robert Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, said there will be some new vendors and some long-term concessions operators won’t be back due to staffing shortages.

About 300 4-Hers will have exhibits in the fair. Last year’s event was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. About 25,000 people typically attend the fair during its six-day run.

Merri and Bert Mathes hang bunting in the new goat and sheep barn.

Dawn Marciszewski and her son Scott are ready for the Senior Council Stand’s busy week. Marciszewski leads the stand. The site was scrubbed, mopped and power-washed to get ready for next week. 4-H youth helped clean the stand during three workbee days.

Food deliveries will begin arriving today for the stand that is popular for hot dogs, hamburgers and soda.

Congressman says policies discourage people to pursue work during time of labor shortage

Photos by Tom Rivers: Congressman Chris Jacobs speaks during last Friday’s Legislative Luncheon at Tillman’s Village Inn. The event was organized by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. Just right of Jacobs seated include other speakers: Chris Zeltman, representing U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, State Sen. Rob Ortt and Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

ALBION – One way to help fill the labor shortage locally and across the state and country is to end the extra benefit allotment for people claiming unemployment, Congressman Chris Jacobs said.

He is urging New York state officials to not extend the $300 weekly in federal unemployment assistance.

Local state legislators – State Sen. Rob Ortt and Assemblyman Steve Hawley – said they would support ending the extra unemployment assistance.

They all spoke about the issue during Friday’s Legislative Luncheon organized by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.

Many local businesses have struggled to fill job openings. So far 26 states have decided to opt out of the extra benefit before the official end date of Sept. 6.

Patricia Payne, a board member for the P.Raising Kids Child Care Center in Medina, urged the local, state and federal officials to help solve a childcare crisis locally, where she said there are too few slots for people to work or go to college full time.

Hawley said restaurants, in particular, “are closing left and right” due to staffing shortages. He said the government should stop sending people checks “to sit on their derriere.”

Ortt said he is concerned the Democrat-majority in the State Legislature will continue the extra unemployment benefit at a time “when people can’t find people to work.”

Jacobs on Monday held a press conference with Jim Butera, president of the WNY Chapter of the NYS Restaurant Association and owner of Butera’s Craft Beer and Craft Pizza, to discuss the labor shortage caused in part by enhanced unemployment benefits.

“In February, against numerous warnings, Democrats and President Biden forced through a massive partisan package filled with unnecessary spending,” Jacobs said in a news release. “The result is they have made it more lucrative to stay home than to seek employment,” Jacobs said. “This has become detrimental to our economic recovery, and many businesses are losing money, shortening hours, or closing down entirely because they cannot find employees. Unfortunately, this translates to longer wait times, higher prices, and shortages of numerous products families need.”

Jacobs introduced the Help Wanted Act (H.R. 3148) in May to combat these disincentives and prioritize our economic recovery. The legislation would restore work search requirements, remove the expansion of unemployment to individuals who voluntarily left their job, and clarify that general safety concerns related to Covid-19 are no longer sufficient grounds to claim unemployment benefits.

During Friday’s Legislative Luncheon at Tillman’s Village Inn, Patricia Payne, a board member for the P.Raising Kids Child Care Center in Medina, said a child care shortage locally is a factor preventing many people from going to work or college full time.

She said there needs to be higher reimbursement rates from the Department of Social Service for child care providers, and there also need to be more childcare slots, whether through at-home daycare or at childcare centers.

“We are in a childcare desert area,” Payne said during the luncheon.

Jacobs said more childcare options “need to be part of the economic development model.”

Photos by Tom Rivers: Vehicles head down Route 31 in Holley’s Public Square on Sept. 14, 2020 during a “Back the Blue” ride in Orleans County. A second ride is planned for Aug. 1.

HOLLEY – A second “Ride for the Blue” in support of law enforcement is being planned for Aug. 1, with the procession to travel more than 50 miles throughout Orleans County.

Last year the first “Back the Blue” event attracted about 500 vehicles, including 300 motorcyclists. It took the procession about 25 minutes, from start to end, to pass through the Public Square in Holley. But on Route 104 in Gaines, where the speed limit was 55, it took 14 minutes for the vehicles to pass by.

David Paul is helping to organize the event which will start at his property at 3823 Countyline Rd. in Murray. He is expecting a bigger turnout this time.

Participants in the ride are welcome to Paul’s property to begin staging at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 1. There will be speakers from 11:15 a.m. to noon with the ride to start at noon.

“Someone needs to stand up and support the police,” Paul said. “They are the first ones you call when you need help.”

The route is planned to go from Monroe-Orleans Countyline Road to Route 104 west to Route 63 south to Medina (with a detour due to bridge being out on 104 near Culvert Road), then Route 31 eastbound towards Albion and Holley with the ride ending on Monroe-Orleans Countyline Rd. (Paul said he believes the Route 31 bridge in Knowlesville will be open briefly for the fair and the ride. If not, an alternative will be worked out.)

The ride order includes an Orleans County Sheriff’s Office patrol car, the Holley Fire Department, motorcycle, other fire trucks, vintage cars and trucks, “everybody else” and all big trucks and dump trucks.

About 300 motorcyclists participated in last year’s ride.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson speaks during Friday’s Legislative Luncheon at Tillman’s Village Inn.

ALBION — Orleans County won’t be seeking contributions from towns and the school districts to pay for an expansion of broadband internet, County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said.

The Legislature next week expects to vote on a proposal to close the internet service gaps in the county. The county sought a request for proposals (RFPs) for companies to provide wireless internet service for 1,351 addresses in the county currently without access to the service.

The county has estimated it will cost $4.1 million to put the infrastructure in place for the service. Residents would then likely pay a subscription to internet providers for the service. County officials plan to use some of the American Rescue Plan Act funds for the project. The County Legislature in late June accepted $3,918,951.50 from U.S. Department of Treasury, the first half of the county’s payment with the other half expected in about a year.

Johnson said some of county’s share in Rescue Plan funds plus other county revenue will be used “to build out a robust broadband infrastructure across Orleans in the near term.”

She made the announcement during Friday’s Legislative Luncheon at Tillman’s Village Inn. That event was organized by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.

“We believe this is such an important project for the county that we will not be asking for American Rescue co-funds from the towns or school districts,” she said. “This will give our towns and villages more options to utilize their rescue funds in a manner that most benefits each local company.”

Companies had until July 1 to submit proposals where they would co-locate their technology on existing county-owned communication towers.

Those sites include at the Emergency Management Office on West County House Road in Albion, Route 31A in Clarendon, Maple Ridge Road in Medina, Route 31 in Albion next to Public Safety Building, West Avenue in Lyndonville, Route 237 in Kendall, Route 237 in Holley by the water tank. If necessary, additional towers may need to be constructed to meet the county’s service goals.

The total of unserved addresses in the county includes 74 in Albion, 302 in Barre, 35 in Carlton, 57 in Clarendon, 39 in Gaines, 16 in Kendall, 41 in Murray, 287 in Ridgeway, 206 in Shelby, and 294 in Yates for 1,351 total.

Press Release, Holli Nenni, DSS Commissioner in Orleans County

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

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

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

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

Photos by Tom Rivers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Press Release, United Way of Orleans County

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ALBION – Proposals are due today from companies looking to land a contract to cover the internet gaps in Orleans County.

The county on May 25 sought requests for proposals (RFPs) for companies to provide wireless internet service for 1,351 addresses in the county currently without access to the service. Companies are asked to submit proposals where they would co-locate their technology on existing county-owned communication towers.

Those sites include at the Emergency Management Office on West County House Road in Albion, Route 31A in Clarendon, Maple Ridge Road in Medina, Route 31 in Albion next to Public Safety Building, West Avenue in Lyndonville, Route 237 in Kendall, Route 237 in Holley by the water tank. If necessary, additional towers may need to be constructed to meet the county’s service goals.

The total of unserved addresses in the county includes 74 in Albion, 302 in Barre, 35 in Carlton, 57 in Clarendon, 39 in Gaines, 16 in Kendall, 41 in Murray, 287 in Ridgeway, 206 in Shelby, and 294 in Yates for 1,351 total.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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