ALBION – Nadine P. Hanlon, Orleans County Clerk, is pleased to announce that the County Clerk’s Office and DMV are now authorized NYS Thruway E-ZPass On-the Go retail locations.
Drivers can purchase E-ZPass On-the-Go Tags for $25 for passenger vehicles at the County Clerk’s Office or at our DMV. Once purchased, the Tag must be registered with E-ZPass, either online or with a toll free customer service telephone number, before using it. The full $25 payment is moved to an EZ Pass account.
“The County Clerk’s Office is always looking for ways to provide beneficial services to our community,” Hanlon said. “We hope that by becoming a retail location it will be more convenient for people to purchase a tag especially by those who wish to travel using the NYS Thruway and/or are traveling through fifteen additional states that take EZ Pass.”
With the new cashless tolling on the NYS Thruway, tolls by mail customers will pay 30% above the NY E-ZPass toll rate, in addition to a $2 administrative surcharge per billing statement.
EZ Pass On-the-Go Tags also make the perfect gift, especially for that high school graduate who will be traveling back and forth to college.
It is important for E-ZPass customers to be aware that not having their E-ZPass properly mounted, will result in their tag not reading properly while traveling on the Thruway, and could be charged the tolls by mail toll rate.
For further information, contact the Orleans County Clerk’s office at 589-5334 or click here for the E-ZPass website.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Members of the spring Microenterprise graduation class posed at The Lockstone after sharing their business stories. Seated, from left, are Sarah Ebbs, Pretty Sweet Bakery; Amanda (with Adam Petrie in back), electrostatic sanitizing; Paul Hendel, chairman of the board of Orleans Economic Development Agency; Dorothy Daniels, instructor; Jon Costello, mentor; and Ken DeRoller, Orleans County legislator. In back, from left, are Nickie Poler Girardo, mixologist with Last Call Cocktail Company; Margie Steffen, Studio 11 Hair Salon; Jill Newman, Newhouse Breads Bakery; Andrea Walton, miniature golf, ice cream stand, children’s entertainment venue; Adam Poler; Ayesha Kreutz, Online horse tack sales; Tiffany Smith, 365 Fitness; Laura Kemler, Laura Loxley Vintage Inspired store; John Woodams and his wife Kim, hops farm; and Diane Blanchard, coordinator of the Microenterprise Assistance Program. Absent is graduate Kara Pitcher, who hopes to open a bakery.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 28 June 2021 at 12:32 pm
ALBION – This spring’s Microenterprise Assistance class graduated some of the most unique budding entrepreneurs since the program began.
The class of 13 brings the number of total graduates to 537, said MAP coordinator Diane Blanchard.
“It never ceases to amaze me the ideas they come up for new businesses,” Blanchard said.
Laura Kemler, who completed the Microenterprise Assistance Program for the second time, displays some of hand-crafted items she sells in her Albion store.
One success story is that of Michelle and Rick Gallo who took the class several years ago, and in their second year in business of used auto parts and towing, they surpassed the million dollar mark. Michelle has returned twice to talk to a graduating class about how the MAP helped them succeed.
Another speaker was Laura Kemler, who started Laura Loxley Vintage Inspired store on Main Street in Albion.
“We set our sights big,” Kemler said to the June graduating class. “We started in the bedroom of our house and have seen substantial growth year after year.”
Laura took the class this spring for the second time, hoping to absorb the information she didn’t get the first time, she said. Laura trained at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and has 33 years of sewing experience. Among her crafts is twisting rope and then shaping it into purses, baskets, place mats and other gift items. Her husband Kevin is involved in the business, doing the financial reports and updating her packaging.
Other graduates and their businesses are Sarah Ebbs, Pretty Sweet Bakery; Ayesha Kreutz, online horse tack sales; Jill Newman, Newhouse Breads Bakery; Adam and Amanda Petrie, electrostatic sanitizing and powerwashing; Nickie Poler Girardo, traveling mixologist, doing business as Last Call Cocktail Company; Tiffany Smith, 365 Fitness; Andrea Walton, who hopes to repurpose her parents’ farm in Medina as an entertainment center; Marjorie Steffen, Studio 11 Hair Salon; John Woodams, hops farm; and Kara Pitcher, bakery.
Sarah Ebbs took the spring class, although she has run Pretty Sweet Bakery at 117 North Liberty Street with her mother since 2019.
“We are known for mom’s sweet rolls and my sugar cookies,” Ebbs said.
She hopes taking the class will help her in her quest to borrow $15,000 for new equipment.
“Business kicked off big last year, even with Covid,” Ebbs said. “We offer everything from personalized cakes for birthdays, showers and weddings and we do cookie trays for all occasions, including cutouts, cinnamon rolls and scones, and so much more.”
Ayesha Kreutz decided on a business selling horse tack because she loves horses.
“I grew up around horses and was on a horse before I could walk,” she said. “I put myself through college training horses and teaching people how to ride.”
She sells tack, saddles and bits new, used and on consignment.
Jill Newman’s Newhouse Breads Bakery caters to the vegan market, offering options for healthier foods. She sells her goods at the Medina Farmer’s Market and Lynoaken Farms.
Tiffany Smith shared her plans for a fitness business, called 365 Fitness.
Marjorie Steffen has operated Studio 11 Hair Salon at 11 East Bank St. for 22 years. She has been a hairdresser for 30 years and hopes the Microenterprise program can help her update her equipment. She runs an all-around salon for all ages, offering tanning, waxing and nails.
One other participant in the Microenterprise program was Kerri Glover, who took the course online. She and her husband Cole run Maison Albion, (formerly the Pillars), a wedding and events venue on County House Road, Albion.
Food for the Microenterprise class was provided by yet another graduate of the program, Rebecca Alexander, who runs Dubby’s Wood Fired Pizza and food truck. She graduated from the June 2019 class.
Seated at the head table during the Microenterprise graduation are, from left, retired mentor Sam Campanella; MAP coordinator Diane Blanchard; and instructor Dorothy Daniels.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Dave Viterna Group performed on July 2, 2019 at the Orleans County Marine Park to kick off the summer concert series. There were about 500 people at the concert. The band kicks off the series on Tuesday at the Marine Park in Carlton.
Press Release, Orleans County Tourism Department
The Summer Sizzle has just begun in Orleans County with live concerts and events! After suffering a year without live entertainment, festivals and fairs, get ready to fill your dance card!
Orleans County Tourism recently published a Summer Concert & Events rack card featuring the weekly summer concert series and major festivals taking place in Orleans County. Pick up a schedule at your local libraries, info centers or contact the Tourism Office at 585-589-3100. And, visit our website’s calendar for additional events as many are still being organized, www.orleanscountytourism.com.
OONA Concert Series – The first concert to kick off the summer starts next Tuesday, June 29. The Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association in partnership with Orleans County Tourism hosts the OONA Summer Concert Series at the Orleans County Marine Park in Point Breeze opening with the Dave Viterna Group. The Clarendon Lions Club will be back serving grilled items, along with Dubby’s serving their specialty wood-fired pizza and the Black North Inn selling beer and wine. New this year will be a merchandise tent featuring items from Orleans County Tourism, the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum and OONA – all branded to promote our region.
Doug Egling of Albion performs a solo on his saxophone during a performance on June 27, 2019 in Albion’s Canal Concert Series. Egling performed with the Trellis Cooper Band.
OONA organizers expect record crowds this summer after taking a year off due to the pandemic. The series will welcome first-time performers at the marine park – Highway 31 (July 6) and the Trellis Cooper Band (July 27). The Who Dats (July 13), the Brick Band (July 20) and Jonesie & the Cruisers (Aug 3) round out the series. Rain dates are scheduled for August 10 and 17. Admission is $2, $5 for a family and free to OONA members and seasonal dock renters at the Marine Park.
HOLLEY – Friday concerts are at the Holley gazebo on the Erie Canal. They begin July 9th through August 13 and feature the Don Newcomb Band, Dinosaur Stampede, the Who Dats, Triple Play, Old Hippies and the Chris Moore Band.
YATES – On Monday, July 12th, the Yates Community Library in Lyndonville begins an 8-week series featuring a variety of genres along the banks of picturesque Johnsons Creek and the library grounds: Mystic Sisters, Old Hippies, Celtic Spirit, Blue Sky, Eagle Creek, Mr. Mustard, Laces Out and the Barker Community Band.
ALBION – The village of Albion hosts four Thursday night Concerts on the Canal at the gazebo at the end of Pratt Street starting July 22 through August 12. They include Jonesie & the Cruisers, the Who Dats, Cold Fusion Arts and the Trellis Cooper Band. The Albion Fire Department will be serving food and beverages.
The villages of Holley, Albion and Yates Library concerts are free and are made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO Art.
Additional events include the Friday night Cruise-ins at the Medina Canal Basin, a weekly fundraiser for the United Way of Orleans County, the Lyndonville Lions Club’s 4th of July Celebration and fireworks on the 4th, the Kendall Fire Dept Carnival, July 15-17, the Orleans County 4-H Fair July 26-31 and more that are still being organized.
Get your dancing shoes polished and celebrate live music in Orleans County this summer!
Press Release, Nadine Hanlon, Orleans County Clerk
ALBION – The Orleans County Department of Motor Vehicles will reopen for walk-in DMV services on July 1stand will no longer require appointments.
Walk-in services will be available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. We will be closed on Wednesday in order to process mail-in and dealer transactions. The Drop Box will continue to be utilized as well.
The DMV Office is on summer hours and will open at 8:30 a.m. Anyone visiting the DMV office on any given day should plan on being through the DMV door by 3 p.m. to allow the proper amount of time to complete the necessary transaction. In some instances it may become necessary for clients to return on another day.
Due to social distancing requirements, the number of clients allowed inside the DMV office will be limited and will be closely monitored by security staff at the County Office Building.
We appreciate your cooperation and continued patience during this transition. As always, as guidelines change we will re-evaluate our systems and adjust accordingly.
Forms are still available at the main entrance of the County Office Building for use in preparing your paperwork ahead of your visit to our office.
We will do our best to serve as many of our clients as possible each day. Please continue to utilize our “local” DMV Office so that we can keep the revenue in our county.
Again, we appreciate your patience and we look forward to seeing you in our local DMV office.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 June 2021 at 4:11 pm
ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board will be meeting Thursday to consider referrals from local towns including a proposal for a new campground in Murray.
The Planning Board will meet at 7 p.m. at the Legislative Chambers in County Administration Building on Route 31 in Albion and also virtually via Zoom.
The board makes a recommendation to the municipalities, which the towns and villages can override with a super-majority vote.
The referrals include review of the site plan, a special use permit request and area variance for Big Guys Campground. This would be at 3739 Monroe-Orleans County Line Rd., the Brockport Country Club.
• Also in Murray, planners will review a request for a special use permit for a storage and incidental repair for construction equipment at 16473 State Route 31.
• There are two referrals from Shelby. Planners will review the site plan for an outdoor recreational facility (ice cream stand, putt-putt course, corn maze, and other activities) at 11412 Maple Ridge Road. Planners will also consider a special use permit and review the site plan for an auto sales business at 5138 South Gravel Rd.
• In Ridgeway, planners will review the site plan for an 11,200-square-foot addition for product storage at 3161 Fruit Ave.
• In Albion, planners will review the town’s proposal to a law regulating the installation of battery energy storage systems.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 22 June 2021 at 8:24 am
Nyla Gaylord previously led Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Former Ministry of Concern director Nyla Gaylord meets with Dean Bellack, director of United Way of Orleans County, after the announcement she has been hired as a fundraiser and event planner for United Way.
After a very successful year in fundraising, United Way of Orleans County has announced the hiring of Nyla Gaylord as fundraiser and event planner.
Gaylord had formerly been with the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern for 5 ½ years, more than 4 of those years as director.
While she was in that position, she worked on a grant on her own time to secure $450,000 to hire a grant writer, who would be available free of charge to any non-profit in Orleans County, and eventually Genesee County. In addition, the grant, which was received in April, also pays the salary for Gaylord’s new position with United Way.
“I worked on the grant on my own time because I felt very strongly a grant writer was what the county needed,” Gaylord said. “It had become increasingly clear to me how stretched thin the administrators of organizations are, plus their staff doesn’t have a grant writer or anyone with the skills to write a grant.”
Gaylord praised United Way’s director Dean Bellack, whose vision resulted in searching for funds outside of the county and a never-before collaboration between county agencies and the big foundations.
“What Dean and United Way have done (and the pandemic contributed to it, as well) is start to collaborate with other agencies and look strategically at areas they serve,” Gaylord said. “Also, these big foundations realized they were underserving rural counties. The Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo came to us. As a result of the Western New York Covid-19 Response Fund, we were able to hire Mary Beth Debus, who worked on the Orleans Initiative Digital Divide study.”
Bellack said the knowledge Gaylord has is invaluable.
In her past jobs, Gaylord said she has worked for low pay at human service agencies. She has learned a lot about not-for-profits’ community needs and what is available to help people. She has knowledge of entitlement programs, SSI, immigration and the disability system.
“Diversity is our strength – people coming together to look at community needs,” she said.
Gaylord felt she had done all she could at Ministry of Concern and wanted to look at a bigger picture in the community.
“I’m not interested in public office, and I realize under Dean’s leadership United Way is evolving in a new direction which is much needed,” she said. “It’s role will be to support not-for-profit agencies, not just raise money. It will be ‘boots on the ground.’ Everybody is stretched too thin and trying to do a lot with a little. It’s now time for United Way to evolve as an agency of support. United Way in Orleans County is broadening its scope in terms of how we bring resources to not-for-profits and the entire community.”
With the $450,000 grant for a grant-writer, the soon-to-be-announced $349,000 for Orleans County’s Digital Divide Initiative and half a dozen other grants, United Way last year was responsible for bringing more than a million dollars into the county, much of it to help those affected by the pandemic.
In spite of these gifts, Bellack stressed how important local donations and workplace campaigns are to United Way’s mission.
“These local donations are absolutely necessary,” he said.
Gaylord started her new position with United Way on June 14. She will expand fundraising opportunities throughout the community, while the new grant writer will go after foundation money and other funding opportunities which didn’t exist before.
“We will be approaching fundraising on two different levels,” Bellack said.
Gaylord has already acquired Las Vegas entertainer Jimmy Mazz for a gala United Way event at Maison Albion in the fall. She is also visiting town clerks throughout the county, in an attempt to create more relationships. She is promoting the sale of tickets to United Way’s chicken barbecue July 10, which will be a drive-thru event from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds. Tickets are $12 and will be for sale Friday nights at Medina’s cruise-in at the Canal Basin or by logging on to United Way’s web site. A limited number will be sold the day of the event.
As a lifelong resident of Orleans County, Gaylord said she just wants to see things better.
“I see tremendous potential for Orleans County,” she said.
Bellack said United Way will now have four employees with four different skill sets. In addition to Gaylord and the new grant writer, there is administrative assistant Dawn Winkler, who Bellack says knows everything about financials, web site design and promotions. She is an organizer, he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 June 2021 at 1:01 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The sign by the driveway leading to the Orleans County Administration Building promotes early voting in the county last week.
ALBION – There was a small turnout through nine days of early voting in Orleans County. Only 108 people cast ballots in the primary, which includes Republican races in six towns.
The 108 votes, for an average of 12 per day, is down significantly from the 3,753 who used early voting in 2020 from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1. That was an average of 417 each day. This was during a presidential election and was open to all registered voters, not just Republicans.
Here is the daily breakdown for early voting:
Saturday, June 12, 7 votes
Sunday, June 13, 9 votes
Monday, June 14, 9 votes
Tuesday, June 15, 26 votes
Wednesday,June 16, 12 votes
Thursday, June 17, 15 voters
Friday, June 18, 13 votes
Saturday, June 19, 6 votes
Sunday, June 20, 11 votes
Total: 108 votes
During early voting there were two election inspectors on duty from both the Democratic Party and Republican Party.
Primary Day will be Tuesday, June 22, with polls open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Here is a list of the polling sites:
Barre – Districts 1 and 2 – Town Hall, 14317 West Barre Rd.
Carlton – Districts 1 through 3 – Carlton Fire Co. Rec Hall, 1853 Oak Orchard Rd.
Gaines – Districts 1 through 4 – Town Hall, 14087 Ridge Rd.
Murray – Districts 1 through 6 – Murray Town Hall, 3840 Fancher Rd. (Route 31)
Press Release, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County
Provided photos: The new little free library is filled and ready for the public. It is located outside the Dwight “Buzz” Hill Education Center.
KNOWLESVILLE – The Cornell Cooperative Extension office on Route 31 has a new structure on its grounds, albeit a small one. In a collaborative effort between Master Gardeners, 4-H and CCE staff, a mini free library has been constructed and installed at the entrance to the Honor Garden in the front lawn of the office building.
Horticulture Educator Katie Oakes had the idea for the library after cleaning out the Master Gardener closet in the office.
“There were so many gardening, wildlife, and nature books that have never sold at our plant sales. I was just brainstorming the best way to get these educational resources out into the community,” explained Oakes. “My kids and I love browsing the little free book boxes located all over the county, and I thought something similar on the grounds here would be a great way to get people interested in some of these topics.”
Oakes brought up the idea to the Master Gardeners in early February, seeking feedback and guidance. With budgets tight because of the ongoing pandemic, funding the project appeared to be the first hurdle. Long-time Master Gardener Don O’Keefe stepped in and generously offered to personally donate the funds needed to purchase building supplies.
“I really liked this idea because unlike flowers and plants that have their own seasons, if nurtured… a library is forever,” O’Keefe said. “I hope that with it being on the extension grounds, it continues to provide information and encourage the public to exchange ideas.”
Other collaborators to the project included Sherwin Williams of Brockport who donated paint and primer. Construction of the library was done by OCCCE facilities manager Pete Beach with the help of his grandson Joe Cecchini, an enrolled 4-Her.
The cheerful red library stands along the sidewalk to the OCCCE office, at the edge of the Honor Garden, a project designed by Master Gardeners and paved with memorial bricks honoring contributors’ loved ones. The public is welcome to take any material they’d like with no obligation to leave another book in its place.
The intention will be to keep the library stocked with educational materials the Cooperative Extension office no longer has need for – the gently used gardening books, older versions of 4-H textbooks, Cornell booklets that are no longer in print, etc.
The sign on the library door encourages people to take a book “and grow your mind!”
Several of the books included in the library were donated by the family of lifelong CCE supporter Gail Culver after she passed away last year. Gail worked for years as the Genesee County CCE Master Gardener Coordinator, then served as a Master Gardener volunteer in Orleans County after her retirement.
Gail was a volunteer with the Orleans County 4-H program for over 40 years and tirelessly devoted herself to educating children about gardening, nature and wildlife. Many of the books donated by her family are duplicates or older editions of books already on the Orleans County CCE office bookshelves, and sharing them with the public allows for Gail’s legacy of education and volunteerism to continue.
“I hope people can take a book home and learn something new because of this new library,” Oakes stated. “Our offices are here to help our community grow, and I think this library enables that mission even when there’s not an actual event or program going on.”
To learn more about the subjects described in the free books or any other 4-H, agriculture, or gardening topic, contact the Orleans County CCE office at 585-798-4265 or email orleans@cornell.edu.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 June 2021 at 3:28 pm
ALBION – The turnout in the first three days of early voting is way down compared to the response last year in early voting during the presidential election.
Voting has started for Republicans with primaries in six Orleans County. The turnout so far include 7 on Saturday, 9 on Sunday and 8 today at about 3 p.m. Voting today is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Early voting continues each day through Sunday at the Orleans County Board of Elections Office at the County Administration Building, 14016 State Route 31.
There was early voting in 2020 from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1 and 3,753 people voted over 9 days, an average of 417 each day. This was during a presidential election and was open to all registered voters, not just Republicans. Some people also preferred early voting during the Covid-19 pandemic, expecting smaller crowds at the BOE office. Some people were also concerned last election it would be more difficult to vote if they needed to isolate at home if they were in close contact with someone who had Covid.
When there was early voting for the first time in 2019, there were 32 voters on the first day and then 26 on Sunday, the second day. In the nine days of early voting in 2019, there were 374 early voters out of about 23,000 registered voters in the county, an average of about 42 per day.
Here is the schedule for early voting for the remaining six days:
Tuesday, June 15, from noon to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, June 16, from noon to 8 p.m.
Thursday, June 17, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday, June 18, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday, June 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday, June 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The regular primary election day will be June 22 with a polling location in each town with a primary. The Republican primaries include:
Barre – Four candidates seeking two four-year positions on the Town Board: George McKenna, Tom McCabe, David S. Waters and Lynn Hill. McCabe and Hill currently are on the Town Board.
Carlton – Two candidates are seeking a four-year term as town clerk. Karen A. Narburgh and Dori Goetze are the candidates. Narburgh is the current town clerk.
Gaines – Two candidates are running for Gaines town justice. Bruce Schmidt is retiring from the position after this year. Henry Smith, Jr. and Charles Prentice, Jr. both are seeking a four-year term.
Murray – Former Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower is challenging current Town Supervisor Joe Sidonio for a two-year term as town supervisor.
Ridgeway – There are three candidates seeking a four-year term as Ridgeway town clerk. They include Laurie Kilburn, Hannah Hill and E.J. Cox. There are also three candidates seeking two four-year terms on the Town Board: Cliff Barber, Jeffrey Toussaint and David M. Stalker. Toussaint and Stalker are currently on the Town Board.
Shelby – There are three candidates seeking two four-years on the Town Board: William H. Bacon Edward, Mathew Zelazny and Stephen J. Seitz, Sr. Bacon and Seitz are current board members.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 June 2021 at 3:51 pm
Early voting will start on Saturday and continue through June 20 with Republican primaries in six Orleans County towns.
The early voting polling location is at the Orleans County Board of Elections Office at the County Administration Building, 14016 State Route 31.
The early voting times include:
Saturday, June 12, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday, June 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Monday, June 14, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, June 15, from noon to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, June 16, from noon to 8 p.m.
Thursday, June 17, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday, June 18, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday, June 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday, June 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The regular primary election day will be June 22 with a polling location in each town with a primary. The Republican primaries include:
Barre – Four candidates seeking two four-year positions on the Town Board: George McKenna, Tom McCabe, David S. Waters and Lynn Hill. McCabe and Hill currently are on the Town Board.
Carlton – Two candidates are seeking a four-year term as town clerk. Karen A. Narburgh and Dori Goetze are the candidates. Narburgh is the current town clerk.
Gaines – Two candidates are running for Gaines town justice. Bruce Schmidt is retiring from the position after this year. Henry Smith, Jr. and Charles Prentice, Jr. both are seeking a four-year term.
Murray – Former Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower is challenging current Town Supervisor Joe Sidonio for a two-year term as town supervisor.
Ridgeway – There are three candidates seeking a four-year term as Ridgeway town clerk. They include Laurie Kilburn, Hannah Hill and E.J. Cox.
There are also three candidates seeking two four-year terms on the Town Board: Cliff Barber, Jeffrey Toussaint and David M. Stalker. Toussaint and Stalker are currently on the Town Board.
Shelby – There are three candidates seeking two four-years on the Town Board: William H. Bacon Edward, Mathew Zelazny and Stephen J. Seitz, Sr. Bacon and Seitz are current board members.
