Photos by Tom Rivers: Mike Donahue, president of the Orleans County Sportsmen’s Federation, urges the County Legislature to pass the local law, lowering the deer hunting age from 14 to 12.

ALBION – Orleans County legislators approved a pilot program lowering the age from 14 to 12 for people to hunt deer with a crossbow, rifle, shotgun or muzzle-loading firearm.

The state is allowing counties to opt in in the pilot program until 2023 with the lower age.

The youth hunters will need to be under the supervision of an experienced adult hunter. The state budget passed in early April gave upstate counties the right to opt-in and allow the 12- and 13-year-old hunters.

Youths those ages already are allowed to hunt deer and bear with archery equipment and small game with firearms. Until now, New York was the only state that didn’t allow 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt big game with a firearm.

Mike Donahue, president of the Orleans County Sportsmen’s Federation, spoke at a public hearing today and said youths have shown they are responsible hunters. He urges them all to take hunter safety courses. He noted the law requires a responsible adult to be with the young hunters, who also must wear either bright orange or pink above the waist when they are out hunting.

County Legislator John DeFillipps, right, introduced the resolution to lower the deer hunting age. Fred Miller, back left, cast the lone vote in opposition.

Orleans County Legislator Fred Miller cast the lone opposing vote among the seven-member Legislature. Miller’s district includes the towns of Albion and Gaines, which he said are populated areas on flat land. He is concerned about people hunting with rifles so close to the village and residences.

“I’m not opposed to the pilot program,” Miller said. “I would have liked it when I hunted as a kid.”

But Miller said many residents in his district of Albion and Gaines have shared their concerns about rifle hunting in populated areas.

Costs of bus service exceeds revenues; ridership plummeted during pandemic

Photo by Tom Rivers: A fleet of about a dozen CATS buses are shown in the parking lot on South Main Street, where CATS and the Main Street Thrift Store are operated by Community Action.

Press Release, Renee Hungerford, executive director of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee

ALBION – For many years, Community Action of Orleans and Genesee has been a resource supporting reliable and affordable transportation services to community members in our two counties via the Community Action Transportation System, better known CATS.

The CATS program has been providing bus transportation service for established routes and for “on-demand” rides year-round, five days per week. Destinations included community health centers, doctor and hospital visits, treatment centers, clinics, dialysis, and retail store shopping.   Community Action services have been able to support clients who are elderly or disabled and who remain independent in their homes but do not own/drive a vehicle.

CATS bus transportation services have evolved where experienced and professional staff have dedicated themselves not only to ensuring maintained vehicles but have also provided very caring door-to-door and door-through-door service for some of our clients. The caring and courageous staff continued services throughout the Covid pandemic despite a drastic reduction in riders along with the added effort of sanitizing buses between trips.

While continuing to deliver excellent service to our clients, the current system of providing bus transportation has become exceedingly expensive for Community Action. Over recent years, many of our bus trips contain only one or two riders. Using buses to transport a single rider is extremely expensive and the costs have continued to rise with increases in insurance, bus maintenance, fuel and wages. CATS was established to fill a need in our community for safe transportation. However today, our friends at Rochester Transportation Services (RTS) and others are helping to fulfill this need.

It is with a heavy heart that Community Action has made the decision to downsize the CATS bus transportation system after these many years of service.  With costs exceeding revenue, it was decided that this is necessary to protect our ability to provide the many unique and essential services we bring to our customers. This will be difficult and this process will take time.

Community Action will work with partners to do everything possible to ensure transportation needs are met by offering other transportation options to our Community Action clients.  We will continue to provide busing for our Head Start program. As we go through this process we will research the possibility to evolve our community transportation support to vans and energy efficient vehicles that meet the special needs of valued customers.

Funding includes a grantwriter who will assist non-profit agencies

MEDINA – A $450,000 grant from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation is a game changer for Orleans County, said Dean Bellack, director of United Way of Orleans County, who realized several years ago how beneficial a grant writer would be for the county.

The Health Foundation announced last week that Orleans County’s grant request for nearly half a million dollars had been approved, and the United Way would be receiving $449,291 over a period of five years. The money will pay for a full time grant writer, who will be available to non-profit agencies, and for a second employee, who will work on fundraising out of United Way’s office at 3217 South Gravel Rd.

United Way recently moved from its Albion location, after sale of the CRFS building on East Avenue, to the South Gravel Road location, where space has been donated  by  United Way Board President George Bidleman.

Bellack first came up with the idea of a grant writer about eight years ago when he led a successful campaign to raise nearly $750,000 for the YMCA renovations. He began talking about a grant writer position right after he joined the United Way board on April 1, 2019.

The new grant writer will focus solely on Orleans County for the first year and then during the second year will be available in Genesee County. Bellack noted there are several non-profit agencies which are affiliated with both counties, such as Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, the Arc of Genesee Orleans and the Genesee Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO Art!).

“The Health Foundation gave us a tremendous amount of trust,” Bellack said. “They told us to create this position and then integrate it into the community, which we will eventually do – in Orleans and Genesee counties. This is a long-term commitment from them. They believed in our vision.”

Bellack said the grant writer position greatly amplifies the United Way’s ability to bring in more money for local agencies for a long time to come. These agencies have had not had the consistent ability to monitor the grant world. Most, if not all, agencies in rural communities are running lean, he said. This position adds capacity to the agencies and the county.

Nyla Gaylord, director of the Ministry of Concern, is experienced in grant writing and made Bellack aware of the Health Foundation last fall. She wrote the grant requesting funds to hire a grant writer. Her request included letters of support from 17 areas in the county, from County Legislature Chair Lynne Johnson to the majority of agencies funded by United Way. Bellack said the Foundation requested ideas and 52 responses were received. That number was reduced to 17 during the second round, which included the United Way.

“Every non-profit in the county is excited to learn our grant request has been approved,” Bellack said.

“We are glad to see this response to our grant request,” said Renee Hungerford, director of Community Action. “We have an important project for which we desperately need a grant writer, so this person can’t start soon enough from our perspective.”

Bellack said he has no doubt all non-profits share her words.

Health Foundation president and CEO Dr. Matt Kuhlenbeck thanked United Way for their patience during the process and congratulated the organization on the grant.

“We strive to bring equity and community voice into our grantmaking and understand that community-wide challenges require community-wide solutions,” Kuhlenbeck said. “This practical and critical effort addresses the imbalance of funding that the pandemic has exacerbated, while building off the collaboration and dedication of rural providers essential to responding to the health needs within their community. Demonstrating the type of capacity building we strive to accomplish while serving our rural communities, we are proud to be a supportive partner in these efforts.”

Bellack has put together a team of professionals committed to be involved in hiring this grant writer and managing the community integration which will be so important to non-profits in Orleans County, and eventually Genesee County. With Bellack, the team includes Renee Hungerford from Community Action, Don Colquhoun from OCALS, Nyla Gaylord from Ministry of Concern, Robert Batt from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Ken DeRoller representing local government and United Way board members Jackie Gardner and Jodi Gaines.

“This group of committed individuals represent how we have come together for the betterment of our county,” Bellack said.

Bellack said since posting ads for the two positions, United Way has received 20 resumes for the grant writer – from Orleans County to New York City and Minnesota. He plans to announce hiring of the part-time fundraiser by the end of the month.

No masks needed for vaccinated people; social distancing should be followed for those without shot

Photos by Tom Rivers: Lyric Wallenda, a seventh-generation circus performer with the Wallenda family, twirls upside down as part of a show from Circus Incredible, which performed at the Orleans County 4-H Fair for the first time in July 2019.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced additional guidance for county fairs and local festivals throughout New York, but the local fair officials are waiting to review the details to see how it will affect the Orleans County 4-H Fair.

Last year’s fair was cancelled due to the Covid-19 restrictions. This year’s fair will go on – but how it will look is up in the air.

“The governor’s announcement today means we can begin to dig into properly preparing for the fair from July 26-31,” said Robert Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, which runs the annual fair. “We’ll be working in the next few days to better understand the full guidance and what it will look like in practice when made available.”

Local governments will permit county fairs and local festivals and consider Covid-19 health guidelines this year, Cuomo said in a news release.

State Department of Health approval will be required for events with over 5,000 expected attendees, consistent with existing review process. The Orleans County 4-H Fair typically draws 25,000 to 30,000 people over six days.

County fairs and local festivals must ensure that the total number of attendees is limited so that 6 feet of distance can be maintained between individuals who are not members of the same party, unless all attendees present proof of full vaccination status, Cuomo said.

Fairs and festivals may require masks for all attendees, and per CDC guidance masks are required for unvaccinated attendees in certain settings, and indoors where vaccination status is unknown.

“Fairs and festivals are huge economic generators for communities across the state, and last year they were all put on hold due to the Covid pandemic,” Cuomo said. “This new guidance will allow our county fairs and local festivals to open at the greatest capacity possible so they can remain economically viable, while still ensuring public health and safety.”

These 4-H’ers in the grand master showmen competition lead llamas in the show ring on July 26, 2019.

The state’s industry-specific guidance must be followed for the applicable activities and attractions present at any fair or festival, such as amusement and family entertainment, food and beverage service, performing arts and entertainment, Cuomo said.

In addition to capacity limits, social distancing and any mask requirements, the Governor’s Office said county fairs and local festivals should consider the following as they plan for this year’s festivities:

• Attendee Contact Information: Fairs and festivals should encourage at least one attendee from each party to sign in during ticketing, or before or immediately upon entering the event space, providing their name, address and phone number for use in potential contact tracing efforts.
• Health Screening: Fairs and festivals must implement health screening for all individuals including questions on any Covid-19 symptoms, close contacts, recent positive Covid-19 test result, and compliance with state’s travel advisory. Screening may be performed via signage, at ticket purchase, by e-mail/website, by telephone, or by electronic survey before individuals enter the event space.
• Hand Hygiene: Fairs and festivals must provide hand washing stations or hand sanitizing supplies for common areas and areas where hand washing facilities may not be available or practical.
• Cleaning and Disinfection: Fairs and festivals must regularly clean and disinfect, focusing on high-traffic areas, such as restrooms, and frequently touched surfaces, such as service counters and seats.
• Communication: Fairs and festivals must post signage informing attendees of health precautions (e.g., social distancing, masks, hand hygiene) and distance markers indicating six-foot spaces in areas where lines form or people congregate, unless all attendees are fully vaccinated.
• Applicable Guidance: Fairs and festivals should consult the state’s guidance for their specific activities and attractions, such as performing arts and entertainment, amusement and family entertainment, food and beverage service, retail and market service, agricultural activities and sports and recreation.

Organization giving out scholarships for first time for seniors with track record of community service

United Way of Orleans County has announced for the first time it is offering scholarships to students in Orleans County’s schools who meet certain criteria.

Dean Bellack, director of United Way of Orleans County, and its board acknowledge the past year has been one of the most successful in the agency’s history, and they are anxious to share the wealth in any way they can.

To this end, United Way has announced an annual scholarship award to each of the five schools in the county: Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina.

The scholarships will be made available to two students at each school – a male and female – who meet the criteria of participation in community service, being in good academic standing and having general good citizenship. Each scholarship will be for $500 and will be awarded when the student begins his or her college year.

Bellack went on to explain the importance of local donations, especially those given through payroll deductions.

While United Way may have been very fortunate during the past year to receive considerable funding from outside the county, payroll deductions and donations from the local community are vital to their mission of helping the area’s needy.

Workplace campaigns to promote employee giving took a big hit in 2020 due to Covid-19 either partially or totally shutting down company operations.

Bellack noted that Albion Central School employees, in particular, have been consistently successful with their workplace campaigns for the United Way.

Eric Christiansen, Albion High School psychologist and chair of the Counseling Department, has been a longtime proponent of United Way.

“This is the 30th year I’ve been here, and giving to United Way has always seemed to be a big part of the culture of Albion Central School,” Christiansen said. “Our leaders always felt it was important to support United Way.”

He said there seems to be someone each year willing to reach out to school employees, asking them to consider their donations to United Way.

“It’s one of the things I love about Albion Central School,” he said.

Christiansen said he was very pleased United Way is able to offer scholarships to students.

“We  have a lot of our students who do community service and they don’t get recognized for it,” he said. “Some of them donate hundreds of hours in the community and they do it quietly. College is getting increasingly expensive and it’s nice to have an organization that wants to give to our students. Even a small scholarship adds up. I already have some great candidates in mind.”

Bellack added his thanks to Albion school teachers and all their staff for their consistent generosity.

“We are all better when we come together and contribute to our community,” he said.

The first scholarships will be announced at the end of the 2021 school year.

United Way funds nearly two dozen agencies and programs in Orleans County, which provide assistance to the homeless, seniors, the needy, handicapped, and more, and these scholarships are just a way to give to another segment of the population.

The schedule is set for the food distribution program on Fridays through the end of June.

The Office for the Aging in Orleans County works with Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, and the Calvary Tabernacle Church in Medina on the distributions.

People often line up in vehicles by 5:30 to 6 a.m. for the distributions that are scheduled to start at 8 to 8:30 a.m. There are usually 300 boxes of food each week, but sometimes there are more. People are encouraged not to block driveways while they are waiting.

Anyone interested in volunteering can call the Office for the Aging at (585) 589-3191. Volunteers in particular are needed for the distributions in June.

The schedule the next two months includes:

• May 7 – Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension, 4-H Fairgrounds on Route 31 in Knowlesville
• May 14 – Community Action Main Street Store, 113 South Main St., Albion
• May 21 – Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension, 4-HFairgrounds on Route 31 in Knowlesville
• May 28 – Community Action Main Street Store, 113 South Main St., Albion

• June 4 – Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension, 4-H Fairgrounds on Route 31 in Knowlesville
• June 11 – Community Action Main Street Store, 113 South Main St., Albion
• June 18 – No distribution
• June 25 – Ridgeway Fire Department, 11392 Ridge Rd., Medina

Photo by Tom Rivers: Elderberry Jam performed for a packed Cobblestone church on April 15, 2019. The church was built in 1834 and had 167 concert attendees for the event, the most in recent memory at the church on Route 104. The museum hasn’t been able to welcome larger groups during the Covid-19 pandemic.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has agreed to give $3,000 from its contingency account to the Cobblestone Museum.

The Legislature has been approving that amount from contingency in recent years, normally in December at the year-end county meeting but didn’t do it at the end of 2020. The Legislature last week approved the $3,000.

The Cobblestone Museum has seen attendance significantly dwindle during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the museum has continued to work on programs and be a resource to the community.

The museum last year also acquired a property, the Vagg House, at the southwest corner of routes 104 and 98 and that house is decorated to showcase life in the 1920s, in a manner that includes early household appliances from the early days of homes having electricity.

The Cobblestone Museum isn’t a regular line item in the county budget and has been given $3,000 in recent years from the contingency. Legislator Don Allport, R-Gaines, opposed the $3,000 from contingency because he said legislators discussed the funding last year, and decided against the continued allotments from the contingency account. Allport said the group last year didn’t want to keep this as standard practice for the museum.

The museum, however, hasn’t been included in the budget as a line item. The agencies and organizations included in the county budget as line items for 2021 include: $240,000 to Cornell Cooperative Extension, $190,000 to Orleans Economic Development Agency, $92,500 to Soil & Water Conservation District, $10,000 to be shared among four public libraries, $5,000 to Mercy Flight, $4,000 to Sportsmen Federation, and $3,000 to GO Art!

In Genesee County, the County Legislature funds the Holland Land Office Museum in Batavia at $33,554 a year. That site is only one building and is a National Historic Landmark.

Three of the cobblestone buildings – the church from 1834, the Ward House and a former one-room schoolhouse from the 1840s – were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993 by the federal Department of the Interior. That designation, however, doesn’t come with federal funding. The museum also includes several other buildings on 104 and Route 98.

ALBION – The Emergency Management Office in Orleans County will soon have a mobile command center, courtesy of Erie County.

That county is getting a new command center thanks to federal funding. Erie offered its 2006 command center to Orleans. The unit, which cost $250,000 in 2006, only has 11,000 miles, said Dale Banker, EMO director in Orleans County.

The 2006 Chevrolet Mobile Command Vehicle resembles an RV with a bathroom. The county currently has a trailer it can take to major incidents as a command center. The county will change the decals so the vehicle says Orleans County instead of Erie.

Erie County was able to purchase the mobile command center in 2006 through a Homeland Security Grant as part of regional objectives. The Orleans County EMO will continue with that mission as part of the original purpose of the grant, the Orleans County Legislature state din a resolution last week when it accepted the mobile command vehicle from Erie County.