By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 February 2018 at 10:40 am
File photo: Residents and the National Guard work to put sandbags along the shoreline in Kendall this past May as high waters caused erosion and damage to the shoreline.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo is pushing for a strong federal-state partnership to ensure the protection of flood-prone communities along the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River shoreline.
He sent a letter to Colonel Adam Czekanski, Buffalo district commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, requesting protections for 90 sites that are primarily along Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence River.
Several of those sites – “identified advance measures locations” – are in Orleans County. They include the following privately owned sites:
• Yates – Smythe Lane, Petrie Lane, Pratt Lane, Peters Lane, Sunnycreast Lane and Lake Forest Road
• Carlton – Oak Orchard on the Lake, Knapp Shores and West Brighton Cliffe Drive
• Kendall – Lomond Shores, Banner Beach and Sunset Parkway
Identified advance measures locations at state parks include Oak Orchard State Marine Park in Carlton and the Lake Ontario State Parkway from Carlton to Rochester
Cuomo said the current water levels indicate “a serious threat for renewed coastal flooding in 2018.” The lake is about a foot above normal.
The state has provided $67 million to impacted New Yorkers, the governor said.
“We are taking every step to provide relief and help this beleaguered region recover,” he wrote in his letter. “But our resources are not inexhaustible.”
Federal funding through the Army Corps’ Advanced Measures program “is critical to the protection of the shoreline,” Cuomo said. He also is seeking a comprehensive assessment of the shoreline from the Army Corps, with a plan to how to best protect the land from future storms.
“This crisis will not simply recede with the water – we need a strong federal-state partnership to ensure the protection of our communities over the long term,” the governor wrote.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 February 2018 at 12:41 pm
ALBION – Orleans County is using state funds from two pots of money to pay for a new $174,289 excavator for the highway department.
The county will use a $100,000 grant through the State and Municipal Facilities Capital Funding Program or SAM. State Sen. Rob Ortt has helped several local municipalities secure SAM grants for highway equipment, including $200,000 for Murray for a new dump truck, $100,00 for Carlton for a new plow truck, $154,000 for Barre for a plow truck, and $50,000 for the Town of Albion towards a plow truck.
The county will pay for the remainder of the $174,289 excavator by using $74,289 in CHIPS funds from the state through the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 January 2018 at 11:37 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Nathan Pace, a Medina attorney and assistant public defender, served as moderator of last Friday’s Legislative Luncheon for the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
GAINES – The average annual salary in Orleans County for private sector jobs is only $23,870. That is far too little for a family to make ends meet, said Nathan Pace, a Medina attorney who also works as an assistant public defender.
He represents many low-income residents in criminal cases. Pace said low-paying jobs keep families in poverty. They can’t make mortgage payments and there will be strain on a family due to the financial pressure, making it harder for them to stay together.
“We need to increase that number,” Pace said about the $23,870 average.
He served as moderator at Friday’s Legislative Luncheon organized by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. About 85 people attended the event.
Pace said the county needs more manufacturing jobs that pay $40,000 to $80,000 a year. Those wages would allow families to pay their bills without undue worry.
Pace said he sees people in poverty turn to crime, looking for extra money or trying to cope with the extreme stress in their lives.
One local business leader said there are good-paying jobs available, but it’s difficult to find enough committed and qualified employees.
Hinspergers Poly Industries in Medina makes custom-made pool covers and other products. It has operated in Medina since 2002. Greg Budd, the plant manager, said the company had to turn away about 10-15 percent of its business last year because of workforce instability. The extra work was instead went to a Hinspergers plant in Canada.
“It’s frustrating,” Budd told the crowd at the Chamber event. “I could have grown more.”
The company has 65 positions in Medina but last year 116 people were on the payroll. That means 51 people were briefly with the company but didn’t stay, Budd said.
“It’s extremely difficult to find good and qualified workers,” he said. “It’s a critical issue. It’s the greatest challenge I have.”
Three state legislators attended the Legislative Luncheon and said New York has much more work to become business friendly, and to attract and retain jobs – as well as dependable workers.
Michael Norris and Steve Hawley are both Assembly members with portions of their districts in Orleans County.
Norris, R-Lockport, said he favors promoting vocational training. He wants to see local school districts direct more students to those programs. Norris said the state should also step up with its support of BOCES and vocational training.
“Job retention is one of the greatest issues we face,” Norris said. “I want to encourage the BOCES programs because these are good-paying jobs.”
State Assemblyman Michael Norris said he supports more investment in vocational training programs to help businesses have qualified employees. Others in the photo, from left, include Nathan Pace, moderator of the forum; Michael Kracker, deputy chief of staff for Congressman Chris Collins; and State Assemblyman Steve Hawley.
Norris and Hawley, R-Batavia, both decried the governor’s proposed $168 billion budget. They want to see more cuts, especially in the Medicaid program, which requires a contribution at the county level of about $8 million a year.
Hawley favors reduces business owners’ costs for workers’ compensation, for example. He wants to end the Scaffold law, which drives up insurance costs for businesses.
Rob Ortt, a state senator, was critical of the governor’s economic development efforts, which haven’t stopped the population exodus from upstate.
“If the jobs are here young people can stay here and raise families,” he said. “If they’re not, they won’t stay here.”
He said the governor has suggested eliminating tips for workers at restaurants and bars, and making them be paid at least minimum wage. Ortt said that would hurt the restaurants and bars, and also would result in lower pay for the workers who rely on tips.
“If people are leaving your state, there’s a reason,” Ortt said about the Cuomo initiatives. “There are better economic opportunities in other states.”
The legislators were asked what could be done to drive more economic development to the historic downtown business districts. Ortt noted the state has a Main Street grant program to help building owners with some renovations and upgrades. Albion, Holley and Medina have all received a Main Street grant in the past five years. Albion tried for a second Main Street grant the past two years but was rejected by the state.
Michael Kracker, the deputy chief of staff for Congressman Chris Collins, also said the recent tax reform passed by Congress and President Donald Trump is giving businesses more money for capital investments and to reward employees. Kracker called the tax reform, “a big accomplishment.”
He expects Congress will now turn to infrastructure and expanding high-speed Internet in rural areas, which he said are critical issues for businesses.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 January 2018 at 8:37 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, speaks during the Legislative Luncheon on Friday. About 85 people attended the event at Tillman’s Village Inn. The luncheon was organized by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
ALBION – The county is moving forward with several initiatives, including a $10 million expansion of the County Administration Building on Route 31.
Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, cited that project, as well as $5 million infrastructure work with roads, bridges and culverts as big efforts for the county government this year.
She spoke on Friday during a Legislative Luncheon organized by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
Johnson said the county has stepped up services, including adding a full-time tourism director, adding another full-time animal control officer, and working on a land bank with Niagara County, and also waterfront development plans along Lake Ontario and the Erie Canal. The county also took the lead with an upcoming study on the public water resources in the county, looking at village and town water infrastructure to see if there can be efficiencies in delivering the service.
The County Legislature last week also announced its plans to declare the opioid epidemic and its effect on the county “a public nuisance.” The Legislature also wants to establish a cost recovery procedure for the county’s expenditures incurred for services due to the epidemic. The county in September voted to join a growing number of municipalities in a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies for allegedly fueling an opioid crisis.
“We’ve taken the offensive,” Johnson said about opioid lawsuit.
The county will also continue to press for lower Lake Ontario water levels. Johnson has been a vocal critic of Plan 2014 approved in December 2016. She worries that the shoreline faces more flooding this year because the lake is 9 inches higher than a year ago, she said.
She also wants to see progress on high-speed Internet. Orleans and Niagara County have formed the Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance with one of the main goals to expand broadband Internet in the two counties.
“Rural broadband is the number one priority for NORA,” she said. “We have not given up on that.”
Johnson said the county will take the case to Washington.
The county representatives were asked at the luncheon about the 22,000-square-foot addition planned for the County Administration Building and whether any sites were considered in the village.
Chuck Nesbitt, the county chief administrative officer, said only the Arnold Gregory Office Complex on South Main Street would have been a possibility and that site is already nearly full. The county wouldn’t want to see that building come off the tax rolls, Nesbitt said.
The addition will accommodate the Public Health Department and Board of Elections, which are currently outside the village in space owned by Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services LLC. Comprehensive acquired the nursing home and the neighboring public health building as part of the $7.8 million acquisition on Jan.1, 2015.
The county also has already been approved for a $3,682,748 state grant towards the addition and a $200,000 grant through State Sen. Robert Ortt’s office to help with the project.
“If we didn’t get those grants we probably wouldn’t have moved forward with the project,” Nesbitt said.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Patrick Jordan, president of the New York State Young Democrats, wants to see a Young Democrats chapter in Orleans County. Mark Steffenilla, second from left, is leader for the Young Democrats in Genesee County and also started a group for College Democrats at the College at Brockport. Jim Renfrew, a member of the Orleans County Democratic Party Committee, is at right and moderated a forum at Hoag Library.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 January 2018 at 8:47 pm
4 people interested in challenging Congressman Collins attended forum in Albion
ALBION – Democrats in Orleans County may be outnumbered 2-to-1 by registered Republicans, but a dedicated small group can still make a difference in local elections, and at state-wide and national contests.
That was the message from Patrick Jordan, president of the New York State Young Democrats. The Queens residents visited local Democrats in an event on Wednesday at Hoag Library.
Jordan has made it a mission to establish chapters for Young Democrats throughout the state, including in many rural Republican strongholds.
Republicans have such in an advantage in numbers and dollars locally that many do not face election challenges from Democrats. Jordan urged young Democrats, between the ages of 16 and 36, to become active politically. A dedicated group, even if only a few people, could make a difference in an election by going door to door and helping to elect candidates.
Jordan said door-to-door remains the most effective way to campaign.
“Yeah, it’s uncomfortable at first,” Jordan said. “And it’s hard work going door to door.”
Orleans County could start a Young Democrats chapter with as few as 10 members. Kenny Capurso, who worked on a county legislator campaign for his father Al Capurso, said he would push to start a Young Democrats chapter in the county.
“There is certainly a bigger spark than ever before,” he said about interest among younger adults in politics. “If young people see something they don’t like then they want to change it.”
When Capurso helped his father get signatures on petitions, Kenny said half of the people who signed were younger Democrats.
The panelists included from left: Kenny Capurso of Gaines, Andrea Newman of Holley, Mark Steffenilla of Le Roy and Patrick Jordan, president of the New York State Young Democrats.
Mark Steffenilla, 23, of Le Roy founded a chapter for Democrats at The College at Brockport and also helped start the Young Democrats chapter in Genesee County, a neighboring rural county to Orleans. Steffenilla became active in politics when he worked on his grandfather’s campaign for town justice.
He didn’t have to push too hard to find young Democrats willing to commit to the chapter.
“It’s just finding 10 people who are interested in bettering their communities,” he said.
There are 13 inaugural members in the Young Democrats chapter in Genesee County. Steffenilla wants to see chapters in all four GLOW counties. Energized chapters can make a difference for Democratic Party candidates who face an uphill battle in the counties with such big Republican advantages in enrollments, Jordan said at the forum.
Andrea Newman, a Democrat from Holley, was elected to the Holley Board of Education last year. Those elections are nonpartisan. Newman became active politically initially as part of the movement in support of Bernie Sanders’s campaign for president. She favored his position on universal health care.
She urged Democrats to discuss the core values of the party.
“If we meet face to face we can knock down the stereotypes (about Democrats),” she said.
The Young Democrats are open to people as young as 16. They aren’t able to vote until 18, but Jordan encouraged welcoming high schoolers and staying connected to young adults. If young adults are active with the Young Democrats, they are more likely to stay in the community and not move away, Jordan said.
Many young people are looking for outlets for community service and to have “a voice” in government, he said.
Joan Seamans
If 10 people knocked on 10 doors a week or 40 a month, they would reach 4,800 voters a year, Roberts said.
“It doesn’t take a lot of people to make a huge difference,” he said.
For more on the Young Democrats of NYS, click here. For more on the Orleans County Democratic Party, click here.
Four candidate hopefuls to challenge Chris Collins for the 27th Congressional seat attended the forum last week. They were invited to make brief remarks.
Joan Seamans is the owner of a photography studio in Williamsville. She said she has the determination to take on Collins, but will need the Democratic Party to rally behind her.
“I’m ready to do it,” she said. “But we know we need a team. We need an army behind us.”
Nicholas Stankevich is a Mumford businessman, who works as vice president of Marketing and Operations at Genesee Country Inn Bed and Breakfast. He also works as an advisor for businesses.
He wants to see more opportunities in the rural areas so younger adults have reasons to stay in the community. The rural communities are “hemorrhaging” population, he said.
He also supports universal healthcare. He believes it would lower costs for businesses. He wants to see government have a “people-first approach.”
Sean Bunny is a former Erie County Assistant District Attorney. He also is an Army veterans who served in Iraq.
He said the focus of a congressman should be enacting policies that make peoples’ lives better. He said Collins is focused instead on the wealthiest residents.
“We need better jobs and healthcare,” Bunny said.
Thomas P. Casey of Erie County is an environmental engineer. He said he is inspired by the surge of interest in young Americans in their government. Casey wants to see strong actions to fight global warming and protect the environment. He also supports universal healthcare.
“What do we Americans really want to be?” he said.
(Grand Island Town Supervisor Nate McMurray is also seeking Democrat support to challenge Collins. McMurray didn’t attend the forum in Albion.)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 January 2018 at 8:13 am
County will establish cost recovery procedure to recoup costs in providing services due to crisis
ALBION – Orleans County legislators want pharmaceutical companies to pay for the county’s added costs in providing services for people affected by the opioid epidemic.
The epidemic has hit the county. Last year there were 39 opioid overdoes in Orleans, and seven deaths from overdoses, said County Legislator Don Allport, R-Gaines.
The county has added services in the jail and community to assist people with addictions.
The County Legislature voted to set a public hearing for 4:25 p.m. on Feb. 28 so Orleans can declare the opioid epidemic and its effect on the county “a public nuisance.” The Legislature also wants to establish a cost recovery procedure for the county’s expenditures incurred for services due to the epidemic. The public hearing will be at the Legislature’s meeting room on the second floor of 3 South Main Street, Albion.
The County Legislature in September also voted to join a growing number of municipalities in a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies for allegedly fueling an opioid crisis.
The Legislature retained Napoli Shkolnik PLLC, a Manhattan firm, in the lawsuit. The firm is paying any upfront costs for staffing and retaining expert witnesses, County Attorney David Schubel said.
The counties are contending the pharmaceutical manufacturers knew that opioids were effective for short-term or trauma-related pain, as well as palliative (end-of-life) care. However, the manufacturers also knew for years that opioids were addictive and subject to abuse, especially when used for more than three months.
The lawsuit contends that prescription painkillers, as well as heroin abuse, are the prime causes for an increase in overdose deaths.
“There was a concerted effort by pharmaceutical companies to promote opioid use in excess of what was necessary,” Schubel said during Wednesday’s Legislature meeting.
He said the pharmaceutical companies have responded they only made the drugs. They said it was the doctors who prescribed the opioids.
But Schubel said there is evidence showing the pharmaceutical companies went to great lengths to promote their products – at the expense of public health.
“They almost make the tobacco industry look like the good guys,” Schubel said.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Skip Helfrich, program director for the new Leadership Orleans program, leads the opening retreat for the class on Thursday at Tillman’s Village Inn. The retreat was for two days. The class of 25 will meet monthly throughout the year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 January 2018 at 2:36 pm
GAINES – A new leadership program kicked off this week with a two-day retreat at Tillman’s Village Inn.
The program has been years in the making. Orleans has been one of the few counties without a leadership program. The new Leadership Orleans became a reality this year after the County Legislature set aside $33,000 last year to get the program off the ground.
Charlie Nesbitt, a retired state assemblyman, also has been critical in rallying sponsors for the program and urging people to participate. The debut class has 25 members and is led by director Skip Helfrich, a graduate of the program in Niagara County.
Nesbitt spoke during a reception for program participants and sponsors on Thursday evening.
“You know a successful community or county when you see it,” Nesbitt told the group. “These communities and places are successful from the efforts and decisions and vision of individuals.”
Nesbitt said one person can sometimes change the trajectory of the community. He cited George Eastman in Rochester or Henry Ford in Detroit. Some people, in contrast, can change the community in a negative way, Nesbitt said.
He pushed for Leadership Orleans so key people in the community could better understand how local government, businesses and other sectors work. The class draws on a cross section of the community. The program picked residents who have demonstrated leadership abilities, interest in community affairs, and a commitment to Orleans County’s future.
Charlie Nesbitt, a retired state assemblyman, addresses members of the class and supporters of the program on Thursday evening at Tillman’s Village Inn. Nesbitt has been influential in securing sponsors for the program and urging people to be in the class.
“It’s an exciting program to come into our county and it will offer a strong network for more people,” said Robert Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County.
Doug Farley, director of the Cobblestone Society & Museum, welcomed the chance to learn more about the county through Leadership Orleans.
“It will give a broad exposure to Orleans County,” he said.
Nesbitt hopes the class participants will develop close ties and work together to strengthen the community.
“What you are going to get out of this is a broad understanding of how our community works,” he said.
Helfrich is the director and he works out of an office at Community Action of Orleans & Genesee in Albion. Helfrich is the president/owner of Human Energies, a human resources and organizational development consulting firm. He leads many retreats for other leadership programs.
Participants had many team-building exercises over the two days and also took a personality inventory. People are one of four personalities according to the DiSC personal profile system. D’s like control and can be dominant; I’s are influencers who like recognition, S’s are steadfast supporters who don’t like confrontation; and C’s are cautiously analytical who like facts and data, and don’t like irrational acts.
Orleans Hub editor Tom Rivers also put together a trivia quiz for the group about local history and other interesting Orleans facts.
Leadership Orleans is a one-year tuition based program that requires enrolled individuals to commit to a two-day opening retreat, one full day per month of program participation over a ten-month period, and a two-day closing retreat/graduation ceremony.
Each month the group will learn 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.
Jim DeFilipps, a deputy with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, introduces himself to the class on Thursday using some drawings of things he likes and things he dislikes.
The class members include: Robert Batt, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County; James DeFilipps, deputy for Orleans County Sheriff’s Office; Kaitlyn Delamarter, executive director of United Way of Orleans County; Marlee Diehl, retired recruiter and past district governor for Rotary; Staci Everetts, vice president of human resources of Claims Recovery Financial Services;
• Ed Fancher, executive director of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee; Doug Farley, director of Cobblestone Society & Museum; Jodi Gaines, CEO/founder of Claims Recovery Financial Services; Jackie Gilbert, owner/vice president of Darrell’s Place; Nadine Hanlon, clerk of Orleans County Legislature;
• Steve Hicks, financial advisor with Brighton Securities; Kathy Hodgins, director of treatment services for GCASA; Tim Hollenbaugh, service manager/sales for Bentley Brothers, Inc.; Brett Kast, orchard manager for Kast Farms; RJ Linder, credit representative for Farm Credit East;
• Amit Misra, director of manufacturing for Baxter Healthcare; Josh Mitchell, funeral director with Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes; Eddie Moss, director of computer services for Orleans County; Nick Nesbitt, owner/manager for Nesbitt Fruit Farms & Nesbitt Bros. LLC; Jessica Root-Olinger, manager for Dale S. Root Trucking LLC;
• Mike Ryan, manager of operations for RTS Orleans; Lisa Tombari, executive assistant for Talis Equity; Heidi Truschel, community relations manager for the Arc of Genesee Orleans; Eric Watson, president of Watson Enterprises; and Patrick Weissend, vice president and branch manager of Tompkins Bank of Castile.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 January 2018 at 2:48 pm
Positions include mayors in Albion and Medina
Three villages in Orleans County will have elections on March 20. The positions on the ballot include the mayoral posts in Albion and Medina.
Albion has three positions up for election. Mayor Dean London has said he doesn’t intend to seek re-election. Trustees Eileen Banker and Stan Farone also have their trustee spots on the ballot. The Republican and Democratic parties will hold caucuses to nominate candidates. The mayor and trustees are all four-year terms.
In Medina, Mayor Mike Sidari and Trustees Marguerite Sherman and Tim Elliott have their positions on the ballot. The terms are for two years. Residents need to have petitions signed by at least 100 registered voters in the village to be on the ballot. The deadline for submitting petitions to the Village Office’s is Feb. 13.
Lyndonville only has one position up for election. It’s to fill a one-year term as trustee on the Village Board.
Holley is the other village in Orleans County. Holley holds its elections in June.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 January 2018 at 10:11 pm
187,000 pounds collected last year in Orleans
File photo by Tom Rivers: Paul Gray, a motor equipment operator for the Orleans County Highway Department, moves a pallet of computer units and other electronic waste at the County Highway Department on Sept. 18, 2015.
ALBION – Orleans County renewed a contract to continued three electronic waste drop-off sites.
The county started an e-waste program in September 2015. It has three drop-off sites for residents to dispose of cathode ray tube televisions and other e-waste – monitors, computers, peripheral devices and other household electronics.
The County Legislature last week voted to renew a contract with Sunnking Incorporated in Brockport. The company has been paid about $28,000 to $30,000 a year with the state covering half of the costs.
“We’re very pleased with this program,” said County Legislator Ken DeRoller of Kendall.
Last year 187,000 pounds of e-waste was dropped off at the three sites, which include:
• The Orleans County Highway Garage, 225 West Academy St., Albion;
• Town of Murray Highway Garage, 3840 Fancher Rd., Holley;
• Town of Shelby Highway Garage, 4062 Salt Works Rd., Medina.
The drop-off sites are open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday (except on holidays).
County officials moved to create the program after the state on Jan. 1, 2015 no longer allowed e-waste to be picked up through curbside trash pickup.
When garbage companies couldn’t pick up TVs, many of them started showing up in roadside ditches.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 January 2018 at 11:39 am
Money will be repaid when financing in place
ALBION – Orleans County is borrowing $500,000 from its general fund for work on a capitol project at the County Administration Building.
The county will repay the general fund when financing is in place for the 22,000-square-foot addition, county legislators said last week.
The Legislature last year authorized a bond at a maximum $10,063,881. It will be paid back over 25 years.
The county has delayed that financing until later in 2018 so the debt service payments don’t start until 2019. Borrowing from the general fund keeps the project moving forward this year, said Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer.
The county also has already been approved for a $3,682,748 state grant towards the project and could receive more assistance. The county also has been approved for a $200,000 grant through State Sen. Robert Ortt’s office to help with the project.
The county is pursuing the addition so it will have county-owned space for the Public Health Department and Board of Elections. The Department of Social Services might also be relocated to the new space.
Public Health and the Board of Elections use facilities that are owned by Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services LLC. Comprehensive acquired the nursing home and the neighboring public health building as part of the $7.8 million acquisition on Jan.1, 2015.
The County Legislature last week approved paying some bills for the project, including $29,402 to Barre Stone Products for crusher run and binder for the parking area; $13,048 to Barre Stone Products for crusher run stone for the parking area; $2,844 to Lock City Supply for work on the parking area; and $494 to Kistner Concrete Products for a catch basin on the parking lot.
In other action during last week’s meeting, the Legislature:
• Reappointed David Schubel as county attorney;
• Reappointed Nadine Hanlon as clerk of the Legislature;
• Named The Daily News of Batavia as official newspaper for carrying legal notices;
• Republican legislators elected Bill Eick as majority leader;
• Fred Miller, the lone Democrat on the seven-member Legislature, was picked the minority leader;
• Appointed the following to the Orleans Economic Development Agency board of directors: Ken Rush of Carlton, Merle “Skip” Draper of Shelby, Paul Hendel of Holley, Carol D’Agostino of Kendall and John Misiti of Medina.
The Legislature also approved paying the EDA $180,000 in $45,000 quarterly payments in 2018 for its work to retain and promote business in the county.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 January 2018 at 10:54 am
ALBION – Orleans County is keeping two tourism specialists while also employing a full-time tourism director for the first time in 2018.
The Legislature last week approved contracts with Lynne Menz and Mike Waterhouse.
Menz was the tourism director until seeking a full-time return to her private business, Lynne Menz Designs. The County Legislature last week approved paying Menz up to $12,840 for tourism coordinator services in 2018 and up to $28,000 to Lynne Menz Designs for design services – advertising design, publication design, social media, photography and video production.
The county has hired a full-time tourism director for the first time. Dawn Borchert has worked as executive director for the New York State Travel Industry Association since 2004. She has 27 years in the business including five years as the tourism marketing director for the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce. Borchert started the new job with the county last week.
The county also is keeping a contract with retired charter boat captain Mike Waterhouse for sportsfishing promotion services. Waterhouse will be paid $22 an hour, up to $7,500, for his work representing the county at trade shows from Jan. 1 to May 1, with matching I Love NY funds covering the cost.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 January 2018 at 9:03 am
It was a year of tragedy, change and some triumph in Orleans County
Photos by Tom Rivers: Kim Lockwood, left, of Medina and Kathy Hodgins, director of treatment services for GCASA in Orleans County, address 100 people during a community forum on Nov. 30 about the opioid crisis. Several people in the county have lost their lives to fatal drug overdoses recently, including Courtney Kenward, 27, of Medina, who died on Nov. 12. She is pictured in the on the screen. The event was held at the Calvary Tabernacle Church, the former Medina High School.
• Orleans Hub ranks the top stories affecting the community from 2017, with efforts the fight the opioid epidemic the top story.
Orleans County lost several residents to drug overdoses in 2017. It was another year of tragic deaths endured by many families in the community. Agencies, residents and government organizations have stepped up efforts to fight what District Attorney Joe Cardone called an “epidemic” in Orleans County.
“We’re done burying our kids,” said Tami Ashton, whose daughter died of a drug overdose in 2016. “We need to come together as a community and do something and the time is now.”
Ashton spoke during a forum in Medina attended by about 100 people on Nov. 30. She is part of a new group, Orleans Hope, that includes many community organizations and agencies that provide services to people battling addictions and their families. Ashton has trained to be an addiction recovery coach for the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.
She encourages people to be honest about the drug crisis in their own lives, their families and communities – and to then seek help in fighting the addictions.
“It’s killing our children and destroying our families,” Ashton said during the forum on Nov. 30.
The new Orleans Hope is part of a multi-pronged effort by the community to fight the opioid crisis. Churches have stepped up their efforts, welcoming addicts instead of shunning them. Several churches have Celebrate Recovery programs.
Don Snyder, a retired chaplain in the state prison system, is now a volunteer chaplain with the Sheriff’s Office. He said the opioid addiction is claiming many lives in the county.
“This is not a problem we can continue to ignore,” Snyder told county legislators in September. “This is taking our people from us. It’s taking parents from children.”
Scott Caraboolad does a stunt on Oct. 5 in front of the student body at Lyndonville Central School.
A group of churches are part of the group PACT which brought Ride4Life motorcyclists to the community in early October for a series of stunt shows at three school districts as well as community events. The lead rider, Scott Caraboolad is a recovering addict. He shared how he overcame drug addictions.
“If something is boiling over in your life, don’t try to take it on by yourself,” Caraboolad told the students in Lyndonville. “Reach out to people in the community.”
The Ride4Life events where supported by a group of churches and pastors in Orleans County, as well as the Sheriff’s Office, Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition, Suicide Prevention Coalition of Orleans County, the Genesee-Orleans Opioid Task Force and other agencies.
Sheriff Randy Bower embraced Caraboolad’s presentations, wanting to connect with people battling addictions and urge them to seek help. Bower also wanted students to hear a Caraboolad’s message, to not seek comfort from drugs and alcohol, and how drug use can escalate and take over – and end – lives.
Bower has welcomed addiction services for inmates in the county jail, connecting them to treatment programs, health insurance and Vivitrol, a shot that helps stave off drug urges. The county pushes to have a transition from the jail to GCASA or another treatment program.
Narcan has also proven a lifesaver in the county. The nasal spray can reverse an overdose. Sheriff Randy Bower said on Nov. 30 that 26 people were saved from a fatal overdose this year in Orleans County because of Narcan. Those are just the calls to the 9-1-1 center. Bower said more Narcan doses may have been administered without a 9-1-1 call.
GCASA has offered Narcan training throughout the county. Even county legislators took a training in April.
District Attorney Joe Cardone traces the opioid epidemic to widespread overprescribing of painkillers. When people’s painkiller prescriptions expired, many then turned to drugs.
“I’m angry about what’s happening in our society,” Cardone said during the Nov. 30 forum.
(Orleans County in September joined a growing number of municipalities in a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies for allegedly fueling an opioid crisis.)
Cardone has been the county’s top prosecutor for 26 years. The drug crimes when he started tended to be misdemeanors with marijuana and recreational drugs. Now, the county is facing an “epidemic” with heroin laced with fentanyl which is proving deadly, Cardone said.
“We are bleeding and we are dying,” the DA told the crowd. “We have to stop these drugs from coming into our community.”
He said the best way to fight the drug problem in the county is keep people from using it. He urged residents to let law enforcement know if people are selling drugs in the community. Cardone said he is frustrated with residents who blame others for “snitching” to law enforcement. Cardone said those tips to law enforcement can save lives and prevent misery in the community.
District Attorney Joe Cardone said law enforcement needs tips to help stop the flow of drugs into the community.
He praised the effort by GCASA and the Sheriff’s Office to have more treatment and services for residents battling drug addiction.
“Thank God for GCASA. Thank God for the sheriff and what he is doing,” Cardone said. “But it’s only a Band Aid.”
Judge James Punch retired from the bench after 27 years in 2017. During an interview with the Orleans Hub on July 27, Punch said the drug epidemic was the biggest change in his career.
“The opioid crisis is different because it seems to cross over all social, economic and other lines,” the judge said. “We’re seeing people from nice families … who are in serious trouble because of these drugs.”
Punch led judicial diversion programs as judge, where felony charges for some addicts would be reduced to misdemeanors if people completed treatment programs and stayed off drugs. Punch said the pull of drugs was often too strong for some people to resist.
“Quite honestly I don’t think we have as a court system a good way of dealing with it. I’m not sure there is one,” Punch said. “We have to keep things together at the seams with a certain amount of punishment for the sellers and at times possessors. I still believe in drug court but I think it’s much harder to get someone through drug court with a heroin or opioid habit than it was before when it was typically a cocaine or alcohol problem.
“They just seem to go back to it. It’s a much more powerful addiction. It has to be a combination of the courts and public health in order for it to work and I’m not sure how that can actually in practice be implemented. But I think they have to start looking at it differently and I think they are.”
Many tragic deaths left community reeling
This photo shows members of the Lyndonville at a vigil on Sept. 2 in honor of Megan Dix and William Carpenter. Dix was shot and killed in a random act of violence in Brockport on Aug. 25. Mr. Carpenter died in a motorcycle accident after hitting a deer on Aug. 27.
It was a very difficult year in 2017 with the tragic loss of many people, including several young adults in car accidents, a kayaker to a drowning and a young mother who was shot and killed. Two of the fatal accidents in the county took the lives of two married couples in separate car accidents.
• Rebekah Hoak, 20, died in a car accident in Kendall on Jan. 22 Hoak was making a food delivery to a friend on Sunday afternoon. She was a beloved member of the Hamlin New Testament Church.
“Her passion, her witness, Rebekah was the whole package,” said her pastor, John Ebel.
• A Medina man died from his injuries in a car accident March 23 in the Town of Alabama. Purcel E. Buzard, 81, was a passenger in a three-vehicle collision at the intersection of the Route 77 and 63.
• A Waterport man died in a one-car rollover accident on April 11 on Eagle Harbor Road in Gaines. Brian Arnett, 39, was travelling southbound and struck a deer. His vehicle went off the west side of the road and into a ditch, and then struck a guy wire and overturned several times.
• Joseph Manley, 19, of Albion was killed in a one-vehicle accident on April 25 in the Town of Alabama.
• A Holley couple, Barbara and Elbin Lewis, were killed in an accident on Aug. 23 at the intersection of Route 31A and Eagle Harbor Road in Barre. Barbara Lewis, 72, and her husband Elbin Lewis, 79, were married for 51 years with four sons, 11 grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
• Megan Dix, 33, of Lyndonville was taking her lunch break on Aug. 25 at a small South Avenue parking lot in Brockport, not far from where she worked at Lowe’s. She was fatally shot in a random act of violence.
“Mrs. Dix did absolutely nothing to put herself in a compromising situation. In fact, she did everything a good citizen, a good wife and a good mother should do,” said Brockport Police Chief Daniel Varrenti. “Unfortunately because of being at the wrong place, and wrong time, and unfortunately because of the sole act of one person became the victim of the murder.”
Dix was married with an 8-year-old son.
• William M. Carpenter III of Lyndonville, 60, died on Aug. 27 after striking a deer while driving a motorcycle in Carlton on Gaines-Waterport Road (Route 279). He was on his way to work as a corrections officer in Albion.
• Jacob McCormick, 21, Duncansville, Pa., drowned in Lake Ontario on Sept. 5. McCormick was one of three kayakers who went missing the previous day. He was found by the Coast Guard about 2 miles east of Point Breeze. He had separated from his twin brother and a friend to get help.
• A Medina man died on Sept. 6 from injuries sustained in a car accident on Maple Ridge Road, between Sanderson and Culvert roads. Raymond Farewell, 58, was a passenger in a vehicle that was rear-ended.
• A husband and wife from Carlton died from a car accident on Sept. 17 on Route 31 by the fairgrounds. Rebecca A. Harrier, 38, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Her husband, Randy L. Harrier Jr., 39, was flown by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital and died the following day. Mr. Harrier was an active Carlton firefighter and his wife supported the Fire Company as well. The couple married in 2003 and has three children.
“Becky was as much a part of our fire company as Randy,” Ed Cooper, a Carlton firefighter and department chaplain, told about 300 people during a funeral service. “Together they contributed so much to this community.”
• A Medina man was killed in a motorcycle accident on Oct. 14 in Shelby. Brian J. McKee II, 28, lost control of the motorcycle, striking a concrete block off the roadway on Main Street, which caused him to be ejected.
• Benjamin Kirby, 21, of Albion died in a car accident on Nov. 6 on Route 531 in the Town of Gates. Kirby was a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He was active in sports and the music program while a student at Albion. He also was an Eagle Scout.
Lake Ontario floods and damages shoreline – for months
Warren Kruger, second from right, meets with lakeshore residents on May 7, including Mike Anschutz, in camouflage. Kruger led a sandbag operation to try to save some of the lakeshore property.
Lake Ontario pounded the shoreline for months in 2017. Many residents saw big chucks of their backyards get chewed away by the lake.
Orleans County and the three lakeshore towns – Yates, Carlton and Kendall – were in a state of emergency for more than 200 days, until FEMA approved disaster aid on Nov. 14.
Carlton, Kendall and Yates, as well as Orleans County could receive about $2.75 million in FEMA aid. The three towns and the county collectively spent about $250,000 for overtime, diesel fuel, and other expenses with filling and moving sandbags, said Dale Banker, the county’s emergency management director.
The flooding and erosion from the high lake waters also caused $2.5 million to 14 sites that are publicly owned in the county, Banker said. That includes infrastructure and municipal property.
There are about 2,000 parcels of land in Orleans County along the shoreline. About 500 were approved for state funding for new breakwalls and repairs.
The high waters also meant high tributaries. The Oak Orchard River was much higher than normal and flooded Captain’s Cove. The owner relocated the store up on a hill to be away from the flood waters. Many marinas struggled to raise docks and keep their businesses going.
Property owners from several southshore counties formed United Shoreline and held rallies and information meetings. The organization and many elected officials, including Congressman Chris Collins, faulted the International Joint Commission for the flooding. The IJC helps regulate the water level at Lake Ontario. The IJC implemented a new plan last year. The organization said record rainfall was the prime cause of the high waters that persisted throughout the year.
The National Guard and many community volunteers were a presence at the lake in May, filling and stacking sandbags to provide some temporary protection from the smashing waves. More than 220,000 sandbags were placed in the three towns.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the turnout from the community as a whole,” Warren Kruger, Kendall highway superintendent, said on May 7 when volunteers showed up to fill and stack sandbags.
Judge Punch retires, other changes among local elected officials
Judge James Punch retired on July 29 after nearly 27 years as Orleans County judge.
Orleans County has stability in local government. Many of the elected officials, especially at the county level, are in the positions for a decade or more.
But 2017 brought changes, especially at the county level. James Punch retired after nearly 27 years as county court judge. Sandy Church was elected to a 10-year term in November.
Susan Heard, the county treasurer the past 24 years, also announced her retirement. She has been succeeded by Kim DeFrank, the deputy treasurer.
David Callard, a county legislator for nearly 24 years, resigned on August 2. He had been the County Legislature chairman for nearly eight years.
There are 10 towns in Orleans County and five have new town supervisors to start 2018.
Carol Culhane was defeated in Gaines by Joe Grube.
Matt Passarell didn’t seek re-election in Albion as town supervisor. He instead was elected to a less demanding position as town councilman. Richard Remley is the new town supervisor.
Mark Chamberlain retired as town supervisor in Barre. Sean Pogue won a three-way race to succeed Chamberlain.
In Murray, John Morriss didn’t seek re-election and Bob Miller won a close race over Joe Sidonio to lead the Murray town government.
Skip Draper also didn’t seek re-election as Shelby town supervisor, instead running for the county legislator position vacated by Callard. Ed Houseknecht was elected Shelby’s new town supervisor.
Medina’s downtown revitalization takes more big steps
Amy Cifelli, co-owner of Fitzgibbons Public House, pours a drink on opening day for the business last Jan. 6.
Medina has been the envy of many small towns with a vibrant downtown business district. Medina’s downtown got even better in 2017 with the several façade restorations and the opening of the Fitzgibbons Public House in January, following eight years of renovations at the former Silver Dollar.
Zambistro, a popular Main Street restaurant, completed a renovation and façade improvement. Down the street, renovations also started on the former Bent’s Opera House.
Roger Hungerford, CEO and founder of Talis Equity, has launched “Impact Restoration,” an initiative to build on the downtown and community revitalization. One of Hungerford’s projects includes the restoration of the Bent’s Opera House. Work started in 2017 at Bent’s.
The third floor of Bent’s will be restored into one of the most unique wedding and event venues in New York State, with the first and second floors experiencing a dramatic redesign into a restaurant and modern boutique hotel space. The building next door, also included in the redesign, will be home to a market serving healthy options.
Hungerford also wants to turn the old high school in Medina into apartments and a loft community known as Mustang Pride.
Medina also for a $10 million grant from the state in its Downtown Revitalization Initiative in 2017. The state picked Batavia for that grant, but another $10 million is expected to be available in 2018. Mayor Mike Sidari said Medina expects to try again for the funding which would advance several community projects.
A new hotel also is expected to open in 2018 on Maple Ridge Road. Although it’s not in the downtown, the hotel is expected to keep visitors in the community longer, which should provide more activity for Main Street businesses.
Powerful windstorm left much of Orleans County without power for days
Photo by Tom Rivers: Albion police officers were on the scene on March 8 after tree fell on West Bank Street, damaging a vehicle.
A powerful wind storm punished Orleans County on March 8, taking down big trees and power lines. The storm knocked out power for 11,250 National Grid customers in Orleans County, about 60 percent of the company’s customer base in Orleans. Half the county went without power for at least two days and electricity wasn’t fully restored for five days.
As the community tried to recover from the windstorm, about two feet of snow fell on March 14-15.
In April, the rain soaked Orleans County, on many occasions. There was record-setting rain in the spring, making it difficult for high schoolers and Little Leaguers to play their games. It also kept golfers off the local courses and delayed the spring plantings for farmers.
Contractors were busy at Albion, Holley and Medina school districts, tackling capital projects
Photo by Cheryl Wertman: Jalin Cooper leads the Mustangs onto the field on Sept. 15 in the first game played at the newly renovated Vets Park, which featured new turf and a large scoreboard.
Three local schools – Albion, Holley and Medina – all were busy with construction projects last year.
Holley wrapped up a $30 million capital project. Among the finishing projects last year was a new bus loop by the elementary school. The elementary school playground was redone and a new Pre-K playground added to the elementary school campus.
New tennis courts were installed at the Middle School/High School while the existing courts were repurposed as tennis, pickleball and basketball courts.
Structural changes were made to both schools, too. Heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) units were replaced in both buildings. The elementary school had windows and doors replaced. The new windows allow more light into classrooms. These upgrades allow the district to use their energy more efficiently and save money on utility costs.
Medina in December 2016 approved a $34 million capital project. The first part started last summer with new turf and upgrades to Vets Park. A slew of improvements at all three school buildings, the bus garage, and more work at Vets Park await. There will also be a new access road between Oak Orchard Elementary School and Clifford Wise Middle School.
In Albion, the district accepted $10 million in construction bids as part of a $14 million capital project. The $10 million included projects touching all three school buildings, the bus garage and athletic facilities.
Canal tree-clearing alarms many in community
Photo by Tom Rivers: Mohawk Valley Materials cuts down trees and removes them in Holley in this photo on Nov. 18, between the lift bridge and Bennetts Corners Road.
In September, the Canal Corp. announced a “vegetation management plan” from Medina to Fairport that would involve taking down many trees on canal-owned land.
In October, contractors started the work in Medina and canal neighbors and residents were alarmed to see the takedown of a buffer of trees along the towpath.
Canal Corp. leaders say the tree removal is long overdue. Cutting down the trees will make the banks easier to maintain and check for leaks. The Canal Corp. also said tree roots have burrowed into the canal walls, making the waterway vulnerable to leaks. The Canal Corp. said it wants to establish a grassy slope by the towpath.
As the contractor headed east, opposition grew for the project, especially in Brighton, Perinton and Fairport, where work was temporarily suspended.
Dollar General opens a store in Kendall while Albion loses long-time grocer
A new Dollar General opened in Kendall on Dec. 18. The store is shown under construction on Oct. 31.
The Kendall community watched a new store take shape in the fall, with the Dollar General opening on Dec. 18. The 9,100-square-foot structure is on Route 18, just west of the Kendall Road (Route 237) intersection. It’s big news in a town where residents have been doing most of the shopping outside the community.
This is the fifth Dollar General in Orleans County. Other stores are located on West Avenue in Albion, Route 31 in Holley, Maple Ridge Road in Medina and Ridge Road in Medina (just south of Lyndonville).
In Kendall, residents have to drive out of the community for many of their grocery and merchandise purchases. The Dollar General will allow them to shop closer to home.
Kendall also saw improvement at its marina along Lake Ontario. The Bald Eagle Marina is planning some dramatic improvements with a restaurant planned for the second story of the clubhouse. The marina’s new owner, John Tsyupa of Webster, is committed to making the site a destination, including dredging the harbor to bring in larger boats.
Albion lost two long-time businesses last year. The Pawlak family closed its store after 49 years in Albion. Ken Printup, owner of Uncle Sal’s Pizzeria in downtown Albion, also retired after about 20 years of owning the business.
“Competitive realities, a slow economy, and cost deflation in the food industry has forced us to make the decision to close Pawlak’s Food Center after 49 years of serving the Albion community,” The Pawlaks said in a statement on Oct. 12. “We have been unable to compete with these trends and continue to rent our current space. We recognize closing is the necessary course of action to take. The closing also includes The Video Station and Save-On Beverage Center.”
Some Orleans County residents and organizations were in the state and national spotlight in 2017.
Rod Farrow is on the cover of the August 2017 issue of American Fruit Grower.
Rod Farrow of Waterport was named the “Apple Grower of the Year” by American Fruit Grower, a national agricultural magazine run by Growing Produce. Farrow is the co-owner of Lamont Fruit Farm, which has changed its name to Fish Creek Orchards.
He has been an industry leader in growing high-value fruit through high-density orchards. Farrow, a native of England, was praised in the apple industry for management of the farm and its long-term future, and for his leadership in the industry with different co-ops including The Next Big Thing, which grows the SweeTango apple variety.
Matt Kludt of Kludt Brothers Farm won the corn yield contest for New York for the third straight year with a yield of 322.4 bushels per acre in the no-till/strip-till non-irrigated class. The contest is run by the National Corn Growers Association.
The Village of Lyndonville also won the state’s best-tasting tap water contest. Lyndonville was crowned the champion at the State Fair on Aug. 31.
Lyndonville won the Orleans County contest during the Strawberry Festival in June and on Aug. 12 won the western regional competition at the Rochester Public Market. Lyndonville then advanced to the state competition.
Albion Central School for the 10th consecutive year was recognized nationally for an outstanding music program. The North American Music Merchants named Albion and 526 other school districts in the country as a “Best Communities for Music Education.”
On Jan. 30, Medina sophomore Maddie Williams went in the state record book by hitting 16 three-pointers in a girls basketball game against Holley. Williams scored 54 points in the game for a new Medina record. Her 16 threes bettered the old state record of 15 set by Courtney Galuski of Cohoes in 2008.
A Clarendon native, Steven Klatt, also was on the winning team in the Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race. Klatt, 31, and his teammates on Braised in the South took home the top prize, $50,000. Klatt grew up in Clarendon and graduated from Holley. He is the son of Ryan Klatt and Susan Colby, the Clarendon town clerk. Braised in the South is based in Charlotte, South Carolina. The competition features Southern-style food. The Great Food Truck Race started with seven teams, but each week one is eliminated, the team with lowest sales. The episode crowning the champion aired on Sept. 24.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 January 2018 at 6:38 pm
ALBION – Orleans County is closing county government operations on Friday, except for the Sheriff’s Office, Highway and Buildings and Grounds.
“Due to the bitter cold and wind-chill factors varying from -20 to -30 below zero, the Chair has authorized me to close the county operations and all non-essential personnel should not report Friday,” said Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer.
Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Legislature, made the authorization to close the county buildings with all non-clerical Sheriff’s, Highway, and Building and Grounds staff to report as usual.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 January 2018 at 8:40 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers: Lynne Johnson takes the chairman’s seat as the Orleans County Legislature after being elected leader of the seven-member group this afternoon.
ALBION – Orleans County legislators picked Lynne Johnson to serve as the group’s new chairwoman. Johnson has been serving as the Legislature’s vice chairwoman.
She replaces John DeFilipps as the group’s leader and the county’s top elected official. DeFilipps was picked as chairman on Aug. 14, filling a void when David Callard resigned after nearly eight years as chairman.
DeFilipps on Aug. 14 was picked with 4 votes to 2 for Johnson. Today, Johnson was a unanimous pick, including a vote from DeFilipps.
Skip Draper, a new county legislator, made the motion to nominate Johnson. No one nominated DeFilipps.
Draper has served on the board of directors of the Orleans Economic Development Agency with DeFilipps.
“He is a very talented man,” Draper said about DeFilipps. “He is full of good ideas.”
Draper said he has known Johnson much longer, and she has impressed him with her work ethic and leadership on many issues. Johnson has been the county’s representative on the Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance, which has pushed for expanded broadband or high-speed Internet in the rural areas of the two counties.
Johnson has also been an outspoken critic of Plan 2014 from the International Joint Commission, a plan for regulating Lake Ontario water levels. She worried the plan would cause flooding and shoreline damage before it was enacted. The flooding and damage became a harsh reality in 2017.
Draper said Johnson has tackled tough issues for the county. For example, Johnson was the chairwoman of the county’s Public Safety Committee and helped the county with a major overhaul of its emergency communications system.
“She is a very hard worker,” Draper said.
The Legislature welcomed new member Skip Draper, center, and new County Treasurer Kim DeFrank, left. Legislator Ken DeRoller is at right.
Legislator Bill Eick said Johnson has proven herself. She has been on the Legislature for 10 years. She replaced Jack Beedon after he retired. Her district includes the towns of Yates, Ridgeway and a small part of Shelby.
Johnson is well versed in local government. She has worked as the bookkeeper for the towns of Kendall, Yates, Ridgeway and Alden. She also was president of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce from 2002 to 2004 and a member of the Lyndonville Board of Education from 2001 to 2004. She also serves on the board for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee and is a past president of the Lyndonville Lions Club.
“She deserves an opportunity as chair,” Eick said. “She is very well known out there.”
She has represented the county at numerous local events, and also in Albany and Washington, D.C.
Johnson is the second woman to serve as the Legislature leader. The late Marcia Tuohey of Medina served 10 years as chairwoman, retiring at the end of 2005. Tuohey and Johnson are the only women to serve on the County Legislature since it started about 40 years ago, replacing the Board of Supervisors.
DeFilipps has been a legislator for four years. Eick said he expects DeFilipps will have another chance as chairman in the future. Typically the chairman has been one of the group’s longer-serving legislators, Eick said.
Johnson said she wants to keep pushing for high-speed Internet access throughout the county. “That’s not dead by any means,” she said about the issue.
She will keep advocating for a change in the lake level plan. “That’s not over,” she said. “We’re still 13 inches over normal.”
Johnson said the seven members of the Legislature are all assets and keys to the county government. Draper joined the group after 24 years as Shelby town supervisor.
“We all work hard,” she said. “It’s about seven of us working together.”
The Legislature also picked Don Allport of Gaines to serve as vice chairman, replacing Johnson. Allport received four votes – Allport, Johnson, Eick and Draper – while DeFilipps received three votes – DeFilipps, Ken DeRoller and Fred Miller.
The Legislature also set the compensation for the group for 2018, giving 2 percent raises. The chairwoman will be paid $17,777, while the vice chairman receives $13,442 and the other five legislators are each paid $11,850.
Don Allport, third from left, was picked to serve as the Legislature’s vice chairman. Others pictured include, from left: Legislator Bill Eick, Legislator John DeFilipps and County Attorney David Schubel.
ALBION – Effective January 1, 2018, the Sheriff’s Department Animal Control Division expanded to two full-time Animal Control Officers.
The county in cooperation with the townships, passed a countywide animal control law on October 25, 2017. This new approach will also provide expanded coverage including some evening and weekend hours.
All calls will continue to be handled through the non-emergency number at our 911 center 589-5527.
To view the Dog Control Law of Orleans County, click here.
