ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature officially commended the staff at the Orleans County Jail for its actions to rein in an outbreak of Covid-19 cases at the jail on Platt Street.

Last month 13 corrections officers tested positive and three inmates also has the virus. Other staff that had close contact with those who tested positive also had to isolate at home.

That left the jail, which has 45 staff members, with far fewer workers to run the site. But many of the employees worked extra shifts – 106 needed to filled due to workers being out due to testing positive for Covid and being in close contact with someone who had it.

Lynne Johnson, Legislature chairwoman, said the staff deserves to be “commended for outstanding service to the community.”

The outbreak hit the jail from Nov. 2 to Nov. 23. Inspectors from the New York State Commission of Correction visited the Orleans County last month and concluded the site has the needed protocols in place to protect against the spread of Covid-19.

Commission of Correction staff reviewed the jail’s protocols for screening of employees, incarcerated individuals and anyone entering the facility. They also said signage throughout the facility, disinfecting procedures and the utilization of face coverings are consistent with the guidance provided by the Commission, the New York State Department of Health, and the Center for Disease Control.

“The jail staff worked above and beyond,” Johnson said on Wednesday during the County Legislature meeting. “The outbreak created a major challenge to the operation of the facility.”

She said the employees who worked extra shifts despite a higher risk of being exposed to the virus.

She praised the correction officers, command staff, kitchen staff, nursing staff, Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson and Sheriff Chris Bourke for seeing the jail through the outbreak.

There were 61 Covid tests administered to staff and inmates with 13 COs and three inmates testing positive.

ALBION – District Attorney Joe Cardone is leading an effort to gather information and study whether it makes sense to have district courts in Orleans County, rather than 10 town courts.

Joe Cardone

Joe Cardone, the district attorney the past 28 years, is gathering information from the 10 towns on how much they spend annually for their justice courts, with salary and benefits for judges and court clerks, as well as other costs – security utilities and equipment.

Cardone said the data could show the court system locally could be more efficient and offer better service with district courts, which might be set up with one court for western Orleans, one in the central towns and one on the eastern end.

“This is something we’re looking at as a possibility,” Cardone said during a recent meeting with local elected officials at the village, town and county level. “I think we should at least keep our eyes open to the different possibilities.”

Orleans municipalities have already taken steps to make the courts more efficient. Albion and Medina about a decade ago abolished their village courts, with the function handled by the towns. Shelby and Ridgeway use the same building – the Shelby Town Hall – for court. Many of the towns have also eliminated one town justice position and have one person in the role, with agreements with neighboring towns to fill in when needed.

If the local municipalities decided to have a multi-jurisdictional district court, they would need state approval, Cardone said.

The study should show how many judges and support staff would be needed for a district court, and whether the community would be best be served with the existing 10 town courts, or one, two or three district courts.

“We want to study the issue,” Cardone said. “I don’t think we’re doing our jobs if we don’t study it.”

The DA also is compiling information on code enforcement in the local towns and villages to see if it would be better to have centralized code enforcement through the county.

The DA’s office is gathering the data from the local municipalities on the code enforcement budgets for 2020 and 2021, with the salary and benefits of personnel, as well as other expenses.

Some counties, such as nearby Wyoming County, run code enforcement through the county, where there is a full-time presence. In Orleans, most of the municipalities have part-time code officers.

“Right now with codes we are lacking standardization and consistency,” County Legislator Ken DeRoller said at a recent meeting with the Orleans County Association of Municipalities.

Local group wants to reach goal of 5,000 completed surveys

Local leaders trying to document the needs for high-speed internet in Orleans County are pleased so far with the response to a survey of residents about their internet access and needs.

In the two weeks the survey has been available online, 1,700 people have responded, with 20 percent of those 17 or younger. (Click here to see the survey.)

Other notable feedback in the survey so far:

• 17% of residents who responded do not have internet at home, and of those, 88% do not have an option of purchasing it.
• Only 21% of respondents said that their internet is very reliable.
• Females are participating in the survey at a rate of 2 to 1 to males.

Mary Beth Debus, president of Program Savvy Consulting, shared some of the early results of the survey with the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative Steering Team. That group has a goal of 5,000 surveys from the community. The more data from local residents, the better the county can document the situation in the community for internet access and need, and can make a stronger case to potential funders, Debus said.

“Our ability to attract funders will be enhanced by being able to show the degree of engagement on this issue,” Debus said. “The participation in the survey is one way to measure engagement.”

The Orleans County United Way received a $50,000 grant to study the issue. It has hired a consultant who has interviewed school, business and community leaders on the issue. Debus prepared the 48-question survey for residents to share about their internet access and how it affects them. The online survey will be available soon in Spanish.

The United Way has formed a steering committee for the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative. The committee includes Dean Bellack, executive director of the Orleans County United Way; County Legislator Ken DeRoller; Kelly Kiebala, director of the Orleans County Job Development Agency; Robert Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County; and Greg Reed, director of the Orleans County YMCA.

Debus is interviewing community members and expects to have the surveys tabulated for a report in March. That information will allow the county to then pursue funding through the state or federal government, or through at least 20 foundations.

ALBION – Inspectors from the New York State Commission of Correction Inspectors visited the Orleans County jail recently and concluded the site has the needed protocols in place to protect against the spread of Covid-19.

The jail has recently had an outbreak with 13 corrections officers and three inmates testing positive.

Commission of Correction staff reviewed the jail’s protocols for screening of employees, incarcerated individuals and anyone entering the facility. They also said signage throughout the facility, disinfecting procedures and the utilization of face coverings are consistent with the guidance provided by the Commission, the New York State Department of Health, and the Center for Disease Control.

Allen Riley, Chairman of the Commission, sent a letter on Dec. 9 to Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke, informing him of the results of the visit.

“As you are aware, detention facilities are at a greater risk for the spread of COVID-19 due to the close proximity of the individuals who reside and work in these facilities,” Riley wrote in the letter. “As such, a facility must take all available precautions to minimize the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak, while simultaneously maintaining a secure facility.”

Bourke said the jail staff have stepped up their efforts to keep the facility clean and fight off Covid.

“I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication by Superintendent Scott Wilson, the Jail Command Staff, Correction Officers, Cooks and nursing staff during these unprecedented times,” Bourke said.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Volunteers carry 20-pound boxes of produce and food during the rain on May 29 at the Orleans County 4-H fairgrounds. Volunteers distributed 1,200 boxes of food that day.

KNOWLESVILLE – The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County each year presents a “Friend of Extension” award, typically to a volunteer or supporter of the agency.

This year many of the Extension activities were cancelled including the 4-H fair due to Covid-19. The fairgrounds, however, were a busy place on about a dozen days, when the Extension distributed boxes of produce, meat and dairy products. On those dates, more than 1,000 vehicles stopped by the fairgrounds for the food.

The Extension counted about 50 people who volunteered for the food distributions. Many stayed for several hours, sometimes in the rain, and other times in stifling heat.

The Extension’s leadership decided to recognize those volunteers with the “Friend of the Extension” award for 2020.

“We are extremely grateful for all the people who came out because we couldn’t have participated in these distributions without them,” said Robert Batt, the Extension executive director.

Each volunteer will receive a thank you card and a small gift card to Dunkin’ Donuts. (This doesn’t include the volunteers who helped with the distributions in Albion, Holley and Medina.)

The Extension hosted and coordinated the distributions from May until early December. The U.S. Department of Agriculture hasn’t said if the program will continue after Dec. 31.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Volunteers, including Natalie Mrzywka, Kim Hazel and Robert Batt from the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, carry boxes to vehicles this morning in Albion in what is the last scheduled food distribution.

The events started in April in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, trying to connect excess produce and other food to people in need.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has funded the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program nation-wide through the end of December. An announcement hasn’t been made whether the distributions will continue in January.

These two walk down Chamberlain Street on their way to the elementary school, passing a long line of vehicles. The line also went down McKinistry, East Park and Main streets.

Krista Fiegel, an employee at the Iroquois Job Corps, rips the plastic off a pallet of boxes of food. She was one of four Job Corps employees who helped this morning.

Community Action and the Office for the Aging have been coordinating the events in Albion and Holley with the Medina Area Association of Churches taking the lead in Medina.

The line of vehicles stretched over four streets including Main Street. This photo was taken at about 8 a.m.

DSS organizing Christmas effort for 148 kids in the county

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Genesee County Deputy Robert Henning, left, and Orleans County Deputy Dave Foeller delivered boxes of toys on Tuesday to staff at the Orleans County Department of Social Services, with DSS staff Christina Tilbe, second from left, and Heather Manella helping to move the toys inside.

Stan’s Harley-Davidson in Batavia and Van’s Pit Stop in Clarendon collected toys to be given to families served by DSS. Stan’s collected seven boxes and Van’s, in its first year as a collection site, had one box for the effort.

The toys will be shared by DSS in Genesee and Orleans counties.

The local deputies also donated proceeds from “No-Shave November” to the DSS to purchase gifts for the kids.

Jesse Underwood, right, from Stan’s Harley-Davidson carries one of the boxes of toys. He said Stan’s customers gave more toys and bigger gifts this year for the drive.

“People were even more generous this year,” he said.

Orleans County Deputy Dave Foeller hands a box to Lisa Thrash, a caseworker with the Orleans County DSS. The deputies offered to transport the boxes for the annual drive.

Lisa Thrash carries a box inside the County Administration where the toys will be sorted. Jeanine Larkin, the DSS supervisor of foster care and preventive services, follows behind with boxes on a cart.

Larkin said the DSS staff is organizing an effort to provide presents to 148 children that they work with. They are trying to have at least two presents for each of the children.

Larkin said there used to be a holiday party for families and children at DSS, but that won’t happen this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The DSS staff will instead be delivering the gifts. She said many county employees have purchased toys and presents for the children, and the staff at the county courthouse purchased 25 winter jackets for children.

Other community members, churches and organizations provide toys for the agency to give to the children.

“There is so much love and joy coming in,” Larkin said.

Residents urged to take survey, sharing internet needs, frustrations

A group from Orleans County wants to document the high-speed internet gaps in the county, and hear how a lack of internet access is affecting businesses, students and residents.

The Orleans County United Way received a $50,000 grant to study the issue. It has hired a consultant who has interviewed school, business and community leaders on the issue. Mary Beth Debus, president of Program Savvy Consulting, also has prepared a survey for residents to share about their internet access and how it affects them. (Click here to see the 48-question survey.)

The United Way has formed a steering committee for the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative. The committee includes Dean Bellack, executive director of the Orleans County United Way; County Legislator Ken DeRoller; Kelly Kiebala, director of the Orleans County Job Development Agency; Robert Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County; and Greg Reed, director of the Orleans County YMCA.

“We are in the information-gathering stage,” Bellack said.

Debus is working to have the community interviews done and surveys tabulated for a report in March. That information will allow the county to then pursue funding through the state or federal government, or through at least 20 foundations.

County Legislator Ken DeRoller said the internet shortcomings are a major barrier for businesses and students, who need high-speed internet access to file reports and do assignments. The lack of high-speed internet, especially in the more rural areas, also is a deterrent to attracting residents, who expect high-speed internet not only for work and school, but for leisure when watching Netflix or other videos and television.

Even migrant farmworkers want high-speed internet when they are staying in Orleans County. Not having it can be a deterrent to attracting farm labor, DeRoller said.

There are 10,500 housing structures with about 14,000 units in the county. DeRoller said about 30 percent do not have access to high-speed internet. Many others don’t have enough bandwidth to accommodate multiple devices at once in a home.

That is a concern shared by the five school district superintendents in Orleans County. Many students have been frustrated with remote learning at home because they can’t download homework or watch teachers give instruction through videos.

“It has become so clear there are real barriers to various needs within the community,” Debus said.

Another consultant has estimated it would cost $4 million to bring broadband to everyone in the county, through a combination of cable and wireless. DeRoller said Orleans County is ready to apply in a new road of federal funding, with applications expected to be accepted in January.

The cost of the service also is a barrier for some residents. The survey will ask that question: if the needed bandwidth is too costly?

The committee also believes there is a knowledge gap for many residents, especially senior citizens, with using computers. They might want to order groceries online and pick them up or have them delivered but might not know how to use Instacart.

The survey and study could show there is a need for computer literacy educators in the community to help people use the technology, including downloading and using apps.

There is also an option for telehealth services where residents could communicate with healthcare professionals through Facetime or other video conferencing. The survey asks residents if they know how to use that technology.

The committee is currently focused on phase 1, the data gathering. Phase 2 of the initiative will list the internet needs in the county and “how to get there” with funding the project.

The group has three focuses with the high-speed internet expansion: employment, education and equity.

DeRoller said the internet isn’t a matter of convenience. It’s a critical issue for the county residents and making the community attractive for living and working.

“We need to be competitive in this environment,” he said.