Teachers union: ‘Remote learning, in any form, will never replace the important personal connection between teachers and their students that is built in the classroom.’
Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office
Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State is collaborating with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a blueprint to reimagine education in the new normal.
As New York begins to develop plans to reopen K-12 schools and colleges, the state and the Gates Foundation will consider what education should look like in the future, including:
How can we use technology to provide more opportunities to students no matter where they are;
How can we provide shared education among schools and colleges using technology;
How can technology reduce educational inequality, including English as a new language students;
How can we use technology to meet educational needs of students with disabilities;
How can we provide educators more tools to use technology;
How can technology break down barriers to K-12 and Colleges and Universities to provide greater access to high quality education no matter where the student lives; and
Given ongoing socially distancing rules, how can we deploy classroom technology, like immersive cloud virtual classrooms learning, to recreate larger class or lecture hall environments in different locations?
The state will bring together a group of leaders to answer these questions in collaboration with the Gates Foundation, who will support New York State by helping bring together national and international experts, as well as provide expert advice as needed.
“The last few months have been an incredibly stressful time full of change, but we have to learn and grow from this situation and make sure we build our systems back better than they were before,” Governor Cuomo said. “One of the areas we can really learn from is education because the old model of our education system where everyone sits in a classroom is not going to work in the new normal. When we do reopen our schools let’s reimagine them for the future, and to do that we are collaborating with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and exploring smart, innovative education alternatives using all the new technology we have at our disposal.”
• Editor’s Note: The New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta released the following statement today regarding the governor’s comments about reimagining education in New York:
“NYSUT believes in the education of the whole child. Remote learning, in any form, will never replace the important personal connection between teachers and their students that is built in the classroom and is a critical part of the teaching and learning process — which is why we’ve seen educators work so hard during this pandemic to maintain those connections through video chats, phone calls and socially distant in-person meetings.
“If we want to reimagine education, let’s start with addressing the need for social workers, mental health counselors, school nurses, enriching arts courses, advanced courses and smaller class sizes in school districts across the state. Let’s secure the federal funding and new state revenues through taxes on the ultrawealthy that can go toward addressing these needs. And let’s recognize educators as the experts they are by including them in these discussions about improving our public education system for every student.”
New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 May 2020 at 4:20 pm
Nursing home in Albion now has had 57 residents test positive
ALBION – The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion has three more confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the total 57 residents at the nursing home who have tested positive.
The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported the three latest confirmed cases this afternoon. The people who tested positive include one person in the 70s, one in the 80s and one in the 90s.
Orleans County, as a whole, has now had 105 people test positive for Covid-19, with more than half at The Villages.
The Orleans County Legislature and State Assemblyman Steve Hawley are asking the State Department of Health for an investigation into the outbreak at The Villages, where 14 people have died from Covid-19. The Legislature also is asking the Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the nursing home’s handling of the virus.
The Health Department reports today that six people from Orleans County who currently have Covid-19 are hospitalized. Of the 105 who have tested positive, 38 have recovered.
In Genesee County there is one new confirmed case of Covid-19. That person is from Darien and is in the 80s. The newly positive individual was not on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.
Genesee County has had 155 people test positive for Covid-19. Three more people have recovered from the virus, bringing the total recoveries to 86.
Five of the active cases include people who are hospitalized.
Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties.
The facility breakdown is only showing those facilities from where the Health Departments have received a positive swab for Covid-19. Facilities will be added if there is a positive case of Covid-19.
If a regulated facility from either of the counties is not listed, there are no positive cases of Covid-19. The local health departments do not have oversight with many regulated facilities, which may include nursing homes, correctional facilities and hospitals.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 May 2020 at 12:29 pm
Source is Office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo: The state has seven criteria for evaluating if a region is ready to reopen.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Walgreens in Albion has a sign by the front door telling customers they need to wear a mask to enter the building.
ALBION – The public health and economic development leaders in Orleans County are urging businesses to develop plans for maintaining social distancing and protecting the health of employees and customers.
Businesses shouldn’t wait for an announcement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo that a reopening is imminent for Orleans County.
The Orleans Economic Development Agency is developing a “ReOpen Orleans’ website with resources and advice for businesses to meet the state standards to reopen, said Jim Whipple, the chief executive officer for the Orleans EDA.
Businesses will likely have to reduce occupancy so there are fewer people in a building to better ensure social distancing of at least six feet. Businesses should have plans for hand sanitizers, wearing of masks or facial coverings, and signs or floor decals to emphasize social distancing.
The governor has the state on “PAUSE” until May 15 and then may reopen different businesses and public places in four phases.
“We are very hopeful that we will be in position locally to begin to peel back some of these restrictions that have been put in place,” said Paul Pettit, public health director in Orleans and Genesee counties. “The biggest thing is we want to be ready.”
The local municipalities and businesses need to have plans in place to protect public health in order to reopen, Pettit said.
Businesses that are currently closed could follow the examples of many grocery stores, which require masks to be worn by customers, have markings on the floor to spread out people – especially at the check-out lines, and have plexiglass to separate cashiers from customers.
The businesses’ reopening plans will be reviewed but Pettit said the state hasn’t offered guidance on that process yet.
Tops in Albion has decals on the floor throughout the store encouraging people to stay at least six feet apart.
As the regions reopen and look to advance to the next phase, Pettit said the matrix from the state will be closely scrutinized to see if there has been in increase in infections and hospitalizations.
“If the regions see an increase in cases, we’ll be back on PAUSE,” Pettit said. “There’s not a lot of guidance yet on how this will all work.”
The state has developed seven criteria that need to be met to allow different businesses and public facilities to reopen to the public. Orleans County is part of a nine-county Finger Lakes Region.
The state has divvied the counties into 10 regions of the state. None of the 10 regions currently meet all seven of the governor’s criteria for reopening.
The Finger Lakes region meets all the standards except for testing and contact tracers. The state wants at least 30 people out of 1,000 tested monthly in each region. Only three of the 10 regions meet that threshold for testing (Long Island, Mid-Hudson and New York City). The state is expanding capacity to help all regions meet this threshold, Gov. Cuomo said on Monday.
Contact Tracing Capacity: Regions must have a baseline of 30 contact tracers for every 100,000 residents, and additional tracers based on the projected number of cases in the region. The state is currently building an army of contact tracers with former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg to meet the needs of each region statewide.
The Finger Lakes meets the criteria in other categories:
14-day decline in hospitalizations or under 15 new hospitalizations for a three-day average
14-day decline in hospital deaths or fewer than five deaths as a three-day average
New hospitalizations requirements of less than two per 100,000 residents (Finger Lakes has a three-day rolling average of 1.19 per 100,000)
Share of hospital beds available must be at least 30 percent (Finger Lakes at 53 percent)
Share of ICU beds available must be at least 30 percent (Finger Lakes at 64 percent)
The governor said regions can reopen in four phases, with the next phase to follow only if the rate of hospitalizations from Covid-19 don’t spike.
The four phases include:
Phase One: Construction, manufacturing and wholesale supply chain; select retail with curbside pickup.
Phase Two: Professional services; finance and insurance; retail; administrative support; real estate/rental leasing.
“I’m optimistic we’ll make the first round on May 15,” Pettit said. “Let’s prepare and let’s be ready and be optimistic when May 16 comes we’ll have a lot more of our businesses open and we’ll do it safely.”
State Senator Rob Ortt (R,C,I,Ref-North Tonawanda) joined Republican colleagues, State Senate Deputy Minority Leader Joseph A. Griffo, Sen. Rich Funke, Sen. Tom O’Mara, Sen. George M. Borrello, Sen. Pat Gallivan, Sen. Daphne Jordan, Sen. Pam Helming, and Sen. Fred Akshar to roll out an economic “Reset, Reopen” Plan for Upstate and Western New York to coincide with the virus’s regression. The policy consists of four distinct elements:
Reopen businesses in a safe and pragmatic fashion.
Reduce government control over businesses.
Reform government to help businesses and taxpayers.
Revitalize our economy and local communities.
Ortt challenged policymakers to go beyond simply returning to work, even as he noted the importance of reopening certain segments of the economy.
Sen. Rob Ortt said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed incalculable costs upon our country – the financial toll surpassed only by the human toll. As we put the pieces back together, it is incumbent upon elected officials to address the short-term and long-term challenges we face. In this great challenge, we have the unique opportunity to rethink, retool, and reboot our economy. While others talk about “un-pausing,” I’m talking about resetting. We didn’t pause the economy, we unplugged it. And just as we have assumed a war footing to combat the virus, we will need to assume the same stance in order to resuscitate and rebuild our economy.
Over the last week, Gov. Cuomo has been receptive to reopening along regional lines, stepping away from the one-size-fits approach of earlier in the pandemic. The Governor heeded calls from Senate and Assembly legislators who have called for a regional approach to reopening with individual assessments of specific regions COVID-19 cases, and for businesses to reopen while accounting for the economic viability and potential risk of infection.
State Senate Deputy Minority Leader Joseph A. Griffo said, “The vast toll of the coronavirus pandemic has led to untold pain, suffering and uncertainty for New York residents and businesses. As we begin the shift toward planning and implementing a safe economic reopening, we must do so by observing CDC guidance, eliminating the inconsistencies of the state administration’s executive orders and allowing for a safe but practical reopening plan for Upstate New York.”
The Senators called for New York State to align the businesses on Empire State Development’s essential list with that of the Federal government’s essential businesses list. By aligning, operations such as construction, sportsmen stores, manufacturing, and other low-risk occupations would be allowed to re-open. This will allow limited New York residents to safely return to work – helping workers, small businesses, and a state unemployment system stretched to its financial and functional limits. The CDC’s “Opening Up America Again” Plan offers strict guidance for governors and legislators across the U.S. to utilize for the re-opening of the economy in phases as public health milestones are met.
The Senators announced that they will follow up on the initial phase to lay out additional elements of his Re-open and Reset Plan pertaining to reduce, reform, and revitalize in the coming weeks.
Sen. Rich Funke said, “New York State is not only New York City and it is time we stopped governing like it is. We should begin to reopen our economy regionally using the prudent, phased approach recommended by the Federal Government. Upstate infection rates are much lower and our economy is much more fragile as evidenced by yet another report out today that shows 53 counties – mostly upstate lost population in the last year. It’s time we better balanced our focus on the disease with our focus on the economy. It’s time to begin to reopen upstate.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 May 2020 at 10:35 am
Orleans County Y offers virtual programs during pandemic
MEDINA – The Orleans County YMCA is part of a state-wide effort today with #GivingTuesdayNow.
“We’ve seen a tremendous spike in requests for services and financial support since our community closed,” said Rob Walker, GLOW YMCA. “Now, we’re hoping that communities throughout our state will support us, so that we can continue providing essential services during this pandemic, and also ensure that we’re able to serve our communities as we reopen and recover.”
#GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of giving and unity as an emergency response to the unprecedented challenges caused by Covid-19. The day is designed to drive an influx of generosity, citizen engagement, business and philanthropy activation, and support for communities and nonprofits around the world. At a time when we are all experiencing the pandemic, generosity is what brings people of all races, faiths, and political views together.
The Orleans County YMCA is looking to bring back part-time employees who have been furloughed and to partner with other local agencies to serve the community, said Greg Reed, the Y director.
Although the Y building on Pearl Street in Medina is currently closed to the public, the Y is primarily offering our services virtually with offering complimentary access to Fitness On Demand.
“In addition, we are publishing daily family activities on our Facebook page coupled with our community resources page on our GLOW website,” Reed said. “We partnered with the Medina school district to use our site for dispersing breakfast and lunches.”
The Y was also willing to provide emergency childcare for essential workers for people working in the Medina and Lyndonville school districts, but a survey showed there wasn’t enough demand to support opening an emergency childcare center.
“However, we are willing and able to launch a site if, and when, this becomes a need in the community,” Reed said.
The Y has received a loan through the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program and is looking forward to bringing more employees back to work, Reed said.
“With bringing employees back, we are looking to partner with other organizations that are doing good, critical work at this time,” Reed said.
The Y will also soon be launching a virtual program session of GirlStrong through the Y’s Facebook Page that will “meet up” two to three times per week over the next 7 weeks.
The Y staff from the Three year old Preschool Program at Lyndonville Schools also has been active engaging students through Marco Polo with daily instruction and mailing out arts and crafts projects, Reed said.
“I am so proud of that team and the initiative they have taken to make lemonade out of lemons,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 May 2020 at 9:07 am
Assemblyman tells DOH commissioner that staff at Albion nursing home are demoralized
ALBION — State Assemblyman Steve Hawley has sent a second letter to the state public health commissioner, urging “an immediate and full-scale investigation” of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion, where 14 residents have died from Covid-19 and 54 have tested virus.
“Your attention to this urgent matter is greatly needed and appreciated,” Hawley wrote on Monday in a letter to Dr. Howard Zucker, commissioner of the State Department of Health.
Hawley on Friday sent his first letter to Zucker, calling for an investigation into The Villages. That day the Orleans County Legislature also asked for an investigation into the facility by Attorney General Letitia James and the Department of Health, led by Howard Zucker.
The Department of Health regulates the 120-bed facility in Albion, as well as other nursing homes in the state. The DOH recently inspected The Villages and it was deemed in compliance. However, The Villages was given advance notice of the inspection. Hawley urged Zucker to have the DOH do an unannounced inspection.
Hawley said he continues to hear concerns from community members about The Villages.
He tells Zucker that staffing “is depleted and demoralized, so much so, that the parent company, CHMS Group, has contracted and paid for the relocation of six aides from the state of Louisiana, arguably one of the hot sports in America.”
Hawley also said “a vicious fist fight” broke out between two staff members in front of residents in the Canal Wing, a further example of the demoralized staff.
Hawley asks Zucker and DOH to look into allegations that testing swabs for six residents in the dementia wing were thrown out by administration. That wing doesn’t have any confirmed cases of Covid-19.
Hawley says he has been told rooms are not being properly sanitized after test results come back that a resident is positive for Covid-19. The assemblyman says he was told personal protective equipment (N-95 masks, gowns and gloves) are locked in the director of nursing’s office and only released when there is a DOH inspection. A table with thermometers for testing employees when they come to work also is left unmanned until a known inspection occurs, Hawley says in his letter.
Hawley also said The Villages is underreporting the cases on the HERDS Report, data on Covid-cases each nursing home submits daily to the DOH. In that report, The Villages says there are 38 Covid-19 cases, instead of the 54 reported by the Health Department in Orleans County.
“The allegations cast further doubt upon the safety of the residents and staff, especially during this Covid-19 pandemic,” Hawley writes in his letter.
ALBION – As part of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans County Corrections Division is committed to meeting the standards of the community, striving to promote safety, security and provide opportunity for rehabilitation. Their core values include respect, responsibility, honesty and empathy.
Our dedicated Corrections Officers have the responsibility to operate a safe and secure detention facility in compliance with the New York State Corrections Law and with regulations set forth by the New York State Commission of Corrections.
Each member faces the difficult and often dangerous assignment of ensuring the security, safety and well-being of the inmates housed in the Orleans County Jail. Their position is essential to daily operations to achieve institutional goals of care, custody, and supervision of approximately 600 inmates annually.
Please join us in recognizing our Orleans County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Officers for their dedication, hard work and service to the community.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 4 May 2020 at 8:47 pm
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Pharmacist Robert Hiller hands a prescription to a customer in the parking lot of The Medicine Shoppe. This picture was taken before the governor’s directive to wear masks when social distancing isn’t possible. The pharmacy closed off its door to customers to minimize contact and opened up a storm door at the side of the building, from which the employees take turns waiting on drive-up customers.
MEDINA – Operating a business out of a small space at their office at 142 East Center Street in Medina has prompted the Medicine Shoppe to take measures to allow customers to distance themselves from other customers and staff.
Until further notice, the Medicine Shoppe has created a drive-thru service for pharmacy customers by removing the glass and screen from a storm door at the side of the building, which opens into an office area. Staff members take turns monitoring the door and greeting customers who can drive up in their vehicle.
Medicine Shoppe manager Robert Hiller said he wanted to keep staff and customers safe.
“If any of my employees get sick, we are all going to be quarantined for at least two weeks,” he said.
When delivering a prescription to a customer, Medicine Shoppe personnel wear a mask to further protect themselves and the public. On warmer days, Hiller even sits outside in a chair to watch for drive-up customers.
Robert Hiller, manager of The Medicine Shoppe in Medina, has set up a drive-through option for customers to eliminate personal contact in the one-room store. He takes advantage of a warm day here to wait outside for customers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 May 2020 at 7:41 pm
Provided photos
HOLLEY – Katie Dobri, a Holley 8th grader, is pictured with some of the squirrel tables she made over the weekend with her mother, Crystal Dobri.
This squirrel enjoys a treat of peanuts, sunflower seeds and corn on its squirrel table made by Katie Dobri and her mother, Crystal.
This morning they announced the tables were for sale for $25 each and proceeds would go to the Eastern Orleans Community Center in Holley. Within an hour, all 18 tables were sold, raising about $500 for the community center. Many of the people gave more than $25 per table.
Squirrel tables have become a quarantine phenomenon, a fun project for many families. The tables are about 10 inches long.
Katie and her mother cut the wooden pieces of cedar and put the tables together on Sunday.
Crystal said she and her husband, Tibor Dobri, are thankful they have both been able to keep working during the pandemic. Mrs. Dobri is a nurse and teaches nursing classes at St. John Fisher.
The family decided to support the local community center by selling the tables. (They included a bag of food for the squirrels with each sale.)
The center at Holley’s Public Square is providing take-out lunches and emergency food for local residents.
“We are so fortunate to be working through the pandemic, and putting food on the squirrel table is fun but not a necessity,” Dobri said today. “Katie and I decided that we want to put food on our community’s table, too.”
‘The spirit of travel will be a necessary and prominent component of our return to everyday life after the NY Pause is lifted and must be promoted, supported and protected at all costs.’
(Editor’s Note: Dawn Borchet is the county’s tourism director and Lynne Menz is the marketing manager for the Tourism Department. They wrote this article for the start of National Travel & Tourism Week.)
By Dawn Borchert and Lynne Menz
The 2020 Orleans County Tourism Guide is 48 pages. The dominant photo on the cover shows a sailboat during a striking sunset. There are also photos of the chapel at Hillside Cemetery near Holley (showcasing Medina sandstone architecture), two kids with large salmon and the Canal Culvert, the only place where traffic goes under the Erie Canal. The guide has a theme of “Great Lake Adventure & Canal Town Culture.”
It seems futile to celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week during a pandemic that we haven’t seen the likes of in our lifetime! But we would be remiss not to share what tourism means to Orleans County and speculate how we’ll fare this summer. A proclamation was signed by our legislature in April proclaiming May 3 to May 9, 2020 as National Travel and Tourism Week in Orleans County, NY, and “we urge the citizens of Orleans County to join us in recognizing the critical role this industry places in Orleans County”. Highlights of the proclamation are as follows:
Tourism is the foundation of a healthy workforce, whereby Tourism Industry Employment remains the 3rd largest Industry in New York State, supporting 15.8 million jobs in the U.S. in 2019, including 9 million directly in the travel industry and 6.8 million in other industries.
Spending by travelers has aided state and local governments alike, generating $180 billion in tax revenue last year to support essential services and programs nationwide.
Nearly 253 million visitors traveled to New York State in 2018, generating an economic impact of $114.8 billion, including direct spending of $71.8 billion and state and local taxes of $8.9 billion.
According to the NY State DEC Anglers Survey for 2017, the total annual economic impact to Orleans County from sportfishing alone was $27 million with $5.1 million in local and state tax revenue.
The spirit of travel will be a necessary and prominent component of our return to everyday life after the NY Pause is lifted and must be promoted, supported and protected at all costs.
The Orleans County Tourism Department is funded through occupancy tax which has continually increased each year, with a record of $58,000 collected in 2019. This 4% “bed tax” is collected by our motels, inns, lodges and vacation rentals which is then matched by NY State through the I Love NY marketing campaign. In 2020, we began working with a record high budget of $120,000 to promote tourism in Orleans County, but, we are currently at risk of losing the state funds due to the pandemic. However, that’s not going to stop our momentum to promote tourism in Orleans County!
We just recently published the 2020 Orleans County Travel & Adventure Guide and we’re in the process of distributing them throughout the northeast at interstate travel centers, AAA offices, airports, convention centers and sending it to those planning a visit. The guide is the largest to date (48 pages) and loaded with historic and natural attractions to explore as well as places to shop, dine and stay. We expanded on our trails feature and even included a list of ice cream shops this year! The guides are currently available at the Orleans County Administration Building and will be stocked at the four county libraries (designated as official Orleans County Visitors Centers) as well as several of our tourism partners (museums, lodging, advertisers) as soon as they reopen.
Orleans County Tourism is involved in several co-op projects with neighboring counties. We recently unveiled the 100 Must See Miles on the Erie Canal brochure in partnership with Visit Rochester and Wayne County Tourism. This brochure showcases 50 unique points of interest along the Erie Canal in the 3-county/100 mile stretch between Medina (Orleans) and Clyde (Wayne County). We are also included in two new regional websites: the Lake Ontario Sportfishing Council (LOSPC) – www.ilovenyfishing.com and the GLOW region’s updated brand, “Fresh Air Adventures”, which is anticipated to go live before the summer.
File photo by Tom Rivers: Lyndonville’s Fourth of July celebration, capped by fireworks, is among the community events that have been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Between January and April, Dawn Borchert, our Tourism Director, represented Orleans County at travel and outdoor shows touting Orleans County and especially our ideal location. Shows included the NY Times World Travel Expo, the Harrisburg Outdoor Show, AAA Shows in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and the Fly Fishing Expo in New Jersey with Ron Bierstine of Oak Orchard Tackle & Lodge. Meeting travelers face-to-face has been invaluable to find out what the consumer is interested in and introducing them to the variety of Orleans County’s assets.
Aside from visitors attending weddings, reunions and family functions, we have found those who come to Orleans County are generally from the Northeast US and visit primarily for fishing, craft beverage touring, shopping and being near water, specifically the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls. In this pandemic, while the large cities’ tourism and convention bureaus are taking devastating economic hits, rural communities such as ours are expected to fare better while travelers are looking for “socially distant” activities such as camping, fishing and enjoying the outdoors.
A recent survey polled 1,000 NYS residents across different age groups and the results support our speculation regarding traveling post-quarantine in NY State: 57% are attracted to local areas with natural attractions and smaller communities. Travelers will be avoiding long trips, 71% will travel by personal vehicles (avoiding public transportation – airplanes, trains, cruises) and opt for stay-cations this summer. The activities that are expected to experience significant decrease in attendance are the amusement parks, casinos, theaters/concerts and museums with high capacity.
We are saddened by the fact that so many of our hometown events have been cancelled this summer – our events that can pass for a backdrop in a Hallmark movie. The Memorial Day Parades, Strawberry Festival, Independence Day Festival, Holley and Albion’s Summer Fests and several concert series are being shelved for the health and safety of our community. We remain optimistic that after the NYS Pause is over, we expect that our restaurants, shops, marinas and campgrounds will be back in business and our vacation rentals occupied with visitors taking advantage of our rural location while maintaining social distancing. And, we anticipate our communities will be spontaneous and creative, yet responsible when it comes to entertainment.
We’re reminded of the final scenes from “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” when all the Whos from Whoville came out of their homes on Christmas morning and joined hands in celebration despite having their Christmas presents and decorations stolen. Their joyful spirit couldn’t be broken, and subsequently “the Grinch’s heart grew three times that day!” We predict that day is just around the corner! (Except we will be donning our homemade designer masks, remain 6’ apart and refrain from holding hands!)
We have so much to be grateful for here in our corner of the world that many of us take for granted – Lake Ontario, the “Oak”, the historic Erie Canal and the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge – just to name a few of our natural assets waiting to be navigated, fished and explored. Coupled with strong communities teeming with pride, spirit and creativity, why wouldn’t anyone want to make Orleans County this summer’s destination?
Wishing you and yours the safest National Travel & Tourism Week!
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 May 2020 at 4:51 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – This is a nice time of year for a walk or a drive around the neighborhoods of Orleans County. Many of the trees are in bloom, including the cherry tree in the top photo. That tree is in a front yard on East Park Street in Albion.
This dogwood is in front of the rectory for the Holy Family Parish in Albion, at the corner of West Park Street and Main Street. The statutes of a family are in honor of the Rev. Richard Csizmar, the parish’s priest the past 26 years.
There is a freeze watch tonight and Tuesday morning in Orleans County with temperatures in the upper 20s to low 30s. Hopefully the cold weather won’t cause the petals to fall off the trees.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 May 2020 at 4:18 pm
5 more recoveries reported in Orleans County
The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments are reporting new Covid-19 cases today for both counties.
In Orleans there are two new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the county’s total to 102 positive cases.
One of the new cases is a Ridgeway resident while the other case is a resident of The Villages of Orleans Health & Rehabilitation Center in Albion. The Villages has now had 54 residents test positive for Covid-19.
The two new positive cases for the county include an individual in the 40’s and one in the 70’s. The Ridgeway resident wasn’t on mandatory quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.
The Health Departments are reporting five more people have recovered from Covid-19 and have been released from mandatory isolation. That brings the total recoveries to 36.
Five of the total active positive cases include people who are hospitalized.
In Genesee County, there is one new confirmed case, for 154 total in the county. The new case is a person who’s in the 20’s and lives in the Town of Alabama. The individual was not on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.
The Health Departments is reporting one more recovery in Genesee County, bringing that total to 86. Six Genesee County residents remain hospitalized from Covid-19.
The facility breakdown is only showing those facilities from where the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments received a positive swab for Covid-19. Facilities will be added when and if there is a positive case of Covid-19.
If a regulated facility from either of the counties is not listed, there are no positive cases of Covid-19. The local health departments do not have oversight with many regulated facilities, which may include nursing homes, correctional facilities and hospitals, etc.
Click here to view an online map of confirmed cases in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties.
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today outlined additional guidelines for when regions can re-open.
The state will monitor four core factors to determine if a region can re-open:
• New Infections: Based on guidelines from the CDC, regions must have at least 14 days of decline in total net hospitalizations and deaths on a 3-day rolling average. In regions with few COVID cases, the region cannot exceed 15 net new total hospitalizations or 5 new deaths on a 3-day rolling average. In order to monitor the potential spread of infection in a region, a region must have fewer than two new COVID patients admitted per 100,000 residents per day.
• Health Care Capacity: Every region must have the health care capacity to handle a potential surge in cases. Regions must have at least 30 percent total hospital and ICU beds available. This is coupled with the new requirement that hospitals have at least 90 days of personal protective equipment stockpiled.
• Diagnostic Testing Capacity: Each region must have the capacity to conduct 30 diagnostic tests for every 1,000 residents per month. The state is rapidly expanding capacity statewide to help all regions meet this threshold.
• Contact Tracing Capacity: Regions must have a baseline of 30 contact tracers for every 100,000 residents, and additional tracers based on the projected number of cases in the region. The state is currently building an army of contact tracers with Mayor Bloomberg to meet the needs of each region statewide.
“While we continue to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we can begin to focus on re-opening, but we have to be careful and use the information we’ve learned so we don’t erase the strides we’ve already made,” Governor Cuomo said.
The governor outlined which industries and businesses can open in each phase of the state’s re-opening plan. Businesses considered “more essential” with inherent low risks of infection in the workplace and to customers will be prioritized, followed by other businesses considered “less essential” or those that present a higher risk of infection spread. Regions must not open attractions or businesses that would draw a large number of visitors from outside the local area.
Cuomo also outlined new safety precautions that each business must put in place upon re-opening to help lower the risk of spreading the virus. Businesses will be required to:
Adjust workplace hours and shift design as necessary to reduce density in the workplace;
Enact social distancing protocols;
Restrict non-essential travel for employees;
Require all employees and customers to wear masks if in frequent contact with others;
Implement strict cleaning and sanitation standards;
Enact a continuous health screening process for individuals to enter the workplace;
Continue tracing, tracking and reporting of cases; and
Develop liability processes.
The Governor also announced that more than one million New Yorkers have already been tested for COVID-19 to date.
The Governor also announced New York’s National Guard has made nearly 300,000 testing kits to collect samples, 60,000 of which are being sent to labs and hospitals across New York State.
The Governor also announced the special enrollment period through the NY State of Health Health Plan Marketplace will remain open through June 15, 2020.
Finally, the Governor confirmed 2,538 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 318,953 confirmed cases in New York State.
“Re-opening is not going to happen statewide all at once – New York has diverse regions and those regions have different circumstances, so rather than wait for the whole state to be ready to re-open we are going to analyze the situation on a regional basis,” Cuomo said. “We will measure whether a region can re-open based on four factors – the number of new infections, health care capacity, diagnostic testing and contact tracing – and we will continue to monitor these factors throughout the re-opening process to prevent a second wave of the virus and protect the health and safety New Yorkers.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 May 2020 at 10:33 am
News site sets records for pageviews, unique visitors
Photo by Tom Rivers: The flags are lowered by the firemen’s memorial at Mount Albion Cemetery out of respect for the victims of Covid-19. New York State has suffered the loss of about 19,000 people to Covid-19, including 14 from Orleans County. Covid-19 has dominated much of the news coverage on the Orleans Hub.
ALBION – Orleans Hub topped 1 million pageviews in April. This is the second time we have hit that level.
We had 1,034,461 pageviews in April. In March, we had 1,064,215 pageviews. That topped the previous record of 875,006 pageviews in October 2019.
There was one less day in April, compared to March, so our daily pageview average actually set a new record in April with 34,482 compared 34,330 in March.
The 34,482 daily average in April is up 32.4 percent or by 8,447 over the 26,035 daily average in 2019.
The average daily unique visitors over the month was 11,563. That is just ahead of the 11,519 daily users in March. Our previous high was 9,394 in October 2019. The 11,563 is up 36.4 percent or by 3,088 from the daily average users of 8,475 in 2019.
Much of the Orleans Hub coverage since mid-March has been dominated by Covid-19 and impact on the community. We’ve continued to cover other community news, including municipal meetings which are now being held on-line, usually through Zoom videoconferencing.
Sports editor Mike Wertman has dug deep into his archive with flashback sports articles. He also continued to run previews of the sports teams, even though their season would be cancelled on May 1. Mike met with the teams while they were practicing in early March to get ready for the season. He felt the teams deserved some recognition.
We’re working more hours trying to cover as much of the news as we can. The most-viewed article last month didn’t have anything to do with Covid-19. It was an article on April 16 about a woman injured in a rollover accident in front of the Walmart in Albion.
The Orleans Hub has now been around for just over seven years. We officially launched the site on April 2, 2013.
We appreciate the support of the community, especially the advertisers, many of which have been with us since we started.
But these are challenging times. News sites across the country are taking a big hit in advertising dollars as many businesses have been forced to close or scale back. At the Orleans Hub, we’ve lost many of the event ads because those gatherings have been cancelled.
If you want to help support this local news operation, you can contribute online (click here) or you can send a check to Orleans Hub, 170 North Main St., Albion NY 14411. Thank you for your consideration.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 4 May 2020 at 9:11 am
Dean Bellack
Beginning today, United Way of Orleans County will launch a new program to provide more help to members of the community who are struggling due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the new program – United We Help – United Way in collaboration with Community Action will present checks for $100 to individuals who qualify. The fund goes to people who have lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic but aren’t receiving unemployment yet.
The fund is a result of businesses, individuals, and community groups coming together. United Way is asking those who have the ability to donate to do so online during the month of May.
“We’ll start writing checks in the middle of May and long as the funding keeps coming in we’ll keep writing checks,” said Dean Bellack, United Way director in Orleans County.
The fund already is up to $20,000. Local companies who have made commitments so far include Baxter, Takeform, Heritage Wind and Twin Apple Properties.
Bellack wants to be able to write checks to 300 Orleans County residents who may be struggling at this time due to their job loss. Residents have until May 15 to apply. (Click here for more information.)
George Bidleman, president of United Way’s board, has donated his ad space on Orleans Hub to promote this program. For the next eight weeks, ads will run on the Orleans Hub to make people aware of this fund.
The first applications to apply for the checks were given out by Bellack at Community Action’s food distribution Friday morning at the Main Street Store in Albion.
While the checks aren’t huge, United Way hopes the money will help with groceries or gas in the car. It also shows Orleans County United Way is trying to fill a need in a trying time.
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Michelle Figueroa, emergency services case manager at Community Action, listens to Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni explain about the coronavirus to volunteers who helped with a food giveaway Friday morning at the Main Street Store.
“Our goal is to help the most vulnerable in our county,” he said.
Bellack said the United Way Board wanted to make sure they are doing their part in this time of crisis.
The funds Orleans County United way has brought into Orleans County in the past year are approaching $300,000. This includes direct donations from local giving, which will help fund $100,000 in allocations to our partner agencies, contributions from Eastman Savings and Loan and United Way connections to other donors, such as the WNY Covid-19 Fund.
In the next few weeks $25,000 of additional funds will be given in micro grants of $500 to $2,500. Bellack is forming a review committee now of board and community leaders to make sure the United Way isn’t missing those charities and agencies that need help.
Applications for the United We Help fund must be mailed to Community Action at 409 East State St., Albion by May 15. Checks will be issued by Community Action.
All applications will be reviewed to make sure only one person per address receives funding. Submitting an application is no guarantee of payment.
Applications are available on United Way’s website, and from LYFE Food Emergency in Lyndonville, Jim Hancock and the Emergency Food Pantry at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Medina, Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God food pantry in Medina, Christ Church Community Kitchen in Albion, Kendall Food Cupboard and Community Action.
Anyone needing help to fill out an application may call the 211 Help Line, an agency funded by Orleans County United Way, to receive help from another person.
