(Editor’s Note: This is part of an ongoing series on how the coronavirus has impacted life locally. Send a submission to news@orleanshub.com.)
Provided photos: Thom Jennings leads Friday’s vinyl nights at 810 Meadworks, where customers are encouraged to bring in records while enjoying conversation.
By Thom Jennings
It’s 6 p.m. on a Friday, and the regular crowd shuffles into 810 Meadworks for vinyl record night. On most nights, Steve is at his usual place at the bar with a small stack of albums sipping on a glass of his favorite mead. We usually share a hug not long after I arrive for my regular shift. Then we sift through each other’s albums, looking for something unique, and we usually find something.
By March 13, schools were already closed, and restaurants and bars were limited to 50 percent of capacity. The Monkees Greatest Hits was already spinning on the record player when I reported for my shift at 6 p.m.
The records are an important part of the evening. Some evoke memories because many of the songs provided the soundtrack to people’s lives. Other records introduce new music to people. Unlike digital tracks played through headphones, the listening experience is communal.
As important as the records are, what really makes Friday nights so special is the people. There are some nights when the music is barely audible over the talking, and that’s fine. All of us regulars have been accustomed the ebbs and flows of people. They are just as likely to get drink recommendations from the customers as they are the employees, it doesn’t get more communal than that. And whether they come in or alone, we will likely get their first name before they leave.
Friday’s vinyl nights at 810 Meadworks are a unique combination of the characters described in the Billy Joel classic “Piano Man” and the iconic television show “Cheers.” It is the antithesis of “social distancing.” The topics range from grandkids to current events, and even dating advice. We laugh together, cry together and if it’s your birthday we will sing to you at top volume. There are no topics that are taboo, but some will make you blush a little.
The staff and customers at 810 Meadworks keep a log of the music played on vinyl nights.
The list of albums spun is written on the tissue paper that is used to wrap up bottles of mead. The silver sharpie seems to be missing all night, but eventually turns up so we can keep a complete record of the records. You are as apt to find a classic Beatles album as you are an obscure progressive metal band on the list. Some of the albums smell like a musty attic, or stale cigarettes, and others have never been played. Some are black, and some have intricate patterns and beautiful colors. Some crackle and pop, others are crystal clear and warm. They all find their way to the turntable eventually.
The evening filled a void in my life by combining a love of music along with a love of people. Even our next-door neighbors over at The Shirt Factory have become an integral part of the evening. Customers often shuffle back and forth, and we have even engaged in some good-natured pranks with their bartenders. (They plowed my vehicle in one evening and we retaliated with a fake $5,000 winning lottery ticket in their tip jar. We are still waiting to see how they pay us back for that.)
It could be weeks, or even months before we reconvene. Sure, we could all listen to a stack of vinyl records at home and even write a list, it just isn’t the same.
The core group of us stay connected via text or social media, and that is the best we can do for now. We aren’t the only group facing the same dilemma. Houses of worship, sports teams, fitness communities small and large businesses are all the same boat. We all find community in unique places, and some of us have multiple groups we are detached from as this situation unfolds.
Like any challenge, there are lessons to be learned. Inasmuch much as I miss my communal experiences it gives me a greater appreciation of the need to stay connected and to be around people. There are no electronic devices that are an ample substitute for a hug, and a thumbs up on social media will never be a good substitute for a live audience. My situation, like many others, is temporary and necessary.
Thom Jennings even misses some of the pranks at 810 Meadworks, like the time his vehicle was barricaded in by snow.
It reminds me of the people that can’t get out in the community or have limited human interactions due to a disability or because they don’t have family in the area. I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to making the occasional phone call to check-in, or the trips to the hospital or a nursing home. Even though there are times we all need to unwind and disconnect, humans are social creatures, and most of us long to be in the presence of other people.
Even in the direst circumstances, there are lessons to be learned. One day we will all be sitting around listening to our records and laughing and showing off pictures of kids and grandkids. The music will sound a little sweeter, and the hugs will offer a little more comfort. That day will be like music to my ears.
(Thom Jennings lives in Albion and is a music enthusiast, writing about artists and doing concert reviews for The Niagara Gazette.)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 March 2020 at 11:06 am
ALBION – The Regional Transit Service (RTS) today announced that it will adjust its service to operate Dial-A-Ride public transit service only in Orleans County starting Monday, April 6.
This shift, which also includes Livingston County, is to help protect RTS employees and customers, and help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, RTS officials said.
RTS Genesee and RTS Wyoming switched to Dial-A-Ride on March 26, 2020.
RTS Orleans
• RTS Orleans customers in can schedule a ride at least 24 hours in advance by calling RTS Orleans at (585) 589-0707.
• Dial-A-Ride service will be available from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• On Tuesdays and Thursdays, RTS Orleans will provide Dial-A-Ride service from 6 to 7:30 a.m. for senior citizen shopping.
• Route 205 will continue running on its normal schedule.
RTS encourages customers to follow the guidance of Governor Andrew Cuomo: “Individuals should limit use of public transportation to when absolutely necessary and should limit potential exposure by spacing out at least six feet from other riders.”
RTS urges riders to use RTS only for essential travel. This includes trips to work if they are employed by an “essential” business, as well as trips to the grocery store, pharmacy or doctor. Please stay home if you are sick.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 March 2020 at 10:49 am
Niagara County has 51 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including two 1-year-old children.
Daniel Stapleton, Niagara County Public Health Director, shared the update on Monday.
The department has a map (click here) showing the municipalities and the number of cases within the town, city or village borders.
There has been one confirmed case in the eastern Niagara towns by the Orleans border – the towns of Royalton, Hartland and Somerset. (That one case is a Somerset resident).
Niagara’s other cases include 6 in the City of Lockport, 2 in the Town of Porter, 2 in Newfane, 6 in the Town of Lockport, 1 in Cambria, 3 in Pendleton, 8 in City of North Tonawanda, 10 in Wheatfield, 1 in the Town of Niagara, 4 in Town of Lewiston and 12 in the City of Niagara Falls.
Among the 51 COVID-19 positives, 44 are in isolation and 7 have recovered, the Health Department reported.
ALBION – Apex Clean Energy is announcing the launch of the Heritage Wind Community Grant Program. The program will award funds to organizations and projects in the Town of Barre and Orleans County.
One of Heritage Wind’s primary goals is to be a strong community partner and establish long-term relationships with local residents. At a time when community organizations may see an increased need for supportive services, the Community Grant Program will enable Heritage Wind to contribute towards pressing community needs and make a meaningful impact.
“This is a difficult time for all New Yorkers and we want to step up and do what we can to support both short-term needs and long-term investments in Barre and Orleans County,” said Carmen O’Keefe, Project Developer for Heritage Wind, and a Western New York native. “This grant program gives us a meaningful way to support the things that this community decides it needs most.”
Grants will be available to any individual, group, or organization working within the Town of Barre and Orleans County to make a positive difference in one or more of four key areas that align with the core values of Apex Clean Energy:
1) Building Healthy Communities: Programs that support public health, good government, open communication, citizen resources, and/or enhance the quality of life in the community. Applicants must demonstrate how the program or event contributes to these social goals.
2) Economic Development: Apex Clean Energy supports and encourages the entrepreneurial spirit. It is part of our mission to serve as a catalyst for economic opportunity and development within the communities where we operate.
3) Environmental Sustainability: Programs that possess a strong link to environmental revitalization, sustainability, or education thereof, empower residents to be stewards of the environment, and/or encourage partnerships to address environmental concerns and sustainability. Participating organizations must have a credible record of success in environmental performance.
4) Promoting Education: Programs that support educational institutions, the advancement of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and training programs for careers in the wind industry. This may include curriculum development, literacy, school readiness, and other initiatives that help students grow into young leaders. Vocational training institutions that help build a skilled workforce are also included and encouraged to apply.
When filling out your application, please be as detailed as grants will be awarded on a quarterly basis for the remainder of 2020, with $4,000 in grants available per funding cycle. Applicants should be non-profit organizations that are making an impact in the listed areas of focus.
The application period for the first round of community grants will close on April 30, though grants may be awarded prior to that date based on need. While not all applicants will receive support in the program’s first cycle, priority will be given to grants that demonstrate meaningful ways of achieving their stated objective and make a positive difference in the lives of the greatest number of area residents.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 March 2020 at 10:09 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo today confirmed 6,984 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 66,497 confirmed cases.
The new cases include one in Orleans for five total in the county, and three new cases in Genesee for 12 total.
Other nearby counties include Niagara, three new cases for 41 total; Monroe, 23 new cases for 242 total; Erie added 18 and has 376 total.
The death toll in the state from Covid-19 passed 1,000, from 965 on Sunday to 1,218 today.
“That is a lot of pain,” Cuomo said at a press briefing. “That is a lot of tears. That is a lot of grief that people all across the state are feeling.”
The governor today announced a statewide public-private hospital plan to fight Covid-19. As part of the plan, hospitals that are beginning to reach or exceed capacity can transfer patients to other hospitals that are not as full.
The hospital systems across the state have also agreed to share supplies, staff and other resources as needed, Cuomo said.
The governor also announced that the first 1,000-bed temporary hospital at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is open and accepting patients today. The temporary hospital site was constructed in one week.
“As the numbers continue to increase, the situation is becoming painfully clear that the front line battle of this virus will be fought in our healthcare system,” Cuomo said. “We need more healthcare professionals, we need more supplies, we need more capacity and we need it now. The entire country has been playing catch up with this virus since day one, but in New York we have been trying to plan forward and get ahead of the problem. We are continuing to stockpile supplies in preparation for the apex of the curve, and we have reached an agreement with the statewide healthcare system to coordinate and work together as one entity to balance the load of patients and share staff and resources.”
The governor urged people to take the virus seriously, especially younger people who are often seen congregating at parks and other public places. Cuomo also said people across the state and country should fear the virus and not assume they aren’t invincible or that the virus won’t affect their community.
“You see it is continuing to move across the State of New York,” Cuomo said. “There is only one county now that does not have a COVID case. Anyone who says the situation is a New York City only situation is in a state of denial. You see this virus move across the state. You see virus move across this nation. There is no American who is immune to this virus. I don’t care if you live in Kansas. I don’t care if you live in Texas. There is no American that is immune. What is happening to New York is not an anomaly. There is nothing about a New Yorker’s immune system that is any different than any other American’s immune system. So, in many ways New York is just a canary in the coal mine. What you see us going through here, you will see happening all across this country.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 March 2020 at 7:35 pm
Caravan of fire trucks flash lights, beep horns in show of support
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Firefighters from the Western Battalion in Orleans County – East Shelby, Shelby, Medina, Ridgeway and Lyndonville – brought fire trucks and parked outside Medina memorial Hospital this evening beginning at 6 p.m.
Firefighters flashed lights of on the trucks and drove through the parking lot, beeping the horns to show their appreciation for the doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital.
Click here to see a video of the fire trucks driving through the parking lot and past the hospital.
Click here to see the fire trucks lined up on Ohio Street outside Medina Memorial.
Steve Bane, the second assistant chief at Lyndonville, suggested the tribute and the other leaders of the five fire departments were quick to say yes.
“This is our closest medical facility,” Bane said outside the hospital this evening. “They are getting fatigued. We just want to help get the morale up for everybody.”
Bane has seen similar tributes for larger city hospitals. He said Medina deserves recognition from the community for the life-saving work of the staff.
These firefighters chat outside the hospital. They include from left: Justin McAdoo of Ridgeway, Brad Mahke of Medina, Sergio DiCenso of Medina, Medina Mayor Mike Sidari, Kristin McAdoo of Ridgeway, Adam Fisher of Medina and Jacob Crooks of Medina.
Crooks, a lieutenant with the Medina Fire Department, said the Medina hospital provides critical healthcare services for the community.
“Without them the next closest hospital would be Batavia and Lockport,” Crooks said. “We just wanted to show them that we support them and to keep up the good work.”
Dawn Petry, a certified nurse’s aide at the hospital, said the staff is thankful for the community’s outreach recently, with donated surgical masks, food and blankets.
“We appreciate everything the community has done for us,” said Petry, whose husband Tim is president of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company. “It’s been helping us with the long hours.”
Megan Perkins, another CNA, said her co-workers took photos from some of the hospital rooms of the display by the firefighters.
“It’s appreciated that they would think of us,” Perkins said.
She said the staff is committed to their patients and the residents.
“I come to do my job to make people feel they are cared about,” she said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 March 2020 at 4:23 pm
Orleans has 1 more confirmed case of coronavirus for 5 total
Genesee County has its first death from the coronavirus, Public Health Director Paul Pettit said this afternoon. The person is over 65 and had been hospitalized for about two weeks and had other health issues.
Pettit said he isn’t going into more detail out of respect for the privacy of the person and family.
Pettit and Shelley Stein, chairwoman of the Genesee County Legislature, both expressed their condolences to the person’s family.
Genesee County also has three more Covid-19 cases, bringing its total to 12, while Orleans has one more case for five total. The latest confirmed case in Orleans is a person over age 65 from the central part of the county.
Quarantine data
• Orleans County: 5 people are under precautionary quarantine, 9 people are under mandatory quarantine, and 5 people are under mandatory isolation 2 of whom are hospitalized and 3 are recovering at home (one out of county).
• Genesee County: 13 people are under precautionary quarantine, 37 people are under mandatory quarantine, and 11 people are recovering under mandatory isolation at home.
Cumulative Data
Genesee County has received 122 negative test results and Orleans County has received 87 negative test results for COVID-19.
These negative tests give a good indicator of what’s going on in the community, the Health Department said.
The flu also continues to be prevalent with 7 new cases in Orleans and 9 in Genesee for the week ending March 21.
“This data continues to show a high number of respiratory illness in our counties is not Covid-19,” the Health Department said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 March 2020 at 3:33 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: A Mustang banner is displayed outside Medina High School.
MEDINA – The teachers and staff of Medina school district are planning a Medina Mustang Motorcade on Friday from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
The district is hoping the motorcade will spread some cheer to students who are now home from school for the third week due to health concerns with the coronavirus.
“We ask that you find a safe location to enjoy the motorcade – maybe from your front porch, in a vehicle or in lawn chairs at an appropriate social distance!” according to a notice from the district. “Please note that nothing with be thrown during this parade. But there will be noise! Music, horns, etc!”
The district encourages students to make a banner or a sign and show their “Medina Strong” pride.
“It is also National Find a Rainbow Day,” the district stated. “We hope that we can spread some hope and cheer during this unprecedented time.”
Motorcade Route:
Shelby Fire Hall—South on 63, West Shelby Rd, R-Hellert Rd, L- Ryan Rd, R-Salt Works Rd, Over route 31, R-Park Ave, R-West Ave, R-Maple St, R- Gwinn St, L-Park Ave, R– Prospect, R-Ryan St, L– Glenwood, L-Oak, L-Gulf, R-Stork, L- N Gravel Rd, L-Commercial St, L-E Oak Orchard St, L-Bates Rd, L-North St, L-State St, L-Chadwick St, R-Starling Dr, R-Elizabeth St, L-Mead Ave, R-Elwood St,
File photo by Tom Rivers: The basketball hoop at Bullard Park is pictured in this photo from Aug. 4, 2015. The governor has banned basketball at parks during the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
ALBION – The Village of Albion has closed all village parks effective immediately. This closure is to help conform with Center for Disease Control guidance measures to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 Coronavirus.
Many people have been seen at the parks on playground equipment, playing basketball and football.
The Village of Albion would like all citizens to follow the CDC guidelines below.
Please remember that we are all in this together and we must all do our part.
Know How it Spreads
• There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
• The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.
• The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.
• Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
• Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
• These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
• There is no exact scientific study as to how long the virus lives on surfaces.
Clean your hands often
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Put distance between yourself and other people.
• Distance is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 March 2020 at 1:34 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The VFW Post is Medina is among the many places that serve food and alcohol that are currently closed to the public.
Orleans County could see a $1.7 million loss in sales tax revenue due the economic slowdown, according to a report from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
The comptroller said county governments will take a hit in their sales tax revenues as many businesses are scaled back or shut down in response to the coronavirus.
The sales tax is used to fund many programs and also helps offset some of the burden with local property taxes.
Orleans County receives about $17 million a year in sales tax and shares $1,366,671 with the 10 towns and four villages in the county.
The comptroller has released a sales tax impact report, offering two scenarios. In a mild recession, Orleans would see a 3.4 percent reduction in sales or about $559,585. In a prolonged recession, the county would take a 10.2 percent hit or $1,704,954, according to the comptroller’s report.
State-wide, counties could see an estimated $2 billion loss in local sales tax revenues due to economic slowdown.
“These revenue forecasts are very troubling for local governments and property taxpayers,” said John F. (Jack) Marren, chairman of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors and president of the New York State Association of Counties. “Counties are on the front lines executing this public health state of emergency, while the state manages it and the federal government supports it financially. We’ve never seen anything like this, ever. Our personnel is exhausted, our resources are scarce, but our spirit to defeat this silent enemy remains strong.”
The report’s estimates do not account for the local workforce related revenue losses, and the costs associated with responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, NYSAC said.
“Every level of government is going to feel the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, and local governments are bracing for that loss of revenue,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario. “But we are also urging a partnership with the state as we confront the public health threat. We represent the same taxpayer at the local level and we have limited revenues. As the state enacts its operating budget, we ask for flexibility so that we can manage the fiscal impact locally. All units of government need a financial lifeline, and we will work with the state to rebuild the economy.”
The state also will take a huge hit with what could be a $10 billion to $15 billion revenue loss, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
As the state struggles fiscally, it is anticipated that significant state aid reimbursement cuts to counties and local government will follow, and those cuts could be significant, according to NYSAC.
Counties face a quadruple threat of declining local revenues, especially sales tax, but also mortgage recording taxes and hotel occupancy taxes; higher spending necessary to respond to the health emergency; the loss of state reimbursement; and the potential of significant losses for small businesses on main streets that could threaten jobs and the property tax base over the short to mid-term, NYSAC said in a report today.
“We cannot stress enough how uncertain any forecast is,” Acquario said. “The potential spread, severity, and duration of the virus are poorly understood, and expert knowledge is evolving.
“The extent and duration of lockdowns, travel restrictions, and other responses that protect public health but damage short-term economic growth have been increasing as policy makers and public health officials learn more. The stock market has been swinging wildly. Economic forecasters have been rushing to release unscheduled forecast revisions in an effort to keep up with events.”
56 corrections officers, including union president, test positive for Covid-19
Press Release, NYS Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association
ALBANY – The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association today announced that Union President Michael B. Powers tested positive for COVID-19.
Powers, who is regularly in contact with correction officers from every corner of the state, has been self-quarantining at his home for the last several days. The news reaffirms the Union’s position that the State, including the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), must take immediate action to further prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our state correctional and mental health facilities.
“To date, there are approximately 56 state correction officers and sergeants that have tested positive for COVID-19, including me. One of the officers is hospitalized and requires the use of a ventilator,” Powers said. “Additionally, hundreds of DOCCS employees are under self-quarantine or directed by their personal physicians to remain under quarantine. In OMH/OPWDD, approximately 35 employees are under orders to quarantine. Six OMH/OPWDD employees have tested positive for the virus. Of those six positive tests, two are hospitalized with one remaining in critical condition. We can be assured that the total of positive cases will increase. The numbers underscore the fact that our state facilities are on the cusp of a wide outbreak. This concern must be taken seriously, and certain measures must be put in place immediately to protect staff.”
NYSCOPBA is imploring the State to allow all employees working in correctional facilities, mental health facilities, parole offices and other agencies deemed essential, the ability to use the necessary personal protective equipment (PPEs) — specifically N95 masks, gloves and disposable smocks — to assist in preventing the spread.
“The dedicated members of NYSCOPBA are mandated to work on the front lines during the COVID-19 crisis,” said NYSCOPBA President Michael B. Powers. “I am calling on the Governor to make employee safety a priority and direct his state agencies to allow all staff members the ability to use basic personal protection equipment. If the State cannot pay for it, then allow NYSCOPBA to help.”
Currently in DOCCS, only those employees who work in isolated or quarantined units are provided PPEs. Continuing to prevent the staff from protecting themselves will not only jeopardize the staff, inmates and inmate-patients, but also raises the likelihood of the virus spreading beyond work sites.
NYSCOPBA is committed to working with the State to promote safe and healthy working conditions. If financial constraints are preventing the State from providing the life-saving equipment needed to protect its workforce, then NYSCOPBA is prepared to meet the needs of our members and provide the essential equipment.
NYSCOPBA has already made repeated requests to limit exposures. In letters dated March 9th and March 14th and sent to multiple state agencies, NYSCOPBA outlined their demands calling for several preventative measures to quell the spread of the virus.
Initially, those demands were not met with the urgency that this situation requires. More recently though, DOCCS has been providing direction and addressing several of the issues raised by the Union — but there is certainly more that needs to be done. Conversely, OMH has not consistently communicated with the Union or taken the necessary precautions to protect the staff and patients in the mental health facilities. This is unacceptable and must be addressed.
“Each day that our members are prohibited from wearing protective equipment, they are exposed to being infected and spreading the virus inside and outside of the facilities,” Powers said. “We recognize and appreciate that some of our concerns have been addressed. However, further delays to our reasonable requests to protect staff must not continue. The members of NYSCOPBA must be afforded the ability to protect themselves. The use of PPEs to limit our members from exposure and infection makes sense. Too much time has already passed. Every day we are discovering more positive tests for Covid-19. The State must act now before it is too late, and we’re faced with a bigger crisis inside the state’s prison and mental health systems.”
Last week the New York City Department of Corrections, working with the NYC COBA, announced that staff would have permission to use their own N95 respirator or surgical masks and promised to distribute more masks to staff as the virus spreads. In an unprecedented move, the City corrections department also announced that the Eric. M. Taylor Center at Rikers Island, which was closed earlier this year, would reopen to help allow for social distancing. The State has failed to enact these reasonable measures for the protection of the members of NYSCOPBA.
In addition to the requests for PPEs, NYSCOPBA is also seeking immediate action to provide protections for members considered vulnerable or high-risk; accommodations for members who work in isolation units; increased testing for staff, inmates and patients; strict adherence to DOH and CDC guidelines; and more stringent transportation and movement policies.
NYSCOPBA is extremely concerned by OMH’s failure to discontinue patient admissions and patient movement from high-risk and high-infection areas to upstate OMH facilities. Continuing with these ill-advised practices will undoubtedly increase exposures in those communities.
By Karen Sawicz, Publisher of OrleansHub.com and Lake Country Pennysaver
As we drafted our community message regarding the current COVID-19 crisis, it occurred to us that perhaps we might offer a different kind of message.
Rest assured, we at Lake Country Pennysaver and the OrleansHub.com are working at all of the prescribed actions to reduce density and protect our team, their families and our community. As a business, we have found the resources provided by Orleans County Public Health and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (click here) to be helpful.
Aside from that, we really wanted our message to be a little dose of hope in times where it seems to be in short supply:
• Focus on positive news. If you are tracking the spread by some dashboard somewhere, start using one that shows recoveries, now at more than 150,000 and counting. We like the one provided by Johns Hopkins (click here).
• Have faith in your community. Never underestimate human potential for compassion. Use that as a foundation that we will all get through this together!
• Be that faith in your community! Try and reach out to those around you, particularly the most vulnerable. A simple check-in phone call or reassuring words can go a long way for the elderly or a scared child. If you have extra (be it food, supplies or even cash) think about sharing with somebody who has little or none.
• Don’t panic sell. Since the dawn of the stock market, recovery has come 100 percent of the time. Check with a finance pro before any big change.
• Don’t panic buy. Our great country has the strongest food and vital goods supply system in the world. It’s not going anywhere.
• Support impacted businesses. Order out from your favorite restaurants and pay your gym membership. Buy online or gift cards from local shops. We need all these folks to be in business when this is over.
And lastly, remember this simple, yet powerful fact:
• A wave and a smile still work from six feet away!
Wishing you that spirit today,
Karen Sawicz and your friends at the Lake Country Pennysaver and OrleansHub.com
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 March 2020 at 10:25 am
LYNDONVILLE – The school district announced there will be a staff parade on Thursday beginning at 1 p.m.
Teachers and other district staff will travel by vehicle to see kids in the community, who have been out of school for two weeks and counting due to health concerns with the coronavirus.
“Our faculty and staff miss you and would love to see you!” the district announced on its website this morning. “If you are on our parade route, please come on your porch or driveway. If we are not passing by your house and you are driving to the area, we kindly ask you to remain in your vehicles, or stay 6 feet apart (Social Distance Guidelines) to celebrate, while at a safe distance from others! Show us your decorated signs, get ready to wave and wear your orange and black to show your Tiger Spirit!”
The parade will follow the route of the July 4th parade, starting by Lynoaken Farms on Alps Road, left on Willowbrook, down Lake Avenue, turning right on Route 63 (Main Street), turning left on Housel, and ending at the school parking lot.
If people don’t live on the route, they are welcome to pull up and park in their vehicles to see the teachers and staff.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 30 March 2020 at 10:03 am
(Editor’s Note: This is part of an ongoing series – “Pandemic Perspectives” – with local residents sharing how the coronavirus is impacting their lives and the community. We welcome more submissions. Send them to news@orleanshub.com.)
Photos by Tom Rivers: Ginny Kropf has been a long-time local news reporter. She lives in Medina.
I don’t think any of us in our wildest dreams could have imagined our country in the state it is in now.
I can’t help but think back when my husband Larry and I were raising five kids and lived paycheck to paycheck. While we wouldn’t have had money to pay the bills, we wouldn’t have starved, as our cellar was always full of canned fruits and vegetables, raised in our garden.
Larry was an avid gardener and anyone who knew us knew we had the most beautiful garden anyone ever saw. He worked full time at Abex, came home early afternoon and went to work on the farm for our neighbors, the Dressers. Then, to relax, after supper he worked in the garden until dark.
We had rows of potatoes that were neatly hilled up. And there was not a weed to be found anywhere. Larry planted everything from blue potatoes to purple beans and half a dozen varieties of sweet corn. We also had raspberries, strawberries and rhubarb.
My uncle had a fruit farm, so I had access to unlimited peaches, apples, cherries, pears and plums, which I canned and froze. I made jam, applesauce, relish, mincemeat, chili sauce and pickles.
But, back to our current crisis and how we are coping.
First is the frustration at not daring to go anywhere. Just at the onset of this pandemic, my computer crashed and I spend a big share of my time on the computer. Fortunately my new one is up and running and now helps occupy my time. I am sending messages to people I haven’t contacted in a long time, and we have also made and received phone calls from friends out-of-state that we’ve been meaning to contact for months.
And I must say it was a very warm feeling the other day to go down Park Avenue and see half a dozen families walking together. I’ve never seen that before.
Let me say how frustrating it is to see how people are hoarding food. Who would have ever thought we would go into super stores like Walmart and Tops and find shelves and meat cases totally empty. I must admit I did clear the shelf of canned tuna with oil a week ago (there were only four cans left). Two cans of tuna, a cost of $2, makes a great meal combined with chopped boiled eggs and peas and stirred into a cream sauce.
The shelves for paper products, including toilet paper, were cleared out by customers at the Tops in Albion on March 14.
Bread is another thing that is being snatched off the shelves as fast as it comes in. We ate our last slice this morning, and I am tempted to go looking for some, but am hesitant to go out any more than I have to. I have plastic gloves, which look and feel horrible, but I think I’ll wear them into the store. I have also used napkins out of the glove compartment to open the door of a store, then came home and washed the door handle and steering wheel of my car with bleach and water. (You can’t find a can of Lysol or any other disinfectant spray anywhere).
Then I remembered how I used to make bread. I have a recipe from a longtime friend, Rose Allard, formerly Schlegal. It makes three loaves and is the best bread ever. I just have to go out and get some yeast and hope I haven’t lost my touch.
I have heard several people exclaim how upset they were not to find hamburg or chicken or steaks, but I bet they never thought of some of the alternatives.
Fortunately, we like everything, so when I was in the store the other day and there wasn’t a piece of meat in the cases, I walked along and discovered frozen liver. One store even had oysters and oyster stew is a favorite of Al’s. There has always been an ample supply of shrimp in several stores, and in an out-of-the-way store the other day I found salted codfish in a box. Rinse the codfish several times, cook it for a few minutes and then stir it into a cream sauce and it is delicious over toast or mashed potatoes. And a pound box of codfish would feed a whole family. The $8 purchase provided us with two meals.
When all the canned vegetables have been cleared off the shelves lately, in the fresh produce isle there has been asparagus and rutabaga (a member of the turnip family for those who aren’t familiar with it). Rutabaga is Al’s favorite vegetable and after I introduced it to my daughter-in-law Cindy at a holiday dinner, she now incorporates it in her mashed potatoes. And I’ve never seen a shortage of that.
I sure hope this virus is contained soon, as I know the devastation it is causing to individuals and the economy, but I am reasonably sure we won’t starve. Not as long as people don’t start hoarding liver, oysters or codfish.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 March 2020 at 8:29 am
KENDALL – The school district beginning today will be delivering all meals to students by bus, with a pickup at the Junior-Senior High School no longer an option.
Kendall will deliver bagged breakfasts and lunches by bus to children age 18 and younger who reside in the district. Children do not have to be enrolled in the district to receive meals, according to a notice from the district.
All meals will be delivered via school bus to homes between 10:30 a.m. to noon according to the following schedule:
• Meals delivered on Mondays will be for Monday and Tuesday.
• Meals delivered on Wednesdays will be for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
• For Spring Recess Week, four meals will be delivered on Monday only.
“Please place a bin by your front door so our staff can safely leave meals in it,” according to a letter to the community from Julie Christensen, Kendall school district superintendent. “Please monitor delivery so food temperatures are maintained safely.”
Kendall parents picking up meals will have them delivered to their home beginning today. For families already on the distribution list no action is necessary.
To be added or removed from the meal distribution list, email Cindy Wolck at cwolck@kendallschools.org or call at 585-659-8317.
School instructional materials will be delivered on Wednesdays to students.
“Thank you for your patience as we modify our practices to keep our school family safe while school is closed. We miss our students!” Christensen said in her letter to the community.
