Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the State Police will partner with local law enforcement agencies statewide to crack down on impaired and reckless driving during Super Bowl weekend.

The STOP-DWI campaign will include underage drinking enforcement, along with increased patrols and sobriety checkpoints to deter, identify, and arrest impaired drivers. The enforcement initiative, which runs from Saturday through Monday, is funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.

“The Super Bowl is one of the biggest events of the entire year, and I am encouraging New Yorkers to enjoy it responsibly,” Governor Cuomo said. “It is simple: If you are drinking, do not get behind the wheel. New York has zero tolerance for drunk driving, and our police will be aggressively enforcing the law this weekend to keep New Yorkers safe.”

If you are hosting guests during the Super Bowl, please designate a responsible driver in advance to help your guests get home safely.

• Ask all of your guests to designate their sober drivers in advance, or help them arrange ridesharing with sober drivers. If you don’t drink, offer to drive guests home.

• Serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages at the party.

• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter—this is a good time to serve coffee and dessert.

• Sign up online for a ridesharing service or keep the phone numbers of local cab companies on hand and take the keys away from any guests who are thinking of driving after drinking.

• The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation “Have a Plan” mobile app, is available for Apple, Droid and Windows smartphones. The app enables New Yorkers to locate and call a taxi service and program a designated driver list. It also provides information on DWI laws and penalties, and an option to report a suspected impaired driver.

• Remember, if you serve a guest alcohol and he or she gets in a crash that night, you could be held liable.

• If an underage person drinks and drives, the parent or guardian can be legally liable for any damage, injury or death caused by the underage driver.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Nicholas Olate performs with the Olate Dogs during Thursday’s Billy Martin’s Cole All-Star Circus at Albion High School. About 700 people attended the show.

The Olate Dogs, previous winners of America’s Got Talent, were the headliners in the show. The dogs amazed the crowd with high-energy, fast-paced pet tricks.

Nicholas Olate gives one of the dogs a hug after it delighted the crowd.

At intermission, people could get their picture taken with the dogs. Lux and Harrison Froman of Albion pose with the famous canines.

The circus performed two shows in Medina on Jan. 17, and also was in Holley on Wednesday. They will be in Kendall today at 7 p.m.

Jose Ayala, the “master of balance,” stands precariously high on a tower of cylinders and blocks.

Hannah Ebbs, 3, of Albion gets her face painted by Ivan Arestov, one of the circus performers.

The Ayala Duo shows of a feat of strength and balance.

Elena impressed the crowd with a series of quick costume changes that seemed like magic. She switched into many different outfits. Alex, in back, also made a lightning-fast switch into a white suit.

Elena appears with another different outfit after briefly being covered in a cape.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Karen Lake-Maynard retired today as Orleans County Clerk. There was a big party in the Clerk’s Office with many county employees, attorneys, town clerks and other local officials stopping by to thank Lake-Maynard for her 14 years as county clerk and 30 years in the Clerk’s Office.

She is shown being greeted by Lance Mark, an attorney from Medina.

Karen Lake-Maynard wipes away tears after being congratulated on her career by Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature.

The county clerk oversees 10 employees, including six at the Department of Motor Vehicles at the County Administration Building on Route 31 and four employees at the County Clerk’s Building on Main Street.

“People really love her,” said Tracy Cliff, who has worked for Lake-Maynard the past five years as an index clerk. “She cares about her employees and the people who come in here. I’ve had great bosses, but she’s the best.”

Deb Boyer has worked the past 29 years as a title examiner and is often in the clerk’s office.

“She is just a genuinely awesome person,” Boyer said about Lake-Maynard. “She goes the extra mile.”

In her last act as county clerk, Lake-Maynard administered the oath of office to Diane Shampine, who has been the deputy clerk the past 14 years. Shampine was joined in taking the oath by her granddaughter, Jayda Shampine, 11. She held the Bible for her grandmother.

Shampine gets a hug from her granddaughter.

Shampine of Holley will be the acting clerk the rest of this year. She said she enjoys working with the public in the clerk’s office.

Diane Shampine signs the oath of office.

The county clerk’s position position will be on the November ballot. There could be a Republican primary on June 23 between Shampine and Nadine Hanlon, clerk of the County Legislature.

To see a video of Shampine taking the oath of office, click here.

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ALBION – An Albion man was sentenced to 1 ½ years in state prison today by Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church.

Richard Meise, 36, was arrested on June 20 along with his wife Linda for allegedly making and possessing methamphetamine at Beechwood Boulevard, Oak Orchard Estates.

Mrs. Meise, a first-time felony offender, was sentenced to 6 months in jail and 5 years of probation for having precursors for making methamphetamine.

Her husband is a second-felony offender. He pleaded guilty to attempted unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine in the third degree. His sentence also includes two years of post-release supervision.

Public Defender Joanne Best said Mr. Meise has been drug-free since his arrest.

Judge Church said Meise has an extensive criminal and substance abuse history. The judge urged Meise to take a new path in his life.

“I hope you get the help you need and it lasts,” he said.

In other cases in County Court today:

• Nicholas Boryszewski, 37, of Medina pleaded guilty to attempted burglary in the second degree and could face 3 to 7 years in state prison when he is sentenced.

Boryszewski admitted to entered a residence without permission on Maple Ridge Road in Shelby on July 2 and taking cash and safe.

He could also receive five years of post-release supervision. He also needs to pay restitution, which could be up to $13,700.

• A Medina man was arraigned on seven counts of criminal possession of stolen property.

Anthony Allee, 28, of Ridge Road faces two counts in the third degree, and three counts each of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth and fifth degrees.

He allegedly had a two stolen ATVs, a car trailer, utility trailer, golf cart, dirt bike and another trailer.

He is a codefendant in the case with his wife, Tashira Allee, 36.

The couple also is facing federal charges for allegedly maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, unlawful possession of a short-barreled shotgun, and unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle.

Mr. Allee also faces federal charges with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, marijuana, hydrocodone, and cocaine, unlawful possession of a machinegun, and unlawful possession of a stolen firearm, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum of life.

Allee’s attorney, Christopher Privateer, asked Judge Church to authorize a psychiatric evaluation of Allee, which the judge approved today.

Privateer said he is concerned that Allee is not receiving any mental health treatment while being held at a facility in Ohio.

• Ronald Riley, 40, of Applegate Drive in Medina was arraigned on multiple drug charges for allegedly having and selling cocaine in Medina.

Riley was arraigned on three counts each of criminal sale and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. He also has been charged with criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree.

Riley is currently on parole with the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. His charges are no longer a “bailable offense” but his attorney requested some bail, even $1. That way the time he spends in the county jail can count towards his sentence. Judge Church agreed to set bail at $1.

• Maurice Glasco, 41, of South Main Street in Medina was arraigned on driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree. He was charged on Nov. 18 on Route 31 in Ridgeway.

Press Release, Roland Nenni, police chief for Albion and Holley police departments

ALBION/HOLLEY – The Albion and Holley Police Departments have received numerous complaints recently involving phone, mail and internet fraud. These complaints vary in how they are orchestrated but the result is always the transfer of funds that are nearly impossible to trace.

Some of the scams we have received are as follows, but these are only a few of the many fraudulent incidents reported:

• Victims receiving text messages stating that a clergy member of their parish is ill and funds are needed and to send the funds to various locations in the form of cash, gift cards and electronically.

• Victims receiving an item in the mail from Publishers Clearing House advising that they had won and needed to send funds electronically and in cash to various locations to cover the tax before they received their grand prize of over $100,000.

• Victim receiving a text message advising that they had been selected to be an undercover shopper to evaluate retail locations. The victim was instructed to call a specific phone number and to provide a mailing address to receive mail correspondence. After providing their mailing address the victim received items in the mail and instructions to purchase several Walmart gift cards in various amounts over $200 and to send the card numbers to various locations. They also needed to provide their bank account information so the funds could be placed back in their account to verify the account and information, and then additional funds will be provided for “Undercover Shopping.” The victim’s entire bank account was then emptied electronically.

These fraudulent incidents have resulted in thousands of dollars being stolen from the victims.

The Albion Police and Holley Police are working with our federal partners and financial institutions to investigate these crimes. However, there is little that can be done to find the persons responsible or to get the money back. The addresses used are ghost addresses and the electronic accounts where the funds are sent are fraudulently obtained with fake identification’s being used by the perpetrators.

The statement that “If it sounds too good to be true, means it usually is not true” is one of the best ways to determine if something is a scam. The other basic way of determining if something is fraud is to do a simple Google search of the phone number or other information given. The fraud complaints contained in this release will appear with a Google search.

Many of the scams involve fake websites, so use caution going directly to a website provided to verify the validity of the request or offer.

MEDINA – Attending her exercise classes is something Jeannine Connor wouldn’t miss.

In fact, going to Silver Sneakers and yoga at the YMCA in Medina is something she looks forward to every day, and during the last two years, Connor has attended more than 200 classes each year. Although she turned 84 on Jan. 10, she realizes the benefits of regular exercise and has no plans to give up.

She not only attends Silver Sneakers classes Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, but she also does yoga two mornings a week.

Connor loves the opportunity to socialize with other seniors, but in September she fell and broke her leg, and the classes have helped her get her mobility back.

Jeannine Connor of Medina has attended more than 200 Silver Sneakers classes at the YMCA in Medina for each of the last two years. In back is Andy Jamele of Waterport, formerly of Medina, who started attending Silver Sneakers more than 10 years ago with his late wife Mabel. They warm up here with the class on a recent Friday morning.

“I worked and worked on bending that leg and I now find I can bend it even more,” Connor said. “It exercises all the muscles.”

She said the exercises, especially yoga, have helped with her vertigo.

The program is open to people 65 and older. Pam Canham teaches the classes every day. When she is out, Linda Drum, who has worked at the Y for 10 years, fills in for her.

Canham is retired from being the director of the Orleans County Office for the Aging, and she began exercising after she retired. After getting more involved, she became certified to teach Silver Sneakers and yoga.

She said at this time of year everyone makes New Year’s resolutions to get fit, and this is a perfect time to put the spotlight on exercising.

She explained that chair yoga focuses on breathing, stretching and balance. Every class is done at each senior’s own pace, and the instructor will focus on options for everyone.

There are two levels of Silver Sneakers. Silver Sneakers Classic is designed to increase muscle strength, range of movement and improve activities for daily living. A chair is used for seated exercises and standing support. Classes can be modified depending upon fitness levels, Canham said.

Silver Sneakers Cardio Fit is a safe and heart-healthy aerobics class which energizes a senior’s active lifestyle using low-impact movements which focus specifically on building upper body and core strength, plus cardio endurance.

Zumba Gold is perfect for active older adults who are looking for a modified Zumba class which recreates the original moves participants love at a lower intensity. The design of the class, Canham said, introduces easy-to-follow Zumba choreography that focuses on balance, range of motion and coordination.

“Silver Sneakers is fueled by our group of dedicated instructors who really care for the physical, social and emotional health of our local seniors,” said Greg Reed, director of the YMCA. “The 10 to 11 a.m. time frame is one of my favorites at the YMCA, as members continue to pursue the best version of themselves. I would challenge any senior to see if their health insurance provider covers the cost of a YMCA membership, so they can join this committed community.”

Reed invites any senior to stop in any time to find out more information.

Canham suggests seniors contact Cindy Perry, director of Outreach, Education and Marketing at Medina Memorial Hospital’s Community Partners for further information on healthy eating.

“Everyone wants to get fit, and we have a dietitian who will meet with people one on one,” Perry said.

Of particular concern are seniors who may be diabetic or pre-diabetic.

Perry said the Center for Disease Control has determined that physical activity and good nutrition go hand in hand. A study found that taking Silver Sneakers classes can help seniors control their diabetes.

Community Partners will sponsor a pre-diabetes class starting in March. The class will run once a week for 16 weeks, then meet once a month to keep participants motivated. The goal is for participants to lose three to five percent of their body weight over a year, something Perry said is very doable.

The Conservative Party isn’t endorsing a candidate in the upcoming special election in the 27^th Congressional District.

Chris Jacobs

The Republican Party has backed State Sen. Chris Jacobs of Buffalo while the Democratic Party has nominated Nate McMurray in the election. McMurray also has the backing of the Working Families Party.

Paul Lauricella, chairman of the Orleans County Conservative Party, said the Orleans County Conservative Party wants to carry petitions and support Beth Parlato in a June 23 primary.

However, he urges the local Conservatives to vote for Jacobs in the special election, which will likely be on April 28.

“Yes, registered Conservatives can vote in this special election,” Lauricella said. “It is imperative that the seat does not fall to the radical socialist Democratic Party candidate Nate McMurray. Like our Governor Cuomo he does not represent the values of the 27th District.”

Jacobs’ campaign announced this morning he has the endorsement of the Independence Party.

“The Independence Party is proud to stand with Chris Jacobs, a proven reformer with a track record of protecting taxpayers and making government work,” said Frank MacKay, chairman of the Independence Party of New York. “As County Clerk, Chris created efficiencies without increasing the size or cost of government while eliminating backlogs, ending patronage hires and creating the largest discount program for veterans in the state.”

Before he was a state senator, Jacobs was the Erie County clerk, the first Republican in that position in 40 years.

“Washington is broken and too many Americans are suffering because the government has grown too cumbersome, too inefficient and not nearly responsive enough to taxpayers,” Jacobs said. “In Congress, I’ll be a fighter for Western New York and I’ll work tirelessly to hold the federal government accountable to all hardworking Americans.”

Press Release, U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr.

Andrew Campbell

BUFFALO – U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Andrew Campbell, 33, formerly of Albion, now living in North Carolina, who was convicted of possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth R. Moellering, who handled the case, stated in July 2018, an individual contacted the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office after discovering a disturbing video on a desktop computer that belonged to the defendant. The witness and Campbell lived together on and off and Campbell left the computer at the residence when he was made to vacate the residence by the witness in June 2018. In addition to the desktop computer, Witness 1 also turned over a laptop computer and hard drive.

A forensic analysis of the desktop, laptop, and hard drive revealed more than 65 image files and more than 20 videos containing child pornography. Some of the images depicted the sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler, and other depictions of violence.

The sentencing is a result of an investigation by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of former Sheriff Randy Bower, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Buffalo Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.

Teddy Bear Clinic has expanded to all districts in the county

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Joanna Miller, left, puts a Band-Aid on this Albion kindergartener’s Teddy Bear. Medina Memorial Hospital hosted four kindergarten classes from Albion today for the Teddy Bear and Doll Clinic.

Students brought along stuffed animals and visited different stations at the hospital. Medina Memorial hopes the event will help children to feel more comfortable if they ever need to go to the hospital.

Joanna Miller puts a bandage on this Teddy Bear’s leg. Miller works as the risk management director for Orleans Community Health, parent organization of the hospital.

The students were asked how their stuffed animals were injured, and most of the kids said the Teddy Bears were jumping on the bed and fell off and broke a leg.

Miller urged the kids to keep the stuffed animals’ limbs elevated and give them lots of rest and relaxation while recovering from the injuries.

Miller also had a few requests for flu shots.

Nicole Helsdon tends to the needs of this Teddy Bear. Helsdon works as an office manager. She got to be a nurse for the stuffed animals that needed care.

All five school districts in the county – Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina – attend the Teddy Bear Clinic and nearby Elba also brings students to help familiarize them with a hospital.

The students also hear from a pharmacist, see the X-Ray machine and learn about good nutrition.

Nicole Helsdon checks the vital signs on this stuffed animal.

Students in Mrs. Lang’s kindergarten class at Albion put their stuffed animals on the X-Ray table.

Erica Chutko, an X-Ray technician and manager of the radiology department, shows the students an X-Ray. She showed them another X-Ray where a child had swallowed a small dinosaur toy.

Nicci Moore, a social worker at the hospital, greets these students.

Joanna Miller was busy putting bandages and Band-Aids on the wounded stuffed animals.

Ginny Kropf

There can’t be anyone out there who doesn’t remember where they were 43 years ago this week. It was on Jan. 28 when the Blizzard of ’77 paralyzed Western New York.

My husband Larry was working at Abex and that Friday morning I decided to take our oldest son Randy to Medina to get our hair cut. We were at the Clip Shop on East Center Street and Randy had his hair cut first. As I was getting into the chair, I looked out and saw it starting to snow. Within seconds you couldn’t see across the street.

When I was nearly done, I told Randy, who was almost 18 at the time, to go start the car. Within five minutes I started out the door and was stopped dead in my tracks. The wind was blowing the snow so hard from the west, I couldn’t hold my head up to see if a car was coming. Randy finally could see through the car windows and yelled at me to run.

It was snowing and blowing so hard I decided to go right to Abex and get Larry to come home with us. The plant was letting the workers go and Larry decided to leave his truck there and ride with us. We got down Bates Road, which was already filling with drifts, and turned east onto Maple Ridge Road. Less than a mile up the road, near the water tower, we came to a complete stop. The road had drifted full with a mound we discovered the next day was three cars piled up.

Luckily, we were in front of the home of our friends Dan and Carol Nogle. Carol worked at the bank in Middleport, and she was stranded there. We ended up spending the night with Dan, which left our other four kids home alone in Millville. We ran the Cobblestone Store in Millville at the time and my daughter Sherri, 16, was there with Terry, 15; Tim, 13; and Robin, 11. I called Sherri just before we lost phone service and told her to get her brothers and sister and go home. Our farmhouse had great big solid windows in the front and west and all I could think of was the wind might blow them out. So I told the kids to find blankets, a hammer and some nails, and in case the windows blew out, to just nail the blankets over them.

Thank heavens, that didn’t happen, and the kids made out all right alone there all night.

The next morning, we decided to try and get home. Nogles had three snowmobiles, so Dan and his kids rode Larry, Randy and I home.

We had six snowmobiles and in a short time, we were all suited up to take stranded motorists home, deliver milk and bread to families who needed it and get prescriptions in town.

Randy and I paired up with two snowmobiles, one which towed a ski-boose, and Larry and Terry ran errands with two more. Sherri, Tim and Robin went to man the store.

We had gotten a call from the Dressers, who lived around the corner on Dresser Road and had a dairy farm. They were afraid their barn was going to freeze and asked if we could get to Medina to get kerosene for their heaters.

Randy and I got to their barn and filled the ski-boose with cans, then headed back to Maple Ridge Road. We had turned west toward Medina and got only about 100 feet when we came to a wall of snow. The wind was blowing so hard we couldn’t see only a few feet in front of us. Snow banks were 20 feet high and a rotary plow had come through and cut a narrow path through the bank. I told Randy to stay out in the clear, and I started through it, then realized I was trapped. I couldn’t see anything, and if a plow was coming through there, he couldn’t see me and I had no where to go. In that moment, I thought I could be a goner and there was nothing I could do about it. I’ve never forgotten that feeling. I immediately got turned around and headed back to Dresser Road.

Randy and I decided to go cross lots through the field until we got far enough west to cut back onto the road. Visibility was so bad, we didn’t notice we were on a huge snowbank, and we drove off it and down the embankment, our snowmobiles rolling over and over and kerosene cans flying everywhere.

We managed to right everything and gather up the cans and continued our journey west. My aunt and uncle lived just down the road, and by the time we got to their house, we couldn’t go any more. Our scarves were frozen over our faces, so we stopped to get warm. They provided us with warm scarves and after a few minutes, we again headed for Medina.

The pile of cars was still in the road by Nogle’s house and we rode up and over them.

In Medina we picked up some prescriptions for neighbors and got the kerosene cans filled. The ride back wasn’t as bad, as the wind was at our backs.

The next day our friend Bob Pask, who lived up East Shelby Road, needed a ride home, so I offered to take him on the snowmobile. Half way there, we were riding along, when all of a sudden we were tumbling over and over and the snowmobile was sliding off in another direction. We had ridden over five cars buried in the snow.

I was delivering the Buffalo Courier Express at the time, and for two days there was no paper. But on the third day, the Courier sent bundles of papers to Medina on snowplows and I managed to get to Medina to deliver them to the stores there. It would be a week before the roads were passable enough so I could deliver to the entire county.

Thankfully, we survived the storm with nothing but a lot of memories.

(Editor’s note: Ginny Kropf grew up in East Shelby and Millville and graduated from Medina High School in 1955, where she was editor of the school newspaper, The Horizon. She likes to brag that her writing career got its start at Medina High School. After raising five children, she went to work for The Daily News in Batavia in 1989 and left there in 2018 to write for Orleans Hub. Local news about her home town is always her favorite assignment. She is excited to share her views on local events, personal experiences and hometown happenings with readers of Orleans Hub.)

Yehudah Davis

ALBION – An Albion was arrested and jailed on Tuesday on multiple drug charges, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force is reporting today.

Yehudah Davis, 48, of 213 South Main St., room 10, was charged following an investigation into the sale and distribution of crack cocaine in the Village of Albion.

The Task Force along with the Albion Police Department executed a search warrant at 213 South Main St. The Orleans County Sheriff’s Department also assisted the Task Force and the Albion PD.

Davis was charged with 4 counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree (Class B felonies), and 5 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (Class B felonies).

Davis was arraigned in the Albion Town Court by Town Justice Gary Moore, who remanded Davis to the Orleans County Jail on no bail due to his previous criminal history. Davis is scheduled to appear in front of County Court Judge Sanford Church for a further court proceeding at a later date.

This investigation is ongoing with further charges and arrests are pending, the Task Force said.

Photo by Tom Rivers: This house at 1018 South Main St. is boarded up after a fire last night in Medina.

MEDINA – A Medina resident is displaced from his home after a fire last night at 1018 South Main St.

The fire caused an estimated $50,000 in damage, with $30,000 estimated to the contents, said Lt. Steve Cooley, Medina’s public information officer.

“Working smoke detectors were present and activated properly alerting the sleeping resident to the fire,” Cooley said. “One dog and cat escaped the fire but sadly, one cat did perish. The resident will be assisted by family members.”

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 11:30 p.m. Medina firefighters arrived on scene with Engine 11 at 11:32 p.m. and reported a 2-story house with smoke showing, Cooley said.

Crews were advised by the lone occupant that no one was inside. Firefighters forced entry in the front door and found heavy smoke and flames on the first floor, Cooley said.

Additional Medina units under the command of Fire Chief Matt Jackson arrived shortly thereafter along with one engine from the Shelby Fire Company to assist with searches and extinguishment.

COVA EMS was requested to provide transport for the injured resident. His injuries are not life threatening and he was transported to Medina Memorial for evaluation, Cooley said.

The fire was called under control at 12:21 a.m. Crews remained on scene until 4:09 a.m., overhauling (searching and containing fire in void spaces) and investigating the cause.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by fire investigators from the Orleans County Emergency Management Office with assistance from the Medina Fire Department Fire Investigator.

Additional units on scene: Medina Police Department, Lyndonville Fire Company FAST crew (Firefighter Assist and Search Team), Ridgeway Fire Police, Carlton Fire Department Rescue for their cascade system (breathing air refill unit), Orleans County Fire Coordinator Dale Banker, NYSEG, National Grid and Village of Medina Code Enforcement Officer Dan Gardner.

“We would like to extend our thanks to all our public safety partners listed above for their assistance to us during this incident,” Cooley said.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the FY 2021 Executive Budget includes an expansion of the current income exclusion for farmers and sole proprietors and an expansion of the refundability of the investment tax credit so that more farming businesses can qualify.

“Agriculture remains a key industry in New York and we are committed to helping the farmers who help all of us put food on the table,” Governor Cuomo said. “These businesses are economic engines for their local communities, and with these key reforms, we are investing in a stronger Empire State for all.”

The Executive Budget triples the existing sole proprietor and farm business income AGI subtraction from 5 percent to 15 percent. This will further uplift small businesses that have an annual income of $250,000 or less and are paying taxes through personal income tax.

The budget also expands the refundability of the investment tax credit, which is currently offered only to new businesses, so that all taxpayers whose primary source of income is from farming operations can qualify, allowing them to receive the full benefit of their credits earned.

Building on these important tax benefits, the budget continues to support the agricultural industry at significant levels through local assistance funding. The Governor has proposed a budget of $27.4 million to ensure the future of New York State agriculture.

This funding is integral to the success of a number of programs that provide specialized technical assistance, research, agricultural education, workforce development, and marketing initiatives for the agricultural community. These include the NY FFA, Pro-Dairy, commodity-specific research and development at Cornell, funding for the Farm-to-School program, and more.

The Executive Budget would raise the spending threshold for school districts procuring local food for breakfast and lunch through the federal Child Nutrition Programs. This change will give schools more flexibility in realizing the Governor’s goal for schools to source 30 percent of their menu items from local farms as part of the No Student Goes Hungry initiative.

ALBION – Three candidates for the Albion Village Board were backed this evening at party caucuses for the Republicans and Democrats. The village election is March 18.

Kevin Sheehan

There are two seats open and the incumbents – Peter Sidari and Mattea Navarra-Molisani – aren’t seeking re-election to new four-year terms.

Republicans have backed Kevin Sheehan, a former village trustee, and Christopher Barry. The Democratic Party nominated Maurice Taylor.

Kevin Sheehan, 57, was on the Village Board for eight years and was interested in running for mayor in March 2014. But the Hatch Act derailed those plans and prompted him to step away from the Village Board. (The Hatch Act prevents a federal employee from running in a partisan election.)

Sheehan worked as a union plumber for 27 years before getting a job with the federal VA in Batavia. He was the maintenance mechanic work lead and retired on Sept. 21 after about six years.

“I was upset I had to leave (the Village Board),” Sheehan said this evening after the caucus at the LGI at Albion High School. “There were things I wanted to see finished.”

Sheehan said the village government has moved along some key projects the past six years he has been away from the board, including the solar ray installation by the sewer plant on Densmore Road and the upgrades to Bullard Park.

The South Clinton Street resident said he enjoys getting involved with the inner-workings of the village government.

“I like getting the projects going and figuring things out,” he said.

Sheehan has a new job as a safety compliance consultant for Safety York Solutions. The job gives him lots of flexibility, he said.

Christopher Barry

As a village trustee, he said he would push for grants to help the Police Department. He would consider adding police cameras on utility poles if there was grant funding for the projects.

Sheehan said the new bail reform and discovery laws from the state are straining the Police Department. He said he will be an advocate for the department.

“I think we should pursue grants and give the police the tools they need to give us a better quality of life,” Sheehan said.

Sheehan and his wife Carole have four grown sons.

Christopher Barry, 47, works as sergeant at the Orleans Correctional Facility. He started his career as a corrections officer 16 years ago.

Barry, a South Main Street resident, said he looks forward to knowing more about how the village government works. He wants to ensure there are programs for youth.

Maurice Taylor

He and his wife Lisa have two children, ages 5 and 9.

“I want to be part of the solution and not just sit on the couch and complain,” Barry said. “There was a lot going on in town when I was growing up.”

The Democrats endorsed Maurice Taylor, 53, of McKinstry Street. He retired in 2016 after 27 years as a corrections officer.

Taylor and his wife Ethel raised four children in Albion. They have five grandchildren.

He said he wants to take in active role in the community. He sees himself as a candidate for the people.

“I want people to be more cohesive and to get along,” he said.

The Democrats had their caucus at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church.

File photos by Tom Rivers: Anglers fish at the Oak Orchard River at St. Mary’s Archer’s Club in Carlton. The Archer’s Club has an annual fly fishing tournament that draws many out-of-state fishermen.

Fishing is big business in Orleans County, according to a new survey by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The total economic impact from fishing in Orleans added up to $27,989,393 in 2017, according to survey results announced today by the DEC. (Oswego was the highest-ranked county with $192.7 million in total economic impact from fishing.)

Out-of-state anglers account for 70 percent of the fishing economic output in Orleans County, $19,620,488 of the $27,989,393. County residents who fish accounted for $1,767,334 in economic activity while other New York state residents outside Orleans represented another $6,601,571.

“The $28 million for a little county like us is huge,” said Dawn Borchet, the county’s tourism director. “I knew this has always been Orleans County number 1 attraction.”

She attends many sportsfishing shows to promote the fishery.

“It’s all good numbers,” she said about the report.

She noted the survey was done in 2017 during a year of flooding from Lake Ontario. The high waters resulted in a lot of bad PR, which likely kept some anglers away, she said.

Julie Schaeffer and her husband Mike hold Julie’s 29-pound, 6-ounce Chinook salmon which won the $4,000 grand prize in 2019 Rotary Fishing Derby. They are pictured on Aug. 18, 2019. The Schaeffers are from Sligo, Pa., and have been fishing in the derby since the 1980s.

The survey breaks the economic benefits into $23,207,903 in direct economic activity, $3,719,674 in indirect effects, and another $1,061,817 in induced effects.

The direct effects result from the home-based and location-specific spending by anglers on each fishing trip – fishing tackle, camping equipment, lodging, groceries and restaurants.

Indirect effects represent subsequent rounds of money spent among local businesses based on the direct effects – the impact of local industries buying goods and services from other local industries.

The last effect, the induced effect, includes all money spent by the employees who receive salaries and benefits from jobs created by angler expenditures and local businesses on purchases such as those from retail clothing stores, restaurants and other local businesses.

The report also says anglers generated $5,110,762 in local and state tax revenue ion 2017 with $3,588,672 from out-of-state fishermen, $1,187,630 from state (non-county) residents and another $334,460 from Orleans County residents. The anglers combined also accounted for $1,159,206 in federal tax revenues.

The mean distance traveled to fish in Orleans County was 154.4 miles. The survey shows that 62 percent said they are satisfied with their fishing in the county.

The report also ranks which species of fish the anglers were primarily trying to catch. The survey reports that 23 percent said they were primarily fishing in Orleans County for Chinook salmon, with 20 percent saying were after brown trout. Another 18 percent said largemouth bass were their primary target and 14 percent said steelhead/rainbow trout.

The DEC does the angler survey every 10 years. It contacts people with valid freshwater fishing licenses in 2017, and does the survey online or by mail.

Combined direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts of freshwater angling in New York State totaled an estimated $2.14 billion and supported 10,961 jobs in 2017. Of this total, out-of-state anglers contributed approximately 26 percent, or $564 million.

Freshwater anglers spent an estimated $252 million at New York fishing destinations in 2017, and an additional $204 million was expended at home or while traveling to fishing destinations. Purchases of fishing equipment and fishing-related equipment such as boats, motors, etc., generated an estimated $1.8 billion in additional expenditures, the DEC said.

The DEC measured the at-location expenditures by fishermen and Orleans was ranked 15^th out of 62 counties.

Here are the top 20 counties for at-location expenditures by anglers

1. Oswego, $32.61 million
2. Jefferson, $18.41 million
3. Delaware, $13.46 million
4. Warren, $11.72 million
5. Niagara, $11.67 million
6. Essex, $11.39 million
7. Chautauqua, $9.69 million
8. St. Lawrence, $9.32 million
9. Sullivan, $9.24 million
10. Franklin, $9.12 million
11. Monroe, $6.61 million
12. Erie, $6.35 million
13. Hamilton, $6.08 million
14. Wayne, $5.68 million
15. Orleans, $4.98 million
16. Clinton, $4.69 million
17. Yates, $4.01 million
18. Cayuga, $3.81 million
19. Oneida, $3.75 million
20. Ulster, $3.11 million

Source: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

(Click here to see the full fishing survey results from the DEC.)