What an unusual concept. When I first heard about the Vision Board a few years back, I thought “different strokes for different folks”, right? I could not quite grasp the benefit of putting pictures on a board and how that could help make dreams come true.
That changed early this fall. Like many of us, I was talking the talk and not walking the walk. It was time to start doing some of the things that I always thought and talked about, but never did. Maybe I was afraid or maybe I was just being lazy. Yep, I said it, Lazy.
So one day I got a cork board and decided to give the Vision Board a try. I had nothing to lose, but everything to gain. I decorated it pretty and took the time to think about what I wanted to do in the near future. A bucket list of possibilities and happiness.
You see I turned a corner on February 2, 2016. That was the day our house was damaged by a fire. We were forced out of our comfort zone of work and binge TV. Our routine had changed. We got moving and had a new goal. It was time to rebuild our home so we could live there again.
I remember thinking even though it was an unexpected situation there was a silver lining… it gave me motivation again for something new. Not that pulling wires in our gutted out house in 20-degree weather was fun, but it forced us to get out of our comfort zone.
Well three years had passed and I did not want to lose that zest for trying new adventures so I turned to the Vision Board. See the middle of my board? It says “Blog.”
I find the Vision Board keeps my eye on the prize. Some of the items on the board have been started and others WILL be done in the future. It is kept near to me to remind me what is important – Positivity, Happiness, Adventure, Peace, Friendship, Love. Anything that goes on the board has to be in that spirit.
As we all go into 2020, not only a new year, but a new decade, consider creating a Vision Board. The time and thought put into it may be the beginning of a whole new slice of happiness. Somethings you try may not be what you thought, but at least you tried. However, other adventures will be more fantastic than you even imagined!
The only way to discover new levels of happiness is to put yourself out there. Out of your comfort zone. Because as the saying goes “The true failure in life is not trying at all”. Resolve to try in 2020 🙂
Happy Perks to Everyone! To view My Blog live online and share Your Visions Of Possibilities just go to https://www.positiveperksposts.com were you can also Join in, Like and Share Your Comments.
Truly,
Debbie Burgoon London
Your Sassy Small Town Missus from Albion
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 January 2020 at 6:11 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MURRAY – Justin Niederhofer, a Carlton firefighter, holds a dog named Lily that fell down an embankment by the Erie Canal and was stranded in a quarry.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene along Canal Road at about 4 p.m. Jules Hoepting of Albion was out for a walk with her dog by the canal. The dog walked too close to a steep embankment and fell. Lily was by a ledge in the quarry in the icy water.
Jules Hoepting needed to be helped up the embankment by firefighters from Holley and Clarendon.
Ray Keffer of the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Company is on shore while three firefighters head out into the icy water to go after the dog.
The firefighters include Joe Morlino of FHM, and brothers Andrew and Justin Niederhofer of Carlton. They are in a rescue boat owned by the FHM Fire Company.
The dog was located and corralled at about 4:40 p.m. Justin Niederhofer is in the water holding the dog, while the boat is pulled ashore.
Firefighters had to break through ice and paddle the boat across the quarry to get to the dog. Justin Niederhofer, right, is wearing an ice suit and the two other firefighters have on cold water rescue suits.
Joe Morlino, center, helps Justin Niederhofer bring the dog closer to the shore.
Matt Hughson of the Carlton Fire Company carries the dog to a rescue vehicle where it could be warmed up.
Firefighters said the dog was doing well and was going to be checked by a veterinarian.
Jules Hoepting posted on the Orleans Hub Facebook page, thanking the firefighters and a man on a bike, Chad Beach, who called 911. Jules said Lily is doing well, and the dog promptly ate a bowl of dog food and then took a nap when it got home.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 January 2020 at 10:17 am
New group starts next week and will learn many facets of Orleans County
HOLLEY – The second class of Leadership Orleans graduated from the year-long program last month with 24 people learning about many facets of the county.
Class members included local government officials, business and agency leaders, and citizens. The class built a strong network among each other in the year, through retreats and a monthly day-long focus on a different aspect of the county – government, arts and culture, volunteerism and non-profit organizations, community health, tourism and recreation, agribusiness, economic & workforce development, and education.
Greg Reed accepts an award for winning the most points during the year in friendly games and activities that helped the class bond and learn about the county.
“What we learned about the community is invaluable and there are so many opportunities to get involved and help our county,” said Michele Bokman, director of operation for GCC’s campus centers in Orleans County.
She said Leadership Orleans brings together people from several sectors of the community. Although the class has graduated, Bokman said the group will continue to meet and looks for ways to help the county.
Elizabeth Haibach, a librarian at Hoag Library, grew up in Orleans County. She said Leadership Orleans proved eye opening. She didn’t realize how fishing is the county’s top tourism draw, for example, drawing anglers from throughout the country to fish at Lake Ontario, the Oak Orchard River and other tributaries.
“I’ve learned so much about our community that I can apply to my job,” she said.
Greg Reed, director of the YMCA in Orleans County, said Leadership Orleans helped him forge many friendships and connections in the county. Reed came to the Y in Medina two years ago after working in Denver, Colorado. He said the class participants have a common goal of wanting to move the community forward.
Some of the new graduates will be part of a Leadership Orleans Task Force to brainstorm ways to help the county and develop an action plan.
“We don’t want it to end tonight,” Reed said during the graduation program.
Orleans County pushed to start the program so local citizens, government officials, and business and agency leaders have a deeper understanding on how the community works, with a deeper knowledge of its assets and challenges.
The county government was instrumental in providing funding support for Leadership Orleans. The program had its first class in 2018 after the County Legislature set aside $33,000 in 2017 to get the program off the ground. The county contribution was reduced to $22,000 in 2018, and $16,000 in 2019 and 2020.
Chuck Nesbitt, the outgoing county chief administrative officer, was presented a “Distinguished Leader Award” for his support of the program, and for his efforts as the county’s top administrator for 14 ½ years.
“I’m very proud of this program and where it’s going,” Nesbitt said during the graduation. “It is something I hope will resonate for many years to come.”
Nesbitt, an Albion native, urged the class and community to pursue a higher purpose in charting the county’s future.
Andrew Satkowski, quality control manager at Takeform, accepts the an award as “Presenter of the Year.” Satkowski shared with the class the ways he volunteers in the community. He shared about the poverty in Orleans County, and how that is an obstacle for many local families.
“Take up the mantle of building this community to where it should be and where it should go,” he said.
Too often local residents and officials fret about what the county is not, Nesbitt said.
He urged the class to take risks, and use courage and integrity “to break the inertia of the old.”
His advice to the class was “to go for it,” and take stock of their gifts and live a life with purpose.
“It’s up to us to make this community the best version of itself,” he said. “It’s not just one of us. It’s all of us.”
Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, thanked the new graduates for devoted so much effort to the program, and wanting to learn how to make a bigger imoact in the community.
“It is clear in the mission of Leadership Orleans that we are creating a nucleus for investment in Orleans County and are enhancing leadership that will continue to serve Orleans County,” Johnson told the class.
“Now with having our second class graduate, we hope that our Leadership Orleans Alumni will continue to serve in leadership opportunities, help fill our volunteer needs of Orleans County and collaborate with those they met along the way to continue to make Orleans County a great place to live, work and have fun in.”
The program has had 123 presenters its first two years and visited 78 sites. Often the month’s class includes panel discussions from key officials and leaders in education, healthcare, tourism, agriculture or whatever the focus was that month.
Skip Helfrich is the director of Leadership Orleans. The new Class of 2020 starts next week with a two-day opening retreat. Helfrich addresses the Class of 2019 during their graduation at Hickory Ridge Golf Resort.
Ellen Eaton, director of employee experience at Takeform, accepts the “First Impression of the Year” award on behalf of the company in Medina. Takeform wowed the class with its high-tech work site, while insisting employees maintain a life-work balance in their jobs.
Lisa Tombari was presented the “Alumna of the Year.” She was a member of the Class of 2018 and works as director of Operations & Historic Properties at Talis Equity. She oversees several new Talis Equity businesses and real estate projects. She manages operations at Bent’s Opera House, the Stonehurst and Talis Historic Restoration (the window shop at the Mustang City, the former Medina High School).
Tomabri was praised for handling the many challenges with these projects. She also is active in the community, including on the Leadership Orleans steering committee. She also is a member of a waterfront revitalization committee in Medina, and a newly formed Orleans Women’s Leadership group.
Sean “Fresh Sean” Casher and Jessica “DJ Jazzy Jess” Capurso shared a rap about the program and the connections they made as a class. Casher and Capurso both were members of the Class of 2019.
The 2019 graduates include:
Delano Alvarez, Quality Associate III, Baxter Healthcare
James Bensley, Dir. Dept. Planning and Development, County of Orleans
Melissa Blanar, Dir. Orleans County Office for the Aging, Orleans County
Michele Bokman, Director of Operations, SUNY GCC
Beth Brown, Business Administration Manager, Orchard Dale Fruit Company, LLC
Sean Casher, Human Resources Business Partner, CRFS, LLC
Nicole Davis, Director of Residential Services, GCASA
Daniel Doctor, Community Outreach Liaison, Medina Central School District
Jessica Capurso, Health Educator/Community Outreach, Orleans Community Health
Ellen Eaton, Dir. of Recruiting and Employee Experience, Quorum Group dba Takeform
Elizabeth Haibach, Librarian, Hoag Library
Tessa Hartway, Dir. Of Marketing and Branding/Business Development, Talis Equity
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 4 January 2020 at 8:41 am
“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 6, No. 1
Now that 2019 has concluded, the centennial celebration of the legislation requiring each municipality in New York to appoint a local historian has also passed. Signed into law by Gov. Al Smith on April 11, 1919, New York became the first and only state to mandate the appointment of municipal historians.
Gubernatorial portrait of Al Smith of New York, by Douglas Volk
This legislation resulted from efforts to preserve the histories of New York servicemen and the impact of the First World War on local communities. Under the direction of James Sullivan and Alexander Flick, local government historians gathered service information from their respective communities and sent those reports to the State Historian.
The language requiring each municipality to appoint an historian is found within Section 57.07 of the NYS Arts and Cultural Affairs Law. Local Government Historian Law stipulates that each city, town, or village shall appoint an historian, except for any city with a population of over one million in which case an historian shall be appointed for each borough.
In the case of counties, the Board of Supervisors is permitted to appoint a county historian tasked largely with supporting the work of city, village, and town historians within their boundaries. Although the law provided municipalities with the authority to appropriate funds to support the work of local historians, it does not require that the appointed historian be compensated for their work.
Each historian is tasked with one overarching responsibility, to preserve government records with “enduring value for historical and other research” while assisting with coordinated efforts to develop collections of non-government records. Ultimately, the goal of local historians is to encourage the use of these collections for research that creates an understanding and appreciation of their community’s history.
This language is relatively broad, but the State further defined the responsibilities of municipal historians as categorized in four major areas; research and writing, education and programming, historic preservation, and organization, advocacy, and tourism. Since its inception, the interpretation of the law and the duties outlined within it have changed to reflect new methods of engaging with communities, including the use of technology to preserve information in an increasingly digital world.
Over the last 100 years, villages and towns in Orleans County have filled their posts with highly proficient and passionate historians. Yet for many municipalities, identifying residents willing to fill the vacancies for nominal stipends, or no remuneration at all, has proved challenging.
In 1929, the Village of Albion appointed Lillian Achilles to serve as its first historian, nearly ten years after the passing of the Local Government Historian Law. At the county level, it was not until 1944 when Joseph Achilles was appointed as historian that the position was made salaried at $900 per year.
As for those early records of service during World War One, the NYS Archives has digitized these collections and made them available for free to residents of New York. Of those in Orleans County, four town historians submitted information including H. Clure White of Gaines, Mary Bamber of Carlton, Fred T. Potter of Clarendon, and Charles Burt of Kendall.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 January 2020 at 8:51 pm
YATES – The young man who drowned today while fishing in Johnson Creek is Jared Fearby, 21, of Albion, Sheriff Chris Bourke said.
Fearby was home on college break and went fishing with his grandfather. They were wading in Johnson Creek and Fearby became separated from his grandfather.
Fearby was located in the water and could not be revived. The water in the creek was very muddy and was approximately 6 feet deep in the center of the creek, said Undersheriff Michael Mele.
Jared was an outfielder on the Albion varsity baseball team and also a member of the golf team. He graduated with the Class of 2016.
The tragic incident is under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office, which was assisted by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation along with the Medina Fire Department ambulance and the Lyndonville Fire Department.
Press Release, Orleans County Undersheriff Michael Mele
YATES – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a drowning in the Town of Yates. At approximately 1:44 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office 911 Center received a call that a male had drowned in Johnson Creek.
It appears that a grandfather and his grandson were fly fishing while wading in Johnson Creek. At some point the two were separated and after several minutes the grandfather went to look for his grandson.
The grandson, age 21, was located in the water and could not be revived. The water is the creek was very muddy and was approximately 6 feet deep in the center of the creek.
The names are being withheld until all the family is notified.
This tragic incident is under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office, which was assisted by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation along with the Medina Fire Department ambulance and the Lyndonville Fire Department.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 January 2020 at 12:42 pm
ALBION – Randy Bower had a long list of goals four years ago when he started as Orleans County sheriff. Bower, who retired on Tuesday after about 35 years with the Sheriff’s Office, says the standards have been met.
He sees a Sheriff’s Office better connected to the community with improved services.
“It’s a huge team and that’s what helped us meet the objectives,” he said on Tuesday at his office at the Public Safety Building. “There are 100-plus employees. You can’t do it alone.”
Early in his term as sheriff, Bower and Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson worked to add programs in the jail for inmates struggling with addictions. That has expanded to mental health services for the inmates as well.
That effort was strengthened about six months ago with a federal “Access Matters” grant where a clinician and peer counselor from GCASA now are at the jail 20 hours a week to assist inmates. The jail also has worked to help inmates with drug addictions to be connected to a treatment program when they are released from jail. They also receive Vivitrol which gives some relief from the pull of opiates.
Bower said the efforts have helped people to successfully stay sober, and fight off their addictions which often lead to crime in the community, with burglaries and larcenies.
Sheriff Randy Bower and Undersheriff Chris Bourke congratulate Jim DeFilipps on July 28, 2016 when he was recognized at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds as NY Deputy of the Year. Bourke started as sheriff on Wednesday and will have a ceremonial swearing in at 4 p.m. on Jan. 6 at the County Administration Building.
In his retirement, he said he will be an active volunteer with Orleans Recovery Hope, an organization that assists people battling addictions and offers support for their family members. That group sprung from a Sheriff CARES initiative with local clergy members.
Bower, who worked as a public safety dispatcher for 30 years before being elected sheriff, highlighted some of the accomplishments in the Sheriff’s Office during his term.
County Jail
• In addition to the expanded mental health and addiction programs in the jail, a K-9 regularly sweeps the facility to check if there are unauthorized drugs in the jail.
• Inmate work crews also have been cleaning up local parks.
• Corrections officers also function as peace officers at the Orleans County 4-H Fair and Albion Strawberry Festival.
Criminal Division
• An increased law enforcement presence in the rural areas of the county, including school resource officers in Lyndonville and Kendall, with each school district paying the county $100,000 annually to have a deputy assigned to the districts.
• Improved training for deputies with all of them trained in giving Narcan (which often is successful in reversing a drug overdose), first aid and stop the bleed. Two-thirds of the deputies also have taken a crisis intervention training for people in a mental health crisis.
• All patrol cars have rifles and casualty rescue kits.
• Two traffic speed trailers are used in the county, and they were paid for with state grant through Sen. Robert Ortt.
• Sheriff’s Office has received increased federal homeland security funding, and an ICE security agent works out of the Sheriff’s Office three days a week and assists the office with some training.
Improved Outreach
• Sheriff’s Office offers Yellow Dot program for senior citizens, Safe Child ID program, deputies have lunch with students at elementary schools, districted driving program, Walmart safety day, prayer shawl ministry with prayer shawls in all patrol cars.
Strengthened Community Partnerships
• Established on-call clergy, led by Sheriff’s Office chaplain Don Snyder. Local participating clergy include Tim Lindsay, Eddie English, Dan Thurber, Randy LeBaron and Bilal Huzair.
• Sheriff’s Office participates in annual Blue Mass at Holy Family Parish (in memory of the late Deputy David Whittier).
• Partnered with the Lord’s House in Waterport in Toys for Tots program.
• Completed civilian response to active shooter training and security assessments.
STOP DWI
• Driving simulator purchased with grant funds and available at local schools.
• DWI displays and banners available at local schools.
• Enforcement crackdown grant of $10,000 annually which is shared with local police.
Marine Division
• Secured $25,000 in grants to patrol the Erie Canal, with expanded presence at canal functions throughout the summer and fall. All marine deputies equipped with department-issued sidearm.
Dispatch
• Goal to have all police agencies participate in county dispatch system. Added state police. Only missing DEC officers.
Animal Control
• The county has expanded animal control services and now has two full-time animal control officers and a part-timer.
• Partnered with Albion Correctional Facility with inmates training some of the dogs from the county animal shelter.
Civil Division
• The Civil Division promptly processes orders of conviction and has received training in civil process from Ron Bill of the NYS Sheriff’s Association.
Recognition
• Bower in June 2017 received a national award for his work to implement several new initiatives in the county, including expanded substance abuse and mental health services for inmates in the Orleans County Jail. He was honored at the National Sheriffs’ Association Conference in New Orleans with a MAGNUS Leadership Award.
Bower said Bourke as undersheriff and Mike Mele as chief deputy were supportive of the programs. Bourke is now the sheriff and Mele the undersheriff.
Bower said he looks forward to seeing how Bourke and Mele continue the focus of a Sheriff’s Office that is dedicated to serving the community.
“I can see Chris and Mike continuing these programs, and starting their own new ones,” Bower said.
Press Release, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
LOCKPORT – The Lockport VA Clinic moved to a new location in 2020. Veterans can now receive care in a new, larger, and upgraded clinic located at 5725 South Transit Rd.
VA health care has been close to home for veterans in the Lockport area since 1999. Previously scheduled appointments will be honored. Clinic hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Free parking is available in front of the building and enrolled patients should call 716-438-3890 for additional information and to schedule appointments.
The new 10,000-square-foot Lockport VA Clinic will provide a full range of onsite and telehealth services for veterans to include primary care, mental health, laboratory, and women’s health services using the Veteran Health Administration’s proven Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) health care model.
Provider Aruna Korlepara, MD, is a board-certified physician in family practice and Timothy Brimmer, PA, is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Along with a newly contracted staff from Valor Healthcare, Inc., they will continue to provide excellent health care in an updated and welcoming environment.
As an additional convenience to Lockport area veterans and families, a Niagara County Veteran Service Agency representative will also be co-located at the clinic to assist with information on eligibility for veteran benefits.
Veterans seeking benefits and new health care enrollment with VA are encouraged to bring their Department of Defense form (DD-214) discharge papers, as well as a recent tax return.
CARLTON – An Albion man is facing multiple felony charges after he allegedly fired shots from a rifle at Roadies Pizzeria and Sports Bar on Oak Orchard Road.
Scott A. Foley, 52, of Albion has been charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd degree (C Felony), Criminal Possession of Assault Weapon 3rd degree (D Felony), Criminal Possession Weapon 3rd ammunition feeding device (D Felony), Reckless Endangerment 1st (D Felony), Driving While Intoxicated 1st degree, Harassment 2nd and other traffic tickets.
State troopers at 11:31 p.m. on Thursday responded to reports of a disturbance and shots fired from a vehicle at Roadies in Carlton. Responding deputies from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene and initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Foley, who was the only occupant, State Police said.
Foley was taken into custody without incident. Further investigation revealed that Foley was intoxicated, and he failed standard field sobriety tests. The weapon Foley used to fire at the restaurant, a Stag Arms rifle, was recovered on scene. None of the patrons at the restaurant was injured, State Police said in a news release.
Foley was arraigned at the Carlton Town Court and remanded to Orleans County Jail on $100,000 cash, $200,000 bond.
The Orleans County District Attorney Office and Orleans County Sheriff’s Office assisted in this investigation, which is ongoing.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 January 2020 at 9:58 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: An inspector stands in a culvert and watches the Orleans County Highway Department and the Town of Albion Highway Department put in and compact fill material on Aug. 19 for a new culvert on Clarendon Road. The Genesee Valley Branch of the American Public Works Association is recognizing the collaboration as a “Project of the Year” for small cities/rural communities.
Two highway department leaders and a project in Orleans County will be recognized on Jan. 30 during an awards program by the Genesee Valley Branch of the American Public Works Association. The program is at 6 p.m. at the RIT Inn and Conference Center in Henrietta.
Ed Morgan
Ed Morgan, the Town of Murray Highway superintendent the past 30 years, will be recognized as the Public Works Leader of the Year.
Morgan has been a key leader for the town as it expanded water districts and also helped to develop the Holley Business Park, putting in the roads, water and sewer lines.
Morgan this morning said he has had the support of the Town Boards in Murray and the highway department workers.
“I do what I do not looking for a pat on the back,” Morgan said this morning. “The employees are willing to take on the challenge.”
Steven Fuller of the Orleans County Highway Department will be receiving the APPA’s Douglas C. Zefting Award for “outstanding meritorious achievement of an operational/maintenance level employee.” Fuller is instrumental in the county’s paving program.
The Town of Albion Highway Depaertment is receiving a “Project of the Year” award for a transportation project for small cities/rural communities.
The town replaced the culvert on Clarendon Road in a collaboration with the Orleans County Highway Department.
The award recognizes a municipality that shows “creativity, ingenuity, and efficiency in the delivery of Public Works projects that have a profound impact on the community.”
Albion was awarded a $174,000 Bridge NY grant to cover 100 percent of the project’s costs. However, the construction bids for the project were way over that cost, with the low bid $130,000 over budget.
The town was looking to replace the culvert with a 3-sided precast concrete culvert. The County Highway Department, led by John Papponetti, re-evaluated the project to see if the costs could be lowered. Papponetti is an engineer.
Papponetti and the Labella Associates engineering firm determined an arch pipe would work for the culvert. That was significantly less money.
The town and county highway employees worked together on the project, which was done under budget.
ALBION – The Albion Police Department has learned that there have been numerous social media posts indicating that there is a concern for violence on the Albion Central School campus tomorrow related to the previous threat made against the Albion Middle School.
The Albion Police Department has investigated the allegations contained in these posts and determined that there is no evidence or indications of impending violence.
The Albion Police Department is in constant communication with the School District and the Probation Department, who is tasked with monitoring the defendants who were arrested in November for the previous threat.
Even though we have no credible information supporting a threat, we understand the community’s concern and heightened sense of awareness. Since the incident in November we have had an increased law enforcement presence on the school campus. Tomorrow we will increase the amount of law enforcement to a greater level.
We encourage anyone with direct information regarding threats to contact the Albion Police Department at 585-589-5627.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 January 2020 at 5:49 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
RIDGEWAY – Duane Payne, a new member of the Ridgeway Town Board, raises his right hand and takes the oath of office this afternoon during Ridgeway’s organizational meeting. Payne was elected to the board in November.
John Olinger, the Ridgeway highway superintendent, signs the oath of office, which was administered by Town Clerk Karen Kaiser. Olinger was first appointed to position on March 23 following the retirement of Mark Goheen. Olinger was elected to the position in November. He has worked in the Highway Department since 2012, starting as a motor equipment operator.
Brian Napoli takes the oath of office for a new term as the town supervisor. He was re-elected in November in an election with two other candidates.
Mary Woodruff also takes the oath of office after being re-elected to the Town Board in November.
Town Board adopts new ethics policy
During the organizational meeting, the board approved several appointments and also adopted a new ethics policy. That policy states town elected and appointed officials shall not serve as a committee member, chairman, vice chairman or officer of a town political party.
Councilman David Stalker, a member of the Ridgeway Town Republican Committee, said he thinks the policy was drafted to target him. Stalker was endorsed by the Ridgeway Republican Committee last year for town supervisor. Napoli would defeat him in an election that also included Michael Maak.
Stalker noted that many elected officials across the county serve on the town and county Republican committees.
The Ridgeway policy will allow current town officials to continue in their roles on the Ridgeway Republican Committee, or be grandfathered in.
Stalker abstained in the vote for the new policy, while the four other board members approved it.
Brian Napoli, the town supervisor, said the nine-page policy is likely the most comprehensive among the 10 towns in the county.
Councilman Jeff Toussaint said he supports not having active Republican Committee members on the Town Board.
“Otherwise you try to serve two masters and there is the chance for conflict,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 January 2020 at 11:45 am
News site breaks previous high by about 1 million pageviews
Photo by Tom Rivers: Members of the National Guard are shown stacking sandbags on June 2 by houses on Park Road in Carlton. The high Lake Ontario water levels caused flooding and erosion damage in 2019.
Orleans Hub had a record year for traffic in 2019, growing by about 1 million pageviews from 8,467,818 in 2018 to 9,556,253 last year.
We seemed to have plateaued before last year. We had 8,553,605 pageviews in 2017 and 8,334,946 in 2016.
Last year there were several heart-wrenching tragedies in the community, as well as other big stories with the flooding at Lake Ontario, business openings and some hotly contested local elections.
Overall, we posted 3,721 articles and 5,800 photos in 2019. That is more than 10 articles a day on average throughout the year.
Prior to this year we never topped 800,000 pageviews in a month. In 2019, we were over 800,000 for five months, including a high of 875,006 in October.
We also posted 286 letters to the editor in 2019. A letter from the brother of Richard Murray was by far the most viewed letter. Richard Murray was known in the Albion community for collecting bottles and cans. His brother thanked the Albion community and human services agencies for showing Murray kindness and respect – Family appreciates kindness shown to Albion man, who was well known for collecting cans and bottles.
Press Release, NYS Association of Counties and the NYS Association of County Health Officials
As conventional cigarette use has declined in New York State, electronic cigarette use has risen, especially among adolescents and young adults. Tobacco companies use flavored e-liquid to lure young people into becoming regular users of their products.
In surveys, youth cite flavoring as one of their biggest draws to electronic cigarettes, and a majority of young people who have tried e-cigarettes first used a flavored product.
Vaping poses serious yet avoidable health risks for youth. Companies that produce vaping products take advantage of that fact that youth are attracted to the marketable technology and flavorings seen in these devices.
The rise in life-threatening vaping related illnesses, particularly among young people, highlights the need for swift action. We appreciate the Governor’s leadership in addressing this serious public health threat, particularly the inclusion of menthol flavoring in his proposed ban. The tobacco industry has traditionally marketed menthol products in communities of color and to women, and we believe it is important to include all flavorings in any ban.
We commend Governor Cuomo for proposing to ban flavored nicotine vaping products and vaping ads aimed at young people. This proposal will help to prevent tobacco companies from using flavored e-liquid to lure young people into becoming regular users of tobacco products. Counties are proud to partner with New York State in its efforts to the end the growing epidemic of youth vaping.
This news release was sent by NYSAC President John F. Marren, Chairman of Ontario County; NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario; NYSACHO President Daniel J. Stapleton, the Public Health Director in Niagara County; and NYSACHO Executive Director Sarah Ravenhall.
