Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the 6th proposal of his 2020 State of the State agenda – a three-part plan to lower prescription drug costs for all New Yorkers.
The Governor’s proposal would cap insulin co-payments at $100 per month for insured patients to help address the rising cost of insulin that has resulted in diabetes patients rationing, skipping doses and not filling prescriptions. The proposal would empower the State Department of Financial Services to investigate and hold drug manufacturers accountable for unjustifiable, exorbitant increases in drug prices.
Finally, the proposal would establish a commission of experts to study the feasibility and benefits of a Canadian drug importation program and submit a plan to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for review.
“The exorbitant cost of prescription drugs is a massive burden on families across the country, and we’re determined to use every tool in the tool box and pursue every available avenue to bring real relief to New Yorkers,” Governor Cuomo said. “This multi-pronged approach to tackling a complex problem will hold manufacturers accountable for drug prices that border on price-gouging and explore new ways to access less expensive medicines and bring more competition into the market.”
Lowering cost of life-saving drugs: capping co-payment of insulin
The price of insulin has nearly tripled in the past ten years and there are few affordable alternatives to consumers. In 2016, a person with type 1 diabetes incurred annual insulin costs of $5,705 on average. Due to this reality, people with diabetes have reported rationing, skipping doses, and not filling needed prescriptions.
According to a Yale University study, one in four people with Type I diabetes admitted to not taking insulin as prescribed by their doctor due to the high cost of the medicine. These risky tradeoffs endanger the health of the patient and lead to greater medical costs down the line. To help address this problem, the Governor is proposing capping insulin co-payments at $100 per month for insured patients. Only one other state — Colorado — caps insulin co-pays.
Granting DFS additional enforcement authority over spikes in drug costs
In just the first half of 2019, manufacturers increased the prices on 3,400 drugs at an average increase of 10.5%. Runaway increases in drug prices drive up healthcare costs and force consumers to stop filling prescriptions on life-saving drugs.
The Governor will introduce legislation to empower the State Department of Financial Services to investigate significant spikes in prescription drug prices and call on manufacturers to show a reasonable justification for these sudden increases or face fines and pay restitution to harmed consumers.
When these price spikes occur, DFS will be authorized to hold a hearing to demand that manufacturers justify the increase. If the price is deemed unjustified, then DFS would disallow the increase and potentially impose a fine, including rebates to impacted consumers. This builds on DFS authority to set rates for insurance premiums, a significant portion of which are being driven by increases in prescription drug costs.
Lowering prescription drug cost by importing Canadian drugs
Governor Cuomo will create the Prescription Importation Commission to work with insurers, consumers, health care providers, and other stakeholders to identify any potential consumer savings from importing drugs from Canada.
The Commission will review processes for ensuring a drug importation program meets safety standards, including for track and trace requirements to enable the tracing of drugs from manufacturers to pharmacies, labeling requirements that will inform medical professionals and consumers, making sure foreign sellers are registered, importation entry requirements, and post-importation requirements such as procedures for relabeling or recalls.
The Commission will also recommend processes for ensuring a drug importation program meets safety standards, track and trace requirements to enable the tracing of drugs from manufacturers to pharmacies, labeling requirements that will inform medical professionals and consumers, registration requirements for foreign sellers, importation entry requirements, and post-importation requirements such as procedures for relabeling or recalls.
The Commission will also compile a list of drugs that could be imported through the program, ensuring that drugs eligible for importation are drugs authorized for sale in Canada and that they are versions of FDA-approved prescription drugs.
Counties praise governor for plan to lower costs
Stephen J. Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties, released this statement: “Rising health insurance costs are a major concern for counties, and prescription drugs are a significant driver of those costs. Counties applaud the Governor for a three-prong approach to address this issue. This initiative will expand access to lower cost prescription drugs, reduce local government healthcare costs and ultimately save taxpayers money.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 December 2019 at 12:18 pm
LaQuita Amos, Class of 1998, remembered as ultimate team player for Medina girls basketball team
LaQuita Amos
LaQuita Amos, a Medina graduate and former varsity basketball player for the Mustangs, was killed last Thursday from a gunshot in Greensboro, NC.
Amos, 39, was killed and two others were wounded in a shooting at about 7:30 p.m. at a residence.
She graduated from Medina High School in 1998 and went to Howard University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in business administration. She continued her education at Forsyth Technical College and received a project management technology degree. Amos was employed at Lincoln Financial for several years.
‘LaQuita represented all the best qualities we could ask for in a student, an athlete and a person.’
Eric Hellwig was a teacher and coach for Amos, who graduated in 1998. He wrote the following tribute about Amos:
“Late last week the Medina community suffered another loss of a former student. Most of her former teachers have retired in the two decades since LaQuita Amos, a 1998 graduate, received her diploma.
Current students likely wouldn’t have known her because, after graduation, her connection to the area faded, as so many do. People come and go: from the area, from the school, and from our lives. And, with LaQuita, that is a shame, because she represented all the best qualities we could ask for in a student, an athlete and a person.
LaQuita was a very bright young lady who enjoyed learning and got the most out of her schooling. She could be found at the high school all hours of the day, and even on weekends, as a part of the Upward Bound program. Upward Bound was, and still is, a program aimed at students from lower-income families who would go on to be the first in their household to attend college.
Photo courtesy of Eric Hellwig: In this 1997 team photo of the Medina girls varsity basketball team, LaQuita Amos is in the 2nd row, 3rd player in from the right, #34.
LaQuita relished working with Mrs. Isabella Mark, the Upward Bound counselor at the time, and made the most of her experience. Each summer during high school, LaQuita would join with others in the program to experience college life, living on The College at Brockport campus for a few weeks and taking courses that would help them become more independent and adjust to life after high school.
Through that program, LaQuita gained the self confidence that would be the foundation for her future success, and ultimately resulted in her being accepted to Howard University, in Washington, DC, one of the most prestigious historically black colleges in the country, where she would earn her undergraduate degree.
LaQuita loved Upward Bound, just as she loved and appreciated all aspects of life. There was never a time you wouldn’t find LaQuita with a big smile on her face, even when she was trying to fake an injury to get out of running sprints in basketball practice! It is that great big smile that those who knew Laquita will remember about her most. She had a cheerful, positive personality and was the type of person you always wanted to be around.
LaQuita loved sports, basketball in particular. She was never the best player on the team, but she was always one of the most invaluable. Laquita understood and accepted her role with eagerness. She was a top rebounder, would battle on defense in the post, and scrap for loose balls.
‘She would do the hard, unglamorous work so that other teammates could also be successful.’
She was the type of player whose name wouldn’t necessarily stand out in the box score, but if you asked any coach, she was exactly the type of person you need to have to be successful. She would do the hard, unglamorous work so that other teammates could also be successful.
That’s why, when LaQuita had the one moment every basketball player dreams of – the chance to be the hero – everyone on the team was so happy for her. She had committed herself to helping other, and being genuinely happy for their success, and now, here she was, in that starring role.
We had a very successful girls basketball team both LaQuita’s junior and senior years, winning league championships and advancing to the sectional title game each year.
However, her senior year, it was a very near thing. We faced a very strong quarterfinal opponent in Fredonia, a team that featured a future Olympic gold medal winner and a future Division I basketball player. We knew it would be a tough game, and were maybe a little bit intimidated, even though we were the higher seed and were playing a home game.
Whatever the reason, we started the game flat and faced a really big deficit by the start of the fourth quarter. Down 17 points with 3:30 left to play, after taking a timeout to regroup and sending the players back onto the court, I turned to one of my assistants at the time and said, “Well, it looks like it’s over, but we’ve had a really good run.”
And that’s when LaQuita and her teammates gave me the lesson of my lifetime: IT’S NEVER OVER! A couple of big three-point shots, a couple of steals and quick lay-ups, and a couple of forced turnovers had cut Fredonia’s lead to single digits. With just three seconds to go, Helen King, who had a 22-point fourth quarter, hit a “3” to cut Fredonia’s lead to two points, 62-60. A win was still improbable. All Fredonia needed to do was inbound the ball and that would be the game, and the end of our playoff dominance. But…
Sometimes things don’t go as expected. Sometimes you need to keep your focus. ALL the time, you need to not give up. LaQuita didn’t give up. She quickly found the opponent she was guarding, out near half court.
As the inbound pass came toward her opponent, LaQuita stepped in front, stole the ball, took one dribble passed half court, and heaved a shot toward the basket as time expired and the buzzer sounded. The shot missed.
But… again, things don’t always go as expected. As she released the ball, LaQuita was fouled and awarded three free throws, with no time on the clock. Down 62-60, Laquita had a chance to be the hero and extend our season at least one more game.
I remember thinking at the time, and maybe even saying, “Please, just make two so we can get to overtime!” LaQuita was a decent free throw shooter, but imagine the pressure – being on the court all by yourself, with all eyes in a packed gym on you, both sets of fans screaming.
Fortunately, LaQuita was a lot calmer than I was. She stepped to the line, took the ball from the official, went through her pre-shot routine, and calmly sank the first, and the crowd went wild. Second shot, same routine, same result, same crowd reaction. We are now guaranteed at least four more minutes of overtime basketball, and LaQuita has the chance to do what most players only dream of. And once again, she gets the ball, goes through her routine, and calmly sank the shot to win the game.
The crowd erupted, fans and players ran onto the court and gave LaQuita a proper hero’s congratulation. It was a moment all involved will never forget, and I’m sure LaQuita never forgot it, either. After the game, I asked her what was going through her mind as she went to the line, and she said something to the effect of “I just remember all those sprints we ran for missing free throws in practice, and I wasn’t missing those shots.” It was a moment all players and coaches wish they could freeze in time and share with all their teammates, past and present. Sadly, we can’t.
‘LaQuita did not relish the spotlight. She thrived on being a part of something bigger, a part of a team. And the last memory we will always have of LaQuita was her genuine, unabashed, and unconditional love for her teammates.’
After college she graduated from college, I lost touch with Laquita. Her family moved to Greenville, North Carolina, and LaQuita followed in order to be close to them. I don’t know many things about the time in between then and now, but I imagine LaQuita touching the lives of everyone she came in contact with, just as she had touched ours. Horribly, last week, LaQuita was the victim of a domestic violence dispute, and was killed at the age of 39, which I do know is all too young.
There are many things I’m sure I do not know about LaQuita Amos, but there are other things frozen in my mind and, I’m sure the minds of everyone who knew her. First was that beautiful smile she always displayed. And I do mean ALWAYS. There was no happier person in the school, regardless of circumstances.
Second was her humility. LaQuita did not relish the spotlight. She thrived on being a part of something bigger, a part of a team. And the last memory we will always have of Laquita was her genuine, unabashed, and unconditional love for her teammates. If someone experienced success, LaQuita was just as happy for them as she was for her own success. And most importantly, I know this about LaQuita: Her team loved her back.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 December 2019 at 9:20 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Downtown Albion is pictured on Tuesday evening.
The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a winter weather advisory from 11 a.m. today to 7 a.m. on Thursday for Orleans, Monroe, Wayne and northern Cayuga counties.
These areas are forecast to get 3 to 6 inches of snow. Winds gusting as high as 40 miles per hour will produce blowing and drifting snow.
“Plan on snow covered and slippery road conditions with poor visibility at times,” the Weather Service said. “The hazardous conditions could impact the evening commute.”
The lake effect snow will fall in relatively narrow bands. If traveling, be prepared for rapidly changing road conditions and visibilities, the Weather Service said.
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GCC is hosting a film, art and music festival the next three days.
BATAVIA – The holiday season can be full of to-do lists, school concerts, shopping, decorating, family gatherings, end-of-the-year projects and so much more.
And if this faster-than-ever paced world is teaching us anything, it might be to slow down and take in a cultural opportunity that supports local artists, and in this case also local filmmakers, screenwriters and actors.
From 5:30 p.m. till 11 p.m. today, Thursday and Friday, Genesee Community College is hosting the 4th Annual Western New York Film, Art and Music Event (FAME) organized by Beaver Alley Studios Inc. and co-sponsored by the CineMagic, a GCC student organization.
Over the three nights, the FAME Festival will be showing an array of different films including documentaries on the first night. The festival will be at GCC’s central forum at the Batavia campus.
On Friday evening, awards will be given in a variety of different categories including:
• Film – Best No-Budget Film (under $15,000), Best Director, Best WNY Film, Best Short Script and more
• Music Video – Best Cinematography, FAME Audience Choice, Most Unique Concept Song/ Video
• Photography – Landscape, People, Events, Nature, Best Body of Work
Admission to each night is free. Mature content is scheduled for screening after 9 p.m., but the bulk of the work to be viewed is intended for all-age audiences. Nearly 50 screenplays, photo films and music videos were entered into the contest.
Beaver Alley Studios Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded by Rhonda Parker, a 2015 GCC graduate who earned degrees in Communications and Media Arts and as well as Paralegal Studies. Parker established Beaver Alley Studios Inc. to facilitate the production, promotion, distribution, exhibition and celebration of independent art in all forms, especially art from a female perspective.
The organization offers services such as screenwriting and script consultation, cinematography, editing, film reviews, film school, and packages for events, commercial use, music videos and short films.
A resident of Albion, Parker is an active filmmaker and produced several full length movies, including her first, “Friends Don’t Let Friends – Date Friends” in 2014. She has also written and produced the feature films “Lonely Bananas,” “Message in a Bottle,” a number of short films, and early in her film career she appeared as a “Walmart mom” in a television commercial.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 December 2019 at 8:38 am
Provided photo
ALBION – Boy Scouts in Kendall Troop 94 made 30 large goodie bags for Orleans County veterans, and delivered them on Tuesday to the Veterans Service Agency to be distributed to local veterans. The Scouts and their adult leaders are pictured with Nancy Traxler, director of the Orleans County Veterans Services Agency.
This is the second straight year the scouts passed up exchanging Christmas gifts and instead used the money they would have spent on gifts to make these goodie bags. Scouts and their families each donated an item to include in the goodie bag as well as homemade cookies.
There were about two dozen Christmas cookies in each bag along with water bottles, gloves, socks, hand warmers, hand cream, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, along with a handmade ornament depicting the Kendall War Memorial.
Each goodie bag also had a thank you note and a Christmas card signed by each scout.
Photos courtesy of Celeste Morien: A Cooper’s Hawk is shown in this photo.
Press Release, Oak Orchard Christmas Bird Count Compiler Celeste Morien
It’s almost time for the Oak Orchard Swamp Christmas Bird Count, which began in December 1968.
The National Audubon Society has been sponsoring Christmas Bird Counts for 119 years and the Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge provide support for this local count.
Count compiler and Medina resident Celeste Morien would like the public to be alert for counters with spotting scopes and binoculars who will be out and about Dec. 27 on local roads, searching for birds in fields and at bird feeders.
Filling bird feeders now and keeping them stocked ahead of the count helps fulfill the count objective of counting all wild birds seen and heard within the circle.
Our Oak Orchard Swamp count is centered at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge on the Orleans and Genesee County line at Route 63. Count volunteers follow specified routes through a designated 15-mile diameter circle, which includes more than the refuge and state wildlife areas, counting every bird they see or hear all day.
It’s not just a species tally—all birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day.
According to the Audubon website, “Prior to the turn of the 20th century, hunters engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas ‘Side Hunt.’ They would choose sides and go afield with their guns—whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won.
A Pileated Woodpecker is at a suet feeder.
Conservation was in its beginning stages in that era, and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an early officer in the then-nascent Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition—a ‘Christmas Bird Census’ that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them.”
So began the Christmas Bird Count. Thanks to the inspiration of Chapman and the enthusiasm of 27 dedicated birders, 25 Christmas Bird Counts were held that day. The locations ranged from Toronto, Ontario to Pacific Grove, California with most counts in or near the population centers of northeastern North America.
From Dec. 14 through Jan. 5 each year tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas brave snow, wind, or rain, and take part in the effort. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this long-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation action.
The data collected by observers over the past century allow Audubon researchers, conservation biologists, wildlife agencies and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, it provides a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed in time and space over the past hundred years.
The long term perspective is vital for conservationists. It informs strategies to protect birds and their habitat, and helps identify environmental issues with implications for people as well.
If your home is within the circle and you are at home on count day, you can report the birds that visit your feeder. Anyone can participate, but arrangements must be made with the compiler. To do so, please contact celeste.morien@gmail.com.
Please consider donating to the Christmas Count here since the Audubon Society no longer collects fees from each participant – www.audubon.org/GiveCBC.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 December 2019 at 6:36 pm
ALBION – Santa and Mrs. Claus will be visiting the Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m.
Local children and their families are encouraged to stop by as part of the event and do activities with some of the nursing home’s residents. That could be coloring and games, singing or just spending time with some of the senior citizens.
“The residents love to see young kids,” said Gary Derwick of the Albion Betterment Committee.
The ABC took the lead in organizing the event. The ABC will have small stockings with holiday items for up to 50 children. Families can RSVP their children by signing up at the Hoag Library or the Villages of Orleans by Thursday. The first 50 will get a stocking.
Everyone is welcome to stop by, even without an RSVP. The nursing home is located at 14012 Route 31.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 December 2019 at 3:26 pm
Nancy Zielonko led Cobblestone Country Federal Credit Union through expansion
ALBION – The manager of the Cobblestone Country Federal Credit Union is retiring on Dec. 31 after 28 years of the leading the credit union during a time of significant growth and upgrades.
Nancy Zielonko said she has enjoyed a career with a dedicated group of employees, who have helped many residents obtain loans and improve their credit scores.
The credit union has grown its assets and shares from $2 million in 1991, when Zielonko started, to $12 million now. The credit union was out of garage on Liberty Street when she started. It moved to a house next to COVA on South Main Street and about five years ago purchased its own building, a former medical office at the corner of Route 31 and Hamilton Street. That site has high visibility in the community, Zielonko said.
“It has really been my privilege to take something small and create a viable entity that will last in the community,” she said Monday at the credit union, 299 West Ave. “We have created a viable place that really helps people.”
The credit union started in 1965 as the Liptons Federal Credit Union. It then changed its name to the Central Orleans Credit Union. About 15 years ago it became the Cobblestone Country Federal Credit Union.
The not-for-profit organization at that time expanded its service area from the central Orleans County towns to all of Orleans – “anyone who lives, works or worships in Orleans County,” Zielonko said.
Nancy Zielonko said she has been blessed to work with a core group of dedicated employees. These four have all worked together for at least the past 20 years. From left include Nancy Zielonko, manager for 28 years; Chris Ranallo, current assistant manager who will become manager, employee since 1999; Audrey Christopher, head of customer service since 1993; and Teresa Radka, loan officer since 1995.
The financial institution is federally regulated and loans money, and has checking and savings accounts, and other banking services. Because it’s not-for-profit, it doesn’t charge its customers with higher fees, Zielonko said.
While banks have merged and consolidated, often closing offices in smaller towns, Zielonko said Cobblestone Country has grown and solidified its commitment to the county.
The credit union provides loans, from a few hundred dollars, up to a $100,000 home equity project. It doesn’t do mortgages as the originator, but can do other financing.
The local credit union also has its own checking accounts, live banking where deposits are immediately put into accounts, direct deposit and other services.
Chris Ranallo started as an accountant in 1999 at the credit union. She has been the assistant manager and will become the manager after Zielonko retires.
“She is very dedicated and loyal and gets excited about serving everyone and getting them help,” Zielonko said about the new manager.
Zielonko said Ranallo has been a big part of the team at the credit union. She is one of four employees at Cobblestone Country with at least 20 years of service. Audrey Christopher, head of customer service, has worked there 26 years and Teresa Radka has been a loan officer for 24 years.
Zielonko said the dedicated employees and a board of directors have all backed the efforts to add programs at the credit union.
“Here, you’re not just a number or a credit score or a risk score,” she said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 December 2019 at 2:53 pm
The Village of Albion has been awarded a nearly $2 million state grant today, according to announcement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The state Environmental Facilities Corporation has awarded more than $416 million through the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act and the Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grant Program to municipalities for infrastructure projects that protect public health or improve water quality.
Albion will receive $1,949,400 or about 60 percent of $3,249,000 project that includes upgrades to the water treatment plant, a pump station and water transmission mains.
The nearby Village of Middleport in Niagara County also was approved for a $137,500 grant towards a $550,000 disinfection project at its sewer plant.
“By investing in improving our state’s water infrastructure, we are laying the foundation for regional growth and prosperity while also protecting our natural resources,” Governor Cuomo said. “These investments in our communities will help ensure residents in every corner of the state have access to safe, clean drinking water, helping to build a stronger New York for all.”
To assist with the cost of installing systems to address emerging contaminants, grants for these projects will no longer be capped at $3 million but will cover 60 percent of total capital project costs. Projects eligible for these grants include those which combat emerging contaminants, such as PFOA, PFOS and 1,4-dioxane, with system upgrades and innovative technologies, Cuomo said.
ALBION – Girl Scouts of Western New York Troop 82257 from Kendall visited the residents of the Martin-Linsin Residence of Hospice of Orleans to share some Christmas cheer this past Saturday.
Pictured, from left, include Abigail Robb, Julianna Newbould, Kendall Newbould, Jemma Nash and Santa Claus.
Julianna Newbould holds one of the keepsake ornaments the girls made.
For their Girl Scout Bronze Award project, the Girl Scouts planned and had a day of cookie baking, ornament making and music with the residents.
They also made new friends while they learned about each other’s holiday traditions and families. A wonderful day was had by all and the girls are planning to visit again soon.
The Bronze Award is the highest award earned by a Junior Girl Scout. To earn the award, the girls each completed a prerequisite Girl Scout Journey to prepare them for leading a project and then dedicated over 20 hours toward the Bronze Award project.
Girls typically work on Bronze Awards as a large group or a whole Girl Scout troop.
Plastic bag ban goes into effect starting in March
Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the 5th proposal of his 2020 State of the State Agenda – prohibiting the distribution and use of expanded polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, single-use food containers.
The proposal also bans the sale of expanded polystyrene packaging materials known as packing peanuts. Additionally, the bill would authorize the State Department of Environmental Conservation to review and take action to limit or ban other packaging material upon a finding of environmental impact. This would be the strongest statewide ban in the United States and would go into effect by January 1, 2022. This ban will build on the Governor’s historic effort to reduce environmental pollution statewide, including the recent ban on single-use plastic bags first announced by the Governor in his 2019 State of the State address.
“Styrofoam is one of the most common pollutants and a public health hazard that impacts humans and the environment alike,” Governor Cuomo said. “From take-out containers to packing peanuts, this material is everywhere and it will continue to pollute our waters and harm our wildlife for generations to come if we do not act. With this proposal, we can build on our nation-leading initiatives to protect the environment and move New York another step closer to a greener, more sustainable future.”
The new legislation will:
• Ban the distribution and use of expanded polystyrene foam containers used for prepared foods or beverages served by food service establishments, including restaurants, caterers, food trucks, retail food stores, delis and grocery stores.
• Ban the sale of polystyrene loose fill packaging, commonly known as packing peanuts.
• Authorize the State Department of Environmental Conservation to take additional action to limit or ban other packaging material upon a finding of environmental impact.
The ban exempts prepackaged food sealed prior to receipt at a restaurant or food service establishment, as well as packaging for uncooked or raw meat, fish or eggs. Violators will be penalized with a fine starting at $250. Second, third and fourth violations will be fined $500, $1,000 and $2,000 respectively.
Expanded polystyrene foam is one of the top 10 contributors to environmental litter. The EPA estimates that the U.S. produces more than 3 million tons of polystyrene, which are non-biodegradable. These containers often break down over time and enter waterways and wildlife areas as microplastics, where they pollute water sources and harm wildlife that ingest them. Human exposure to styrene, the primary chemical in polystyrene foam, is primarily through inhalation in the manufacturing sector. The National Toxicology Program has determined styrene is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” Small amounts of styrene can also be transferred to food from styrene-based packaging materials.
In 2019, Governor Cuomo accomplished a key goal of his Justice Agenda when he signed landmark legislation banning single-use plastic bags in New York State. This milestone accomplishment, which goes into effect in March 2020, will prevent plastic bag litter in our environment, reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic bag production and disposal, from petroleum used to produce the bags to emissions from the transportation of bags to landfills. New York is one of only eight states to have a single-use plastic bag ban in place.
Photos courtesy of State Police: Shari Lynne Ball told her family she was going to New York State to pursue a modelling career.
Shari Ball left Florida to pursue modeling career in New York
Press Release, New York State Police
SHELBY – On October 29, 1983, a body was found by a hunter off of State Route 63 in the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, in the town of Shelby, Orleans County.
The victim was found several feet off the shoulder of the roadway, in a severely decomposed state, and is believed to have been there for several months.
In 1984, the Center of Human Identification was used by the New York State Police to make a facial reconstruction from the remains (pictured). This was done to make a facial render to give the public a possible identity to compare and also render sketches.
In October of 2013, the body was exhumed and DNA testing was done. The victim was identified as Shari L. Ball.
A facial reconstruction was done on the remains found in 1983 in the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.
Shari Lynne Ball was reported missing by her family in June of 1983 to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. She had told her family that she was going to New York State with an unknown friend to pursue a modeling career.
At the time of her disappearance, Ball was living in Boca Raton, Florida, was a 20 year old white female, 5’ 4”, 100 pounds, with hazel eyes and blonde hair. Shari Lynne was also known to use the last name of Timmerman.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Batavia by calling 585-344-6200. Please refer to SJS # 3032334.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 17 December 2019 at 9:38 am
Provided photos: Sherry Tuohey, who heads MAAC’s Christmas Red Barrel program, accepts a check from Don Marchner on behalf of Junior Wilson’s Sportsmen’s Club.
MEDINA – Delivering toys and food to children and families in the Medina and Knowlesville area is a tradition started more than 50 years ago by the Medina Fire Department, who collected broken toys, repaired them and delivered them to children just before Christmas.
For the last few decades, the Christmas giveaway program has been run by the Medina Area Association of Churches with help from firefighters from the Medina, Ridgeway, East Shelby and Shelby fire departments.
Sherry Tuohey who has taken over organizing the drive, now known as MAAC’s Red Barrel program, says they couldn’t do it without the firefighters.
Each year in November, the firefighters deliver 34 red barrels to businesses, libraries and churches, where they can be filled with donations of toys and food. Then the first week in December, the firefighters pick up the barrels, which hopefully are filled, and return them to the Medina United Methodist Church. There, volunteers sort the donations and pack holiday boxes for families who have applied for assistance.
Each box contains toys appropriate for the children in the family, in addition to food for a complete Christmas dinner. This includes a ham, potatoes, vegetable, stuffing and dessert. If an appropriate gift hasn’t been donated for a child, MAAC volunteers will buy gifts from money which has been donated.
Tuohey said this year Sara Cinquino, Student Association adviser at Medina High School, collected more than 1,900 food items, which meant families got a lot more food than they usually would have.
Every year it has become a custom for Bob Harrold of Lyndonville to restore children’s wagons and donate them to MAAC’s Christmas Red Barrel program.
All in all, more than 100 volunteers helped to make the program a success, Tuohey said.
“We couldn’t do it without the individuals, businesses and organizations who helped physically and financially,” she said.
One supporter of the giveaway is Bob Harrold of Lyndonville, who for the past few years has restored and donated little red wagons to the MAAC program. Tuohey said one mother commented that the little red wagon was the most wonderful gift her family could have received. Another family who didn’t have a car said the wagon was a blessing when it came to going to the store.
Tuohey added the most important thing about MAAC’s Red Barrel drive is that all the donations stay to help families in the Medina school district who live in the Medina and Knowlesville area.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 December 2019 at 7:53 am
RIDGEWAY – Construction started on Monday for Water District. No. 14. Sergi Construction of East Aurora is the contractor for the project.
The Town Board on Oct. 21 accepted Sergi’s bid to construct the water district for $735,964. The district serves about 30 homes and covers about 4 miles or 19,000 linear feet. It includes property along Culvert Road, between Route 104 and Portage Road, and Porter Road, from Culvert Road to Knowlesville Road.
The town has been approved for funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development for the project. Rural Development approved a $334,000 loan and $720,000 grant for the project.
Construction is weather dependent. John Olinger, the town highway superintendent, said the district will be subject to Health Department tests after construction. He is hopeful the district will be in service by March.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 December 2019 at 11:25 pm
Multi-tenant residence was scene of standoff; town says property is single family, and is out of compliance
Undersheriff Chris Bourke says the Sheriff’s office will track down the owner of the property and serve him papers from the town. Registered mail to the owner has been returned to Ridgeway Town Hall.
RIDGEWAY – Town officials were asked by Knowlesville residents this evening to take action against the owner of a single-family residence that has illegally been operating as a boarding house.
The site at 3634 Knowlesville Rd. was the scene of a standoff that started at 4:46 p.m. on Dec. 3 and continued until about 3 a.m. Dec. 4. That incident closed traffic on the road and forced many neighboring residents to stay with friends and family, or at the Ridgeway firehall.
Residents say the site is a concern in the neighborhood, due to many people coming and going, people fighting at the house, shooting air rifles and alleged criminal activity.
There were about 85 signatures from Knowlesville residents on a petition turned into the Town Board, asking for the boarding house to be shut down. The petition was handed in at Monday’s board meeting.
Dan Wolfe, the town code enforcement officer, said the 2,211-square-foot house is zoned for single family, but has been used as boarding house with multiple tenants. That is against the town code for that zoning.
“I’m citing him for operating a boarding house,” Wolfe told town residents at the Dec. 16 meeting. “We’ll do whatever we can to hold his feet to the fire.”
Dan Wolfe, the town code enforcement officer, said he has red-tagged the house due to zoning violations and people should leave the building.
Wolfe said he red-tagged the house last week, putting signs on the house that the tenants should vacant the building. People seem to be ignoring the directive, Wolfe said at the Town Board meeting.
He told residents he doesn’t have the authority to force them to leave. The town needs to start a court proceeding against the owner of the property, Wolfe said.
He has previously sent letters to the owner, James Rodgers of Sycamore Street in Rochester, notifying him of citations with the property. Those certified letters have been returned unopened.
Undersheriff Chris Bourke attended the Town Board meeting. He said the Sheriff’s Office can locate Rodgers and serve him with a letter from the town.
Bourke told residents the location has been a concern to law enforcement officials. There have been 29 calls so far in 2019 to the 911 center for law enforcement to go to the site, including six times to serve papers to a resident there. Six calls were for disturbances. There have been calls for officer assistance, larceny, obstructing governmental administration, trespassing and for a person locked out of their vehicle, Bourke said.
Neighbors said they want immediate action with the house because they don’t feel safe in the neighborhood. They said they have been concerned about the Knowlesville house since 2017.
Town Attorney Kathy Bogan said she will work to get the court process started, seeking relief for residents in the neighborhood.
“We’re not here to complain about people living there,” one woman told the Town Board. “We just want it safe.”
Bourke said the residents can’t be kicked out unless there is a court process with a court order. The state has changed the laws making it more difficult to remove tenants, Bourke said.
He told the residents he would speak with officials from the State Parole to make sure no state parolees were staying there. He said he spoke with the County Probation Department, and no one on probation is staying at the house.
Town Attorney Kathy Bogan told the residents she is also working with the District Attorney’s office about addressing concerns from the residents.
“We have to go through the court process,” she said. “We don’t have a choice.”
