ALBION – Orleans County Board of Elections Commissioners Michael Mele and Janice Grabowski today reminded residents that early voting for the Nov. 5 elections will begin Saturday, Oct. 26 and run through Sunday, Nov. 3.
Early voting takes place at the Orleans County Board of Elections Office, 14016 State Route 31 in Albion.
The early voting schedule is:
Saturday, October 26 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, October 27 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday, October 28 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, October 29 – 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, October 30 – 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday, October 31 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, November 1 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, November 2 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, November 3 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“All indications are that turnout for this year’s elections will be very high, so early voting is just another way for people to cast their ballots,” said the commissioners. “We do want to remind people that whether you choose to vote early or on Election Day, you must be in line before poll closing time to cast your ballot.”
The commissioners said the BOE staff has been preparing for this election season for some time, with all sorts of plans in place, including ballot security, polling location security and emergency backup.
“We have been working with our Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Services team to prepare for any contingencies. We want to be sure everyone has the opportunity to exercise their right to vote and that our elections run smoothly.”
Those with questions about voter registration, early voting, absentee ballots or any other questions can call the Board of Elections at (585) 589-3274 or visit the BOE website (click here).
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of the SUNY Top 10% Promise Program, creating a direct pathway for the highest-achieving New York high school seniors to gain admission and enroll at select SUNY colleges and universities.
Governor Hochul first announced this plan as a part of her 2024 State of the State to help more New York students benefit from SUNY’s unparalleled combination of accessibility, affordability, and academic excellence.
“Access to higher education has the potential to transform New Yorkers’ lives and change the trajectory of a student’s life,” Hochul said. “Offering New York students graduating in the top 10 percent of their class direct admission to SUNY campuses will help reduce barriers to higher education while ensuring our students can continue their education and pursue their dreams right here in New York State.”
The Top 10% Promise is a direct-admissions program that automatically grants acceptance to graduating high school students whose GPAs are in the top 10 percent of their class and meet specific academic readiness criteria to at least one selective, world-class SUNY campus. The program will take effect for select high school seniors preparing to enroll for the Fall 2025 semester.
The nine initial participating campuses are: University at Albany, University at Buffalo, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Purchase College, and Stony Brook University.
Students in all New York State school districts will be eligible to participate when the SUNY Top 10% Promise is fully in place. In the first year, 68 school districts (and individual charter schools) from across the state were invited to participate based on serving rural, urban, and suburban communities with high levels of adversity or enrolling a significant share of students from low-income backgrounds. The initial participating high schools are representative of the diversity of New York State.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and The SUNY Top 10% Promise will make it even easier for our highest-achieving high school students – particularly those from low-income backgrounds – to discover SUNY’s extraordinary value and academic excellence. With thanks to Governor Hochul for her leadership, this new direct admission program will advance educational equity and open the doors to higher education even wider.”
Click here for more information on the Top 10% Promise Program.
Photo courtesy of Medina Central School: English Teacher Beth Dickhut holds a copy of her first published novel, “Still Water.”
MEDINA – For many years Medina Junior-Senior High School English teacher Elizabeth Dickhut toyed with the idea of writing her own novel, “Still Water.”
“Several years ago I was thinking about some students I had who had experienced losing a parent suddenly,” she explained. “They were obviously going through a very hard time and I couldn’t help but think what was going on in the inside. It inspired me to start writing about a group of boys who were friends and experienced that loss.”
Mrs. Dickhut kept returning to her story throughout the years refining it until she felt comfortable enough to share with colleagues.
“I am so grateful to my coworkers and friends who took time out of their busy lives to read this and give me their honest feedback,” she said. “It really meant so much to me.”
Dickhut says “Still Water” is a story of loss and grief; but is also a story of hope, the kind that is rooted in friendship, family and forgiveness.
Another key element of the book deals with the romantic side of adolescence and the protagonist having feelings for one of his friend’s girlfriends.
“I do think young adults will really enjoy the story,” Dickhut said. “I hope they see themselves in some of the characters. I really want this book to be a teachable moment for some of them and I want them to know that their teachers do care about what is going on in their lives.”
There were a couple more hoops to jump through before she could publish her book. In “Still Water” two poems are referenced, “The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry and Robert Frost’s “Going for Water.”
There is also a passage from the book “A River Runs Through It and Other Stories” by Norman Maclean. “I had to get permission to use Maclean’s and Berry’s works, and I was so thankful to the estate and the publishing company to allow me to use them since they meant a great deal to me and to the story. The Maclean estate sent along a nice compliment and said they found the story compelling and wished me the best of luck.”
She also designed the cover in Canva. With her book getting ready to launch on Amazon on Nov. 8, Dickhut said she can barely contain her excitement.
“I won’t lie, I am nervous, but it just feels awesome,” she said. “I have a real sense of accomplishment that I finished the book and people are going to get to read it. It would be really great if I saw students here carrying it around since they inspired it.”
To learn more about the book and Beth Dickhut, you can follow her on Instagram @elizabeth_d_writes.
“Still Water” will be available in paperback and Kindle formats.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 October 2024 at 8:11 am
Provided photo
VICTOR – Representatives from Arc GLOW stopped by the Golisano Foundation in Victor last week to deliver a giant thank you card to Tom Golisano, right, in appreciation for his $5 million donation to the agency.
Golisano on Sept. 17 announced he is giving $360 million to 82 non-profit organizations in the Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse regions.
Of those donations, $104 million is going to 26 organizations serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Arc GLOW serves people in the four local rural counties of Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming.
The Golisano Foundation last week posted its appreciation for the thank you card from Arc GLOW: “What a surprise! Thank you Arc GLOW for coming to share your gratitude and present Tom with the biggest thank you card we’ve ever seen! It made everyone’s day!”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2024 at 4:46 pm
Jack Welch
ALBION – Orleans County officials are trying to close a $6 million budget gap for 2025, with six factors causing $5.97 million in increases.
The 2024 budget, approved last November, totaled $92,494,994 budget, and that resulted in a tax levy increase of 3.25 percent or $607,000 to $19,264,000.
Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer and budget officer, will file a tentative budget by Nov. 15. The spending plan faces some tough challenges, he said during Tuesday’s Legislature meeting.
He listed six main culprits:
Health insurance is estimated to increase 20%, by another $1.4 million.
NYS retirement is estimated to increase 12%, by another $360,000
Public Safety Building roof repair at $1.2 million
Social services up by 12%, another $1.7 million. That include $688,000 more for temporary homelessness in Safety Net, a 42% increase
Mental Health Law expense (Section 730.30 – when a defendant is unfit for trial) is estimated to increase by 1,000% or $500,000
Public Safety Dispatch consoles to be replaced at $810,000
Welch said he is particularly worried about the continued rise in costs for the temporarily homeless.
“The Public Assistance/Safety Net expense is related to our Emergency Declaration for Temporary Homelessness we have had since May 2023,” Welch said. “For last month, our out-of-county placement is 357 percent over July 2022. Total temporary homeless placements are 169 percent over July 2022. This trend does not show any sign of subsiding and is not unique to Orleans County.”
Rising sales tax revenue have helped the county in recent years to offset some rising expenses, but so far in 2024 the sales tax is behind the 2023 year-to-date levels.
“We were concerned about a flattening of sales tax revenue, but a decrease in alarming,” Welch said. “The last time the county experienced sales tax revenue below the prior year was in 2016.”
Photos courtesy of GCC: Pictured form left include Christa Palmer, Corinne Saluste and Maria Velazquez de Machado.
BATAVIA – Genesee Community College is pleased to announce the GCC Business and Employee Skills Training (BEST) Center recently welcomed three new staff members to its team with the addition of Christa Palmer, Corinne Saluste, and Maria Velazquez de Machado in the roles of assistant director, coordinator of community education, and coordinator of technical programs, respectively.
Palmer began her new role on July 1, 2024. Saluste and Velazquez de Machado began their new roles with the college in September 2024.
“The BEST Center is extremely pleased to welcome Christa, Corinne and Maria,” Jennifer Wakefield, executive director of workforce development and The BEST Center said. “All three individuals bring outstanding professional credentials to our team, including new program development and training design experiences, and creative and innovative ideas to further expand our presence in the GLOW area.”
Palmer, a Batavia native, is the assistant director of workforce development. She has over 26 years’ experience in education and in her former role at GCC, developed programming for the new technical programs in HVAC, Refrigeration, Industrial Electric and Computer Numerical Controls (CNC). In her new role as assistant director, she will oversee corporate training contracts for The BEST Center. Palmer holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, master’s degree in elementary education and educational administrative certification from SUNY Brockport.
Saluste, also from Batavia, is the coordinator of community education, specializing in courses designed for personal and professional growth. She collaborates closely with the GLOW community to provide courses that promote both personal and professional advancement to strengthen the workforce. Her programs cater to a wide range of learners, offering everything from driving courses for new drivers to leadership, healthcare, and public safety courses for emerging professionals. Saluste, also a GCC alumna, has an associate degree in Business Administration.
Velazquez de Machado, originally from Venezuela, is the coordinator of technical programs. She oversees the development and management of various technical courses and training programs. Her role includes increasing non-credit enrollment and expanding program offerings to meet the needs of the regional economy.
She brings extensive experience in program management, strategic communications and content creation. Velazquez de Machado holds Social Communications and Business Administration degrees and is bilingual in Spanish and English. Her commitment to serving underrepresented communities and proficiency in digital tools makes her an asset to The BEST Center.
The BEST Center at GCC is the recognized regional leader in developing the skilled workforce that powers local economic growth. The Center serves individual employees as well as businesses large and small with seminars, workshops and trainings designed to improve the performance of people and processes.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2024 at 10:25 am
ALBION – Scott Wilson has retired from leading the Orleans County Jail after 12 years as superintendent, a time when the facility added programs for people being held in the facility.
Wilson also helped oversee a $1 million construction project at the jail in 2013. That project staved off pressure from the state for the county to build a new jail. The current jail was constructed in two stages around 1970, and was falling into disrepair mainly due to water infiltration.
“I tried to keep costs down and extend the life of the building,” Wilson said on Tuesday after being presented with a “Special Recognition Award” from the County Legislature.
Wilson started working at the Orleans County Jail as a correction officer in 1998, and worked his way up as a sergeant and lieutenant, and then was appointed superintendent in 2012.
The jail on Platt Street has about 45 employees and a capacity for 72 inmates. Wilson said there have been fewer inmates in recent years due to the state’s bail reform laws.
He has been praised in his career for bringing more services to the jail for inmates, including mental health and addiction treatment services.
The jail is now used for Centralized Arraignment Parts (CAP Court) for morning and evening arraignments for arrests made in the county.
Wilson also has helped spearhead the county’s prescription drug take-back events, which netted about 1,000 pounds of pills each year since 2012.
He also serves on the boards of the Genesee-Orleans Mental Health Association and the Suicide Prevention Coalition.
Wilson was named the jail’s officer the year in 2003 and in 2014 was named the county’s employee of the year.
Chris Caulfield, a lieutenant at the jail, is the site’s acting leader until the superintendent position is filled.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2024 at 10:07 am
MEDINA – A Medina student has been charged with making a terrorist threat for allegedly making a threat on social media.
Medina police interviewed witnesses and collected evidence and determined there is no threat to school staff, students of community members, Medina Police Chief Todd Draper and district superintendent Dr. Mark Kruzynski stated in a press release.
The student has been charged with a felony. The police and school district were made aware of the threat on October. 18, and the student was charged on Monday. The name isn’t being released due to the age of the person.
The police department and school district urge community members to report any threats so they can be investigated.
“The Medina Police Department and Medina Central School District recognize and take very seriously any mention of violence or threats made against our school district or community,” Draper and Kruzynski stated in the press release.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2024 at 8:34 am
ALBION – Orleans County has been awarded an $11,562,698 state grant to upgrade wireless internet service throughout the county.
The Orleans County Department of Planning and Development applied for the grant through Empire State Development’s ConnectALL Municipal Infrastructure Program. This will allow the county to increase wireless internet speeds from the current 25 Mega Bit Per Seconds (Mbps) to 100 (Mbps).
The county recently completed a build-out of a wireless internet system. There are now 19 towers and the county will add two or three more, likely near Lake Ontario where there are gaps in internet coverage, county officials said.
Orleans has two years to complete the project, upgrading the internet infrastructure on all the towers so 100 Mbps is available in download and upload speeds. The grant also will include a digital literacy component to help people learn about the technology.
County legislators accepted the grant on Tuesday and accepted a bid of $11,216,500 from North Shore Networks LLC in Medina to implement the faster internet service.
That company is led by Duston Ellis, who worked over a decade in Kentucky for Broadlinc, helping run a high-speed internet service in a rural area.
Ellis moved to Medina to be near his wife’s family. He expects to hire a project manager and two technicians as part of the effort in Orleans County.
WILLIAMSVILLE – Tops Friendly Markets, a leading full-service grocery retailer in New York, northern Pennsylvania, and Vermont, announced today that the company will once again offer military personnel and their immediate families an 11 percent discount off of their grocery bill this Veterans Day. (Tops has stores in Orleans County in Albion and Medina.)
This marks the 12th year Tops has been extending this discount to military personnel and their families.
On Monday, November 11, Tops Markets will honor an 11 percent discount off of a total order to all veterans and immediate family members in the same household, who shop at any Tops location.
Customers should present proof of service that they, or an immediate family member are a U.S. Veteran, active duty, reserve or retired military personnel to automatically receive an 11 percent discount off of their total purchase that day.
“The respect and gratitude we feel for those who serve or have served in the military is beyond measure, and for that, we are eternally thankful,” said Ron Ferri, president of Tops Friendly Markets. “This annual savings is just one of the many ways we wanted to give back to our local military community by honoring the associates and customers who have bravely defended our nation and made countless sacrifices through their service.”
Additionally select Tops locations will be selling 4×6 US flags with a portion of its proceeds being donated back to Buffalo Niagara Honor Flight. Flags will be on sale through Veterans Day.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2024 at 9:48 pm
Photo from findagrave.com: The gravesite for Benjamin Darling on Saturday will add marker signifying he served in the Revolutionary War.
SHELBY – There will be a ceremony at 1 p.m. on Saturday when a marker is dedicated for a Revolutionary War soldier buried at the Maple Ridge Cemetery.
Benjamin Darling served with the 7th Connecticut Regiment and wintered at Valley Forge. He was born July 6, 1758 at Lunenburg in Worcester County, Massachusetts. He died at age 82 on Feb. 7, 1841. Maple Ridge Cemetery is at 12055 Maple Ridge Rd., just west of Sourced Market & Eatery and Culvert Road.
Brent Downing, president of the Rochester chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, said a contingent from the chapter will be at the dedication service on Saturday, wearing Revolutionary War uniforms, offering a musket salute and playing Taps.
A descendant of Darling’s, who now lives in Pontiac, Mich., also will attend the service, Downing said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2024 at 8:17 pm
Provided photos: Orleans County Treasurer Kim DeFrank accepts the gavel to serve as president of New York State County Treasurer’s and Finance Officers Association. She succeeds Kevin Gardner, right, the treasurer of Oswego County.
ALBION – Orleans County Treasurer Kim DeFrank is serving as president of the New York State County Treasurer’s and Finance Officers Association.
DeFrank was sworn in as president on Friday at the organization’s annual meeting in Liverpool.
DeFrank has served as the county treasurer since Jan. 1, 2018. She worked in the treasurer’s office for 24 years before that.
She said the statewide association has been very helpful, providing a network of knowledge from other treasurers and finance officers around the state from counties of all sizes.
“I find this group to be extremely helpful in the positions that we hold,” DeFrank said. “There is no ‘employee manual’ to this job. Being involved with this organization is the best networking that exists.”
The association puts on an annual finance school, in conjunction with the State Comptroller’s Office.
“It’s 2 ½ days of informative classes where we can ask questions and obtain current information,” DeFrank said. “To me, there is no other better source of info than a colleague that has held the position for a while. They offer experiences and knowledge that for me far outweigh anything that is written.”
As president, DeFrank will preside over all meetings of the NYSCTFOA, appoint members of standing committees, create special committees, serve on the Finance School committee, and plan the annual summer conference.
Kim DeFrank and the Treasurer’s Office recently relocated the office from East Park Street to Main Street at the former Bank of America next to Subway. DeFrank paid to have a plaque made, listing all 31 treasurers in the county’s history, dating back to 1825.
CAMBRIA – A 21-year-old man carried a replica of a long gun, intending to scare students at the Orleans/Niagara B.O.C.E.S/ Niagara Academy in Sanborn, the Naiagar County Sheriff’s Office said.
Owen Weidenboerner
Owen Weidenboerner, 21, of Cambria was charged with attempted menacing in the 2nd degree.
The Niagara County Communications Center received a 911 phone call today at 1:48 p.m. with report of a male walking down Saunders Settlement Road in the area of Shawnee Road carrying what appeared to be a BB gun and waving it around, the Sheriff’s Office stated in a news release.
Sheriff’s personnel responded to the area and located a male (Weidenboerner) matching the description on Saunders Settlement Road just east of Baer Road. He was carrying what appeared to be a long gun.
Weidenboerner was ordered to drop the weapon, which he complied to, and was quickly detained. The weapon he was carrying was a replica long gun which was not capable of firing, the Sheriff’s Office said.
After Weidenboerner was detained, he told Sheriff’s personnel he intended to walk to the Orleans/Niagara B.O.C.E.S/ Niagara Academy property, gain access to the school and point the weapon at students to instill fear in them, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Weidenboerner was issued an appearance ticket for the charge, returnable for a later date in the Town of Cambria Court. He also was transported to a local facility for a mental health evaluation.
