Event raises $1K for Warrior House in Shelby

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Canalside Super Cruise drew a crowd to downtown Albion on Saturday. A section of the street was blocked off to traffic for a car show that included about 75 vehicles.

The event was also a fundraiser for the Warrior House and raised $1,000 for the organization that provides a hunting retreat in Shelby to veterans and their families.

Three members of a Pin Ups for a Cause attended the event and sold 50/50 raffle tickets and met members of the public. Kimmy-Sue (Kim Cich) of Cowlesville in Wyoming County, right, is the national founder of Pin Ups for a Cause. She is pictured with Baloo, the group’s popular bulldog mascot. Catherine Fox of Albion, center, and Jessica Carlson of Arcade also are members of the group which has about 50 members in Western New York. They attend about 200 events a year to help raise money for veterans’ causes.

Anthony Disanferdinando, left, and Thomas Harrington perform with the band, Veterans of Bad Presidents.

A 1951 Mercury Convertible owned by Lorrie and Kevin Hafner was among the cars on display in the Super Cruise.

What About Jane also performed from a trailer in front of the Main Street and State Street intersection. The band includes, from left: Tom Smith, Jan Erakare, Ronda Smith and Gary Smith.

The 1952 Chevrolet is owned by Eleni Dudley.

Pin Ups for a Cause members Catherine Fox, right, and Jessica Carlson said they like the vintage clothing styles from the 1940s and ’50s, and also are happy to volunteer with the organization that assists veterans.

Baloo, a rescue dog with a back leg amputated, was a friendly greeter at the Super Cruise. Baloo has his own Facebook page.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Heather Smith of Gasport sits at her desk in Medina Memorial Hospital, after being named the new executive director of Orleans Community Health Foundation.

MEDINA – Orleans Community Health Foundation has had a busy summer, with a number of special events, including the announcement of a new executive director.

After Angela DiRosa left to take another position, Heather Smith has stepped into the role of Foundation Director.

Smith began her association with the Foundation as a volunteer in 2002. Her mother, Barbara Jantzi, was on the board and Smith helped with plans for Treasure Island.

“I was getting a small piece of the action, when in 2012 I started working for the Foundation as administrative assistant,” Smith said.

In January 2016, she resigned to go back to college. She got a bachelor of science and master’s degrees in sports management, an unlikely path, but one which suited her goals.

“I wanted to further my role in fundraising, and sports management had a fundraising component in it,” she said. “Besides, I like sports.”

The timing for her new job was perfect, Smith said.

“I had graduated in January and was looking for a new job,” she said.

“Her passion has always been to work locally and help our community,” said Cindy Perry, director of Wellness, Marketing and Education at Community Partners.

Smith, who lives in Gasport, was raised in Medina and her roots go way back. Beach Drive is named after her grandfather.

“I am looking forward to reconnecting with the donors I’ve worked with in the past and forging new relationships,” Smith said.

In June the Foundation had its 33rd annual golf tournament at Shelridge Country Club. Smith said the weather attempted to dampen the day, but they held out and managed to have a successful event, raising more than $15,000.

Winners of the Men’s Division Flight were Will Condo, Alex Sutphen, Evan Gaesser and Steve Mazzacash. The Mixed Division Flight winners were Cindy Perry, Matt Bush, Tim McPherson and Rebecca Mannella.

In August, Orleans Community Health CEO Mark Cye presented his request for funding to support the ongoing need of bringing additional surgical services back to Medina Memorial Hospital. His request to the Orleans Community Health Foundation detailed the need for surgical equipment to serve the community more effectively.

“The Foundation board loved that Orleans Community Health is continually working towards expanding surgical services we offer the community, and therefore decided to approve the funding request,” Smith said. “To kick off this initiative, the proceeds from all 2019 events hosted by the Orleans Community Health Foundation will go towards this effort to provide the necessary equipment for these doctors to practice at Medina Memorial Hospital.”

Looking forward to the coming fall, Smith said they are excited to announce the Treasure Island benefit will take place Nov. 2 at Sacred Heart Club. Doors will open at 5 p.m. The event boasts an amazing assortment of donated baskets, trips, live auction items and, of course, various other opportunities to support Orleans Community Health that evening, she said.

“You can participate in Lucky Cork, where you draw a numbered cork out of a treasure box and are awarded a corresponding bottle of wine,” Smith said. “Sometimes they are wrapped with an extra treasure hidden inside.”

Treasure Island also offers a cash raffle and 50/50 drawing. Tickets for the event are available in the Foundation office located on the ground floor of Medina Memorial Hospital. They can also be purchased online at www.charityauction.bid/supportOCH2019.

Anyone who would like to sponsor the event or donate a basket may also do so through the website or call Smith at (585) 798-8426.

Medina hosts ‘Super Cruise’ on Wednesday

File photo by Tom Rivers: There were many cars in downtown Albion for a car show on July 22, 2017.

ALBION – There will be big cars show today in Albion and Wednesday in Medina with Main Street block off for the events.

Albion will host its car show today from 4 to 8 p.m. with Main Street blocked off between State Street and Caroline Street, beginning at 3 p.m.

There is a $10 registration fee for cars, trucks, Jeeps and motorcycles to be in the show, with the proceeds from the event to be donated to the Warrior House, a retreat site for veterans in Shelby. The public is welcome to attend the car show for free.

There will be an opening ceremony with the Honor Guard from the American Legion at 4 p.m.

What About Jane will perform from 4 to 5 p.m., with Veterans of Bad Presidents, a blues band, playing from 5 to 7 p.m.

The group, Pin Ups for a Cause, also will be at the car show. They are dressed in 1940’s/1950’s outfits. They will bring their popular bulldog mascot, “Baloo.”

Medina will host its Super Cruise on Wednesday, when a section of Main Street is closed for the cars and there is lots of entertainment. Terry Buchwald, an Elvis Presley impersonator, will be back to perform on a stage in the downtown for that event.

The street will be blocked off beginning at 3 p.m. with the show going from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 5, Issue 33

MEDINA – One of Medina’s most prosperous businesses during the early portion of the 20th century was the Empire Couch Company established by Earl Card and Walter Marvin in 1901.

Prior to establishing a factory in Medina, the small outfit operated out of Middleport with mild success. After the company purchased the Bignall Works facility and constructed a new building in its place, the business was sold to J. D. Smith.

With financial support from Alonzo Phillips, the company witnessed considerable growth during the following years. The original factory was a 40-foot by 140-foot building equipped with electric lighting, heat, and hot water but demand for merchandise forced the company to expand relatively soon after. This image shows the facility after that expansion, the photograph taken on March 20, 1913 as part of New York State’s assessment of land and property leading up to the 1913-14 expansion of the Erie Canal.

The three-story building was broken into four sections; the closest section consisted of lumber storage in the basement, a coating room on the first floor, and a stockroom on the second floor. The next section contained a woodworking shop in the basement, a staining and varnishing room on the first floor, and upholstering space on the second. The next portion contained a room for preparing shipments on the first floor and a continuation of the upholstering space on the second. The final section on the southern end was an office and cloth storage space. Several piles of lumber used for manufacturing furniture are visible in the distance.

When New York State started the process of expanding and widening the Erie Canal in 1913, the Empire Couch Company was given $13,888 for the land and buildings on this property and was forced to relocate to a new site on Orient Street near the intersection of Short Street immediately north of the railroad tracks. The forced relocation was a welcomed one as the demand for fine furniture built in Medina was growing at an exponential rate. The area newspapers praised the high quality of furniture made by the company and its high rate of employment.

On October 14, 1930 the Medina Daily Journal published an article noting the company’s steady and prosperous growth stating, “This plant does its share to make the wheels of industry in Medina go round and there is every indication that it will continue to do so in the future.”

Unfortunately, the Lockport Union Sun and Journal published an announcement the following year on November 3, 1931 stating that the Central Bank of Medina was closing due to the decline of the bond market. With the majority of the company’s funds held by that bank, the closure forced the Empire Couch Company to go bankrupt.

With the company’s liabilities totaling close to $40,000 and assets equaling about the same, a bankruptcy auction was held and the property sold to William J. Gallagher’s trucking outfit. With that auction in 1935 went a successful but short-lived Medina enterprise.

Provided photos: Medina native Colin Huwyler stands by a fleet truck which uses his technology to burn used vegetable oil and restaurant grease.

Colin Huwyler was already interested in the development of clean energy while he was in Medina High School.

Since graduating in 2002, Huwyler has not only made a name for himself in the field of biodiesel technology and development of clean energy, he has become a leader in the field.

Huwyler, 34, a son of Bobbi Huwyler of Medina and Monte Huwyler, is founder of Optimus Technologies in Pittsburgh, the market leader in development of biodiesel conversion systems for medium and heavy duty trucks.

Huwyler recently returned from Binghamton University, where it was announced his company is one of 19 semifinalists in a $2.5 million competition sponsored by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

When Huywler first began researching on the internet, he discovered that the original diesel engine was designed to operate on peanut oil to enable farmers to be self-sufficient. The engines were modified when petroleum oil was discovered, and the technology evolved from there, he said.

After graduation from Medina High School, he entered the University of Buffalo to study political science. He needed a car which was economical to drive back and forth, he said. New York state had then outlawed the purchase of diesel passenger vehicles, so Huwyler went to Toronto and purchased his first car – a diesel Volkswagen Jetta.

He found a kit online to convert the car to burning used cooking oil and restaurant grease. A neighbor helped him install it in his Jetta.

“We put five gallons of soybean oil in it, and it ran,” Huwyler said.

Some things about the design of the conversion kit were not convenient, so Huwyler started tweaking them.

“It got to the point where the kit had more of my tweaks than the original parts,” he said.

Colin Huwyler, founder of Optimus Technologies, is shown during an interview on television about his company’s success in building conversion kits for vehicles to burn used vegetable oil and restaurant grease. He has just been announced as a finalist in a competition sponsored by NYSERDA to win $1 million.

In 2005, Huwyler started his first company, Fossil Free Fuel. He was selling his kits when a customer in Eastern Pennsylvania needed help installing one, and Huwyler went to assist him.

That was near Allentown, and when Huwyler was looking for a place to grow his company, Pennsylvania was a natural choice.

“That’s where the interest was in sustainable and clean technology,” he said.

Huwyler moved to Pittsburgh, where he entered the University of Pittsburgh and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering.

His company today is located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Braddock, where he said the mayor was very helpful when he was setting up his business.

They had been building systems for cars when several companies began asking if Huwyler could do the same for their large distribution trucks and heavy equipment.

“That compelled me to start Optimus Technologies,” Huwyler said. “Our technology is now being used on garbage trucks in Washington, D.C. and Chicago. A number of new entities are going to install it this fall.”

Optimus Technologies currently has three employees, and plans to hire another three by the end of the year.

“If we win this contest, we’ll be hiring a lot more,” Huwyler said.

NYSERDA’s 76West Clean Energy Competition is one of the largest in the country which focuses on supporting entrepreneurs to build clean energy businesses and economic development. It supports New York’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent by 2050, Huwyler said.

The competition attracted proposals from 169 companies from 14 countries.

“All had really interesting technologies,” Huwyer said. “But we feel really good about our chances. Our technology can meet the goals New York state has set, and we have proven it already.”

Huwyler has four patents on his technology, with several more pending.

Winner of the 76West Clean Energy Competition will receive $1 million. The second place finisher will receive $500,000 and four third-place winners will each get $250,000. Winners will be announced in the fall.

“If we win, the money will help grow our company,” Huwyler said. “The focus would be on hiring, growing technology and setting up a company in the Southern Tier of New York state.”

One of the requirements of the competition is the winner must set up or do business in the Southern Tier.

Other finalists include Clean Fiber of Buffalo and Paradigm of New York in Rochester.

Press Release, State Sen. Rob Ortt

Photo from Sen. Rob Ortt’s Office: State Sen. Robert Ortt and Assemblyman Michael Norris are joined today at the Niagara County Courthouse in Lockport by Niagara County Clerk Joseph Jastrzemski. They want the state to waive a proposed $25 fee for mandatory license plate renewals.

Today, Senator Rob Ortt (R,C,I,Ref-North Tonawanda) held a press conference to address the newly proposed license plate renewal fees that will be mandated by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Niagara County Clerk Joseph Jastrzemski joined Ortt as the senator introduced legislation that would waive the fees associated with the mandatory license plate replacement.

“Once again, Governor Cuomo and his out-of-touch administration are looking for a way to bolster the state’s budget at the expense of New York’s hard-working taxpayers,” said Ortt. “If new license plates are necessary for cashless tolling, as outlined by the governor, then the state should be providing new license plates to every driver in our state free of charge. It is not the burden of the drivers of our state to refund the incompetence and inability of those charged with implementing cashless tolling.”

Ortt’s bill, S.6663, would require the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner to waive the $25 fee for any license plate mandated for replacement by the state due to a design change.

As one of the least tax-friendly states in the entire country, the governor’s proposal to charge $25 to $45 for every new vehicle registered with a plate 10 or more years old comes as no surprise. Ortt noted that for years, New York State has been nickel and diming its residents, which is why he believes it continually ranks near the top of the list when it comes to out-migration. He also noted that Thruway tolls were supposed to expire in 1996 when the bonds to pay for the construction were paid off.

“Here we go again – governance at its worst. This time, Governor Cuomo is creating a $350 million windfall on the backs of 14 million registered NYS drivers,” said Niagara County Clerk Joseph Jastrzemski.

“Asking taxpayers to pay $25 for new a license plate, which will essentially serve as a device that makes it easier for NYS to collect a toll is an egregious money grab and terrible excuse to reach into our pockets, even for New York State,” said Assemblyman Mike Norris (R,C,I,Ref-Lockport). “This is a perfect demonstration, along with the previous license plate debacle, of the incompetence and ‘tax and spend’ mentally of state government.”

“Should new license plates be required because of the state’s electronic toll system, the burden of an unfunded mandate should not be placed on the taxpayers of New York State,” said Assemblyman Angelo J. Morinello (R,C,I,Ref-Niagara Falls).

“New Yorkers are smart. No matter how the governor and his press team try to spin this story, we will see this for what it is: a massive cash grab,” Ortt concluded.

This is the latest vehicle-related point of contention between Governor Cuomo and New York residents. Earlier this summer, Cuomo and his Democrat colleagues in the Legislature voted to give drivers’ licenses to illegal aliens, skirting federal law and placing unfunded costs on county clerk offices around the state.

Contributed Photo – Andie Carpenter

BATAVIA – This Sunday the Genesee Community College soccer programs will be playing North Country Community College in memory of Andie Mae Carpenter, who suddenly passed away this past January.

Carpenter was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a disease that weakens the connective tissues of the body. EDS also can weaken blood vessels and organs and no cure has been found.

A graduate of Holley Central School, Carpenter was majoring in the radiological technology program at North Country Community College. She enjoyed photography and taking hikes in nature outside of the classroom. She inspired to be a 46er, climbing all of the mountain peaks in the Adirondacks.

Carpenter wrote a memoir about living with EDS: “Even though I found out that I have (vascular) Ehlers Danlos, I still act like the same person I use to be. I still participate in many activities and enjoy life. You either accept the fact that you have the disorder and go on with your life like a normal person or worry about what could happen and not enjoy life at all. I chose to accept that I have it and go on with my days without worrying about it.”

Her family has created a memorial page on Facebook, Adventuresinlove4Andie where memories of her can be shared. The family has also started a scholarship at Holley Central School and a memorial scholarship was also established at North Country Community College.

Before the matchup against North Country Community College, the Genesee soccer programs will kick-off their 2019 seasons as they host Clinton Community College on Saturday. The NJCAA Soccer doubleheader will begin at 3 p.m.

The Genesee women’s soccer team will host North Country Community College at 1 p.m. Sunday, with the men’s game following at 3 p.m. Both programs will be entering the contests being in the top ten of the NJCAA Division III preseason polls.

Newly enacted provisions allows removal of guns from people who pose a danger to themselves and others

Press Release, Orleans County DA Joseph Cardone

ALBION – Orleans County District Attorney Joseph V. Cardone announces that on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Orleans County Legislative Chambers the DA’s Office will be presenting a training program regarding Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs).

The training will provide valuable information to school administrators, police officers and prosecutors, about a newly created mechanism to take guns away from people who are likely to hurt themselves or others.

Under the newly enacted Article 63-A of New York’s Civil Practice Law and Rules, the New York Supreme Court can issue an ERPO against a person who possesses or has access to certain types of guns.

Police officers, school administrators, or district attorneys, or family or household members of the person are permitted to file a petition in Supreme Court, seeking an ERPO. After a hearing, if the court determines that the person is likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to the person or to others, the court may issue an ERPO.

The order would require that firearms, rifles, or shotguns that the person possesses, or has access to, be surrendered to police, and would permit police to seize guns of those types from the person. There are time limits on the length of an ERPO, and the order may be renewed under certain circumstances.

“While I fully support an individual’s constitutional right to bear arms, each of you need to be aware of this change in the law,” Cardone said. “Through this training, we hope to provide our police, school administrators, and our prosecutors with the information they will need to understand this recent change in the law.”

Oct. 19 event will have focus on life during the Civil War

GAINES – The Cobblestone Museum is looking for actors and actresses of all ages to assist with the Civil War Ghost Walk on Oct. 19.

Volunteers are invited to join the Cobblestone Museum as they step back in time to 1862 and look at Orleans County at the time of the Civil War.

The Ghost Walk is a walking tour which plays out in the historic buildings on the Museum’s campus, including the cobblestone schoolhouse, the oldest cobblestone church in North America and a cobblestone parsonage, which are part of a district that is a National Historic Landmarks, said Sue Bonafini, assistant director and volunteer coordinator.

Along the way, Ghost Walk guests will “meet” apparitions of such notables as newspaper editor Horace Greeley, who once owned the cobblestone parsonage known as the Ward House, and penned “The Prayer of Twenty Millions,” in which he scolded Abraham Lincoln for the way he was conducting the War Between the States.

The Cobblestone Museum is looking for playful souls to fill speaking and non-speaking roles, along with a handful of energetic tour guides to lead guests through the spiritual sightings. Acting experience, while not required, is a plus. Volunteers will also be needed to help with a variety of additional roles, many behind the scenes. Assistance in locating costumes and props is also anticipated.

Those interested in participating or learning more information should contact Bonafini at 589-9013.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Western New York Energy welcomed about 200 people on Thursday for a first-time community tour and open house of the facility on Bates Road. The plant opened in November 2007 and uses about 20 million bushels of corn each year to produce about 60 million gallons of ethanol.

Bill Draper (white helmet), a shift leader and board operator for WNY Energy, leads one of the tours. Draper has worked for the company the past seven years.

Tim Winters, WNY chief executive officer, said the company wanted to show the community how ethanol is made and some of the other byproducts at the facility.

“We’re trying to promote our product,” he said. “There is a lot of misunderstandings about our product.”

WNY Energy employs 44 people at the plant, plus six more in Shelby Transportation, which hauls corn from some farms and also delivers distillers grains. Shelby Transportation also delivers feed grade corn oil.

A group on the tour walks by distillers grains, which will be sold to livestock operations, including many dairy farms.

In addition to ethanol, which is blended in gas in the Rochester and Buffalo markets, WNY Energy produces the distillers grains. Carbon dioxide also is captured by WNY Energy and then turned into food grade CO2 by Air Products, a company next door to WNY Energy.

Mike Langdon is the lab manager for WNY Energy and has been with the company since it started. The company has become more efficient in getting more ethanol out of the corn. Langdon said the local corn is a high-quality product with lots of starch that has proven desirable in creating ethanol.

“It’s my personal opinion that our local corn is the best corn in the country,” said Langdon, who has been with the company for 12 years.

Mike Schoolcraft releases corn from a Shelby Transportation truck into a corn hopper. Most of the corn used by the ethanol plant comes within a 100-mile radius.

Dr. Andrew Randolph, technical director of ECR engines, discussed the benefits of ethanol and E15 fuel for vehicles, including NASCAR race cars.

Winters, the ethanol plant CEO, said there are misunderstandings in the public that ethanol is bad for engines. That is why WNY Energy wanted to bring in Randolph to dispel some of the myths against ethanol.

Randolph said ethanol burns cleaner with less carbon emissions, without sacrificing power.

The United States is the world’s leading ethanol producer at 16.1 billion gallons in 2018, double the output of Brazil, which is second.

WNY Energy in Medina is one of 210 ethanol biorefineries in the U.S., and one of only two in New York. The other plant is in Fulton, Oswego County.

The company prides itself on cleanliness and safety, as well as high-value products. WNY Energy hasn’t missed a day due an an accident since the plant opened.

Read’s Ice Cream in Henrietta served ice cream cones for the people after they completed the tour.

Photos courtesy of Dan Conrad

POINT BREEZE – A group of volunteers from DC Outdoors and the community met on Thursday evening and picked up trash at Point Breeze.

They filled eight bags. Dan Conrad of DC Outdoors urges people to help keep the Point clean. Leaving trash on the shore and in the waterway hurts a popular spot in Orleans County.

“It’s not only disgusting for us but for the wildlife also,” Conrad said.

He praised Charlie Miller, Beth Miller, David Twiss and the other volunteers for trying to keep the shoreline clean.

Some kids helped with the cleanup along the lake.

The unemployment rate in Orleans County was 4.7 percent in July, the same as a year ago but significantly less than July 2012, when it was 10.0 percent, according to data from the State Department of Labor.

Statewide the unemployment rate was 4.0 percent in July. Columbia County had the lowest rate at 2.9 percent while it was the highest in the Bronx at 6.1 percent.

The Orleans rate increased from the 3.9 percent in both May and June. It was 4.0 in April, 4.9 in March, 5.1 in February and 5.3 percent in January.

The 4.7 percent in July is based on a labor force of 17,700 with 800 unemployed.

The unemployment rates in previous Julys in Orleans County include the following:

• 4.7 percent in July 2018 (labor force 17,700; 800 unemployed)

• 5.9 percent in July 2017 (labor force 17,500; 1,000 unemployed)

• 5.6 percent in July 2016 (labor force 17,800; 1,000 unemployed)

• 6.4 percent in July 2015 (labor force 18,200; 1,200 unemployed)

• 7.5 percent in July 2014 (labor force 18,200; 1,400 unemployed)

• 8.8 percent in July 2013 (labor force 19,100; 1,700 unemployed)

• 10.0 percent in July 2012 (labor force 19,300; 1,900 unemployed)

Click here to see more historical data from the Department of Labor on Orleans County.

The July unemployment rates for nearby counties include: Niagara, 4.6; Erie, 4.2; Genesee 3.3; Livingston, 4.0; Monroe, 4.2; and Wyoming, 3.7.

ALBION – Two men from Orleans County were sentenced to incarceration today for sex crimes against children.

Richard Hering Jr., 46, of Albion was sentenced to 2 years in state prison for first-degree sexual abuse. He also will have 3 years of post-release supervision and will be a registered sex offender.

On June 6, Hering entered an Alford plea, where he pleaded guilty while insisting on his innocence.

He maintained he didn’t commit the crime today during sentencing.

“There is no way I can win,” he said at sentencing. “I just wish they would tell the truth.”

The sentencing was delayed for about two hours after a letter was presented in court that was sent to Hering in the Orleans County Jail on Aug. 4. The letter was signed by the victim in the crime, and said “it was all lies” and Hering didn’t abuse her.

District Attorney Joe Cardone then had the victim testify in court. She said she didn’t send the letter and it wasn’t her hand-writing.

Hering said he had nothing to do with the letter.

“I don’t know where the letter came from,” he told Judge Charles Zambito of Genesee County, who presided over the case.

Cardone said the letter in latest effort from Hering to manipulate “various aspects of this case.”

Cardone said Hering should be sent to state prison.

Judge Zambito agreed, and gave him the maximum as part of the plea agreement.

“It’s clear you don’t accept responsibility,” Zambito said. “There is no question in my mind you are guilty as charged.”

Hering initially faced a 43-count indictment that included charges of rape and incest against a child and sexual abuse against three children.

Hering and Renee Koch, 55, were charged on Feb. 27, 2018 with forcible touching, sex abuse and act in manner injurious to a child less than 17 years of age.

Koch today was sentenced to three years on probation after pleading guilty to endangering the welfare of a child.

The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2008 and 2010 in the Village of Albion.

Zambito issued an order of protection for the victim.

• A Medina man who pleaded guilty to course of sexual contact against a child in the second degree was sentenced to 6 months in the county jail, plus 10 years of probation.

Jefffrey Woodroe, 39, admitted to sexual contact with a girl under age 12 on a least two occasions between April 2008 and April 2012.

The victim of the crime spoke in court and said Woodroe violated her family’s trust and damaged her self esteem. However, she is determined to not let the crime define her.

“I will forever be a prisoner of my memories,” she said.

Woodroe apologized to the victim, her family and his family.

“I realize the acts are uncalled for,” he told Judge Samford Church, who presided over the case. “I feel so bad for the pain I caused.”

Woodroe’s attorney, Chris Privateer, asked that Woodroe not be sentenced to jail so he could continue working and supporting his family.

“Some crimes call out for punishment,” Church said. “This crime was so horrendous and it was for a duration of time.”

Church also issued an order of protection for the victim for the next 8 years, the maximum allowed.

• In other cases, an Albion man who was unsuccessful in a judicial diversion program was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison for third-degree burglary.

Prince Wilson, 20, didn’t keep appointments with mental health and drug treatment as part of the diversion program.

His attorney, Nathan Pace, said Wilson didn’t have the support from his family to keep up with the program. Wilson has struggled with mental health issues since he was a young boy, Pace said.

He asked for probation for Wilson, who broke into an Albion gas station two years ago and stole about $60 of merchandise.

Wilson said he “wants to break the cycle I’ve been suffering for a long time.”

• A Medina man was arraigned on one court of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. Jim Farewell, 31, allegedly had 2 ounces of cocaine on April 27. He is out on $10,000 cash bail, $20,000 bond.

2 state leaders announce mutual aid Emergency Management Inter-State Compact

Gov. Andrew Cuomo chats with Bill Hiltz Jr., a sportsfishing promoter in Niagara County. Assemblyman Michael Norris is in back in blue shirt.

WILSON – Gov. Andrew Cuomo went fishing on Lake Ontario with Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday. The two reeled in two rainbow trout.

They were promoting the Lake Ontario fishery while announcing a new mutual aid Emergency Management Inter-State Compact between New York and Connecticut.

“It is an exquisite day to be on Lake Ontario,” Cuomo told reporters after the outing on the lake. “I want to thank Governor Ned Lamont for taking the time to be with us today.

“First, we just had a lot of fun. Fun is important. And when you go out on Lake Ontario on a day like today, which is just glorious, there are very few places like it in the world I believe. It is as the Supervisor said an international tourist destination and it should be. So we had a beautiful boat ride and a successful boat ride. We caught and released two fish. And then we caught two steelhead trout. The Governor is going to take one back. I am going to take one back. We are going to be eating well tonight. Not that we are competitive, but the fish happened to be twins. They are identical twins, identical weight, and they are beautiful. So we had a lot of fun and we also had a chance to talk some business.”

The two governors announced a cooperative agreement, effective immediately, that will pave the way for both states’ emergency responders and law enforcement agencies to better protect and prepare the region to react quickly and effectively during disasters and emergencies, according to Cuomo’s Office.

The agreement includes responses to both natural and manmade disasters, and will result in critical resources being deployed more efficiently.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont hold the rainbow trout they caught Tuesday in Lake Ontario.

Climate change and the evolving threat of manmade disasters, like mass shootings, know no borders and pose drastic threats to the safety of citizens across all jurisdictions, Cuomo said. “Connecticut is our neighbor to the east, and there are many issues we are dealing with that are enhanced when we work cooperatively,” Cuomo said on Tuesday. “The most important issue we can collaborate on is the safety of our residents which is why this emergency management partnership is so crucial. Today’s agreement is about ensuring our two states have the resources we need during difficult times, and that’s what neighboring states do.”

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said, “The first thing I’ve learned is that our state borders are pretty artificial and we have a lot of overlap between us – from the Long Island Sound to Metro-North to our energy needs, and especially in terms of our security. We are much better off when we work together and we are very fortunate to have Governor Cuomo as a neighbor, and I look forward to working with him very closely on all that we have to do together.”

The agreement includes joint National Guard training exercises, coordination of aviation assets for emergency response, expanded training for the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Citizen Preparedness Corps, evaluating technology improvements and interoperability between New York State Police and Connecticut State Police, and establishing a direct line of communication between State Police superintendents, National Guard Adjutant Generals and Homeland Security advisors of both states.

Press Release, Congressman Chris Collins

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) is pushing the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act (H.R. 4194), bipartisan legislation which designates “9-8-8” as the universal telephone number for the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system.

This system currently operates through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Veteran’s Crisis Line. Congressman Collins is an original co-sponsor of the legislation in the House.

“When experiencing an emergency, everyone knows to dial 9-1-1, but now those dealing with a mental health crisis will have an easy to remember number that will provide them with the help they need,” said Congressman Collins. “This legislation is crucial in saving the lives of Americans all over the United States and end the stigma surrounding mental health.”

This legislation authorizes states to collect a fee limited to supporting local crisis centers that are affiliated within the national network area that funds the suicide hotline services similar to that of existing emergency services. Also this legislation will set a deadline of one year for the FCC to complete the nationwide upgrade to ensure all lines have access to 9-8-8.