BrOCKPORT – Oak Orchard Health has achieved accreditation for Oak Orchard as a Diabetes Education Accreditation Program.
Oak Orchard Health provides a model of care that integrates patient-centered primary care, behavioral health, dental, vision services and health education – treating the whole patient and focusing on wellness and prevention.
OOH believes that we need to treat patients holistically and educate them on what they need to do to maintain good health. This accreditation comes from the only organization dedicated solely to diabetes education, the American Association of Diabetes Educators.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment and allows OOH to provide diabetes self-management education, which removes barriers to care,” said Dr. Nancy Ciavarri, OOH’s chief medical officer.
Remarked Mary Ann Pettibon, CEO, “Removing barriers to care for our patients is of paramount importance to us at OOH, and we are so delighted that this accreditation will assist us to do just that.”
Erin Goodrich, MS, RD, CDN, CDE, Oak Orchard’s Registered Dietician will oversee the education program. Ms. Goodrich, a native of Albion, received her undergrad degree at Daemen College and then pursued her master’s degree in dietetics at D’Youville College in Buffalo.
“Passionate about bringing more healthcare opportunities to Albion,” said Ms. Goodrich who has been working at OOH for over a year-and-a-half, and received her certification as a Diabetes Educator, which is an interdisciplinary specialty in diabetes education.
ALBION – The Orleans County Youth Board currently has three open positions available. The seats represent the following municipalities: Albion/Barre/Gaines/Carlton, Holley/Clarendon/Murray, and Yates/Lyndonville.
The Orleans County Youth Board is an advisory body made up of citizens from local municipalities, as well as youth representatives and members from various human service agencies.
The board works with Youth Bureau staff and is responsible for recommending funding allocations annually. The Youth Bureau administers population-based funding made available to the county by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services.
Youth Development Prevention (YDP) funding supports programs that provide opportunities for youth to gain important life skills and core competencies, and that allow youth to have meaningful roles in their community. The Youth Board also assists with programs such as the annual Youth Recognition Awards Banquet and Family Game Night.
The board meets on the first Wednesday of the month, September through June, and meets a minimum of six times a year. The meetings last an average of one hour.
Any residents interested or that would like more information can contact the Youth Bureau office at 585-344-3960 or via email at youthbureau@co.genesee.ny.us for an application.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2019 at 9:32 am
Musical being staged for first time by a local high school
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – Layna Viloria, center, portrays Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act, which will be performed Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Lyndonville Central School’s Auditorium, 25 Housel Ave.
Deloris is a nightclub singer who is sent to a convent in hiding after she witnesses someone being killed. She takes over the choir and the nuns respond to her high-energy style. She is shown singing, “Raise Your Voice” with Sawyer Wilson, a dancing custodian, and Alissa Klinetob (left), who plays Sister Mary Patrick.
The musical is being performed for the first time by a school in Orleans County. The show times are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available at the door.
There are 65 students in the cast, stage crew and pit. The musical showcases several strong female leads.
“It has some really great roles,” said Jennifer Trupo, the musical director. “It’s really upbeat.”
Cora Payne is Mother Superior. She is initially concerned that Deloris is a bad influence on the nuns. But Mother later becomes a protector of Deloris when gangsters come looking for her.
Payne, a senior from Medina, said the show is a big change from last year’s musical, The Addams Family.
“The biggest theme is the sisterhood,” Payne said before rehearsal on Tuesday.
The musical begins with Layna Viloria (Deloris Van Cartier) singing in a Philadelphia nightclub. Evie Schultz, back left, is Michelle and Danielle Schmidt is Tina. They are singing, “Take Me to Heaven.”
Ethan Bowie plays Curtis, who leads a gang and wants to eliminate Deloris after she witnesses a murder and talks to police. His gangster friends include Lincoln Pace (back left) as Joey and Brian Cunningham as TJ. They are singing, “When I Find My Baby.”
Sophia Cardone plays Sister Mary Lazarus, a spunky nun.
Layna Viloria embraces the role as Deloris Van Cartier. Vitoria and Cora Payne were both honored by the Stars of Tomorrow last year as outstanding actresses for The Addams Family. They return with lead roles this year.
Jacob Corser (Eddie) wants to be cool and impress Deloris. He sings, “I Could Be That Guy.” Eddie is mostly shown in the musical as a shy police officer, who Deloris remembers from high school when he was known as “Sweaty Eddie.” Eddie decides Deloris needs to be hidden in a safe place and takes her to the convent.
Last year the Stars of Tomorrow recognized Corser, Brian Cunningham and Qasim Huzair as outstanding supporting actors. They return this year for Sister Act.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2019 at 7:31 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: The sun sets Tuesday at Lynhaven Cemetery in Lyndonville.
Today is the first day of spring following a difficult winter that included some fierce wind storms, an ice storm and lots of snow, including blizzard-like conditions on Jan. 30.
The official start of spring isn’t until later today at 5:58 p.m. Today is forecast to reach 51 degrees.
Thursday it will get up to 48 with an 80 percent chance of rain, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2019 at 9:28 pm
MEDINA – Village residents re-elected Todd Bensley and Owen Toale to the Village Board today.
The two were unopposed on the ballot for four-year terms as trustee. Bensley, a Medina government teacher, led with 50 votes. Toale, a retired newspaper publisher, received 36.
There were also some write-in votes with Todd Ralph and Nicole Ralph each getting 2, and Peter Huth getting 1.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2019 at 9:12 pm
HOLLEY – The Orleans County Health Department wants to facilitate TeleMedicine for local school districts, where sick students and possibly even staff could have access to a doctor or nurse practitioner. They would diagnose a health problem and prescribe medication. The diagnosis likely would be sent to a child’s primary care doctor.
Frontier Middle School in Hamburg is the first school in the state to offer the program. Frontier started working with Mobile Health Partners in October. Now, Orleans County health officials want to bring the program to local school districts.
“We’re pretty excited,” said Paul Pettit, the county’s Public Health director. “We’ll be one of the first places in the state to try it.”
Pettit said the county’s access to primary care physicians is one of the worst ratios in the state. In Orleans it’s one primary care doctor for every 13,780 residents. That compares to the state average of 1 primary care doctor for every 1,200 people, and a national average of 1 to 1,326 people.
“We want to improve access to care,” Pettit said. “Right now we have one of the worst accesses to health providers.”
Many parents struggle to get students to doctor’s appointments due to work commitments or transportation issues, he said.
With TeleMedicine, students would go the nurse’s office, where the nurse would check pulse and blood pressure. The nurse would direct a robot that can “see” in ears and in throats. Those images could be seen offsite by a doctor, nurse practitioner or nurse’s assistant.
Holley schools officials discussed the program during the Board of Education meeting on Monday. The district likes the idea. The access to health professionals could help prevent illnesses or limit sicknesses to the early stages. That would improve attendance.
“Ultimately our goal would be to have them not be so ill so they can be in school and learning,” Brian Bartalo, the Holley superintendent, told the Board of Education on Monday.
The program would be grant funded for the start-up costs and the first year, with the services also being billed to insurance companies or Medicaid, Pettit said.
Bartalo said parent permissions would be needed for any student to participate in the program.
Pettit said the permissions or parent consent forms could be sent out during the beginning of next school year.
The Health Department has already met with Holley school leaders about the program, and will be having a meeting with officials from all five school districts in the county. The company and the robot would be available for demonstrations to show schools how it works.
Pettit would like to have the program start in Orleans this fall.
Press Release, Public Health Departments in Orleans and Genesee
According to the 2019 County Health Rankings, released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Genesee and Orleans counties rank 42nd and 52nd, respectively, in overall Health Outcomes. The Rankings are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.
“As Chief Health Strategists, we use the County Health Rankings to help us identify factors that are important for residents to live long and healthy lives and understand how we compare to other counties in the state,” stated Paul Pettit, director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. “With this knowledge, we can take steps to improve the health of our residents.
The rankings are broken into to two main categories. Health Outcomes include length of life and quality of life, while Health Factors include health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment. Genesee County ranked 42nd out of 62 counties for Health Outcomes and 29th in Health Factors. Orleans County ranked 52nd in Health Outcomes and 54th in Health Factors.
“The County Health Rankings show us that where people live plays a key role in how long and how well they live,” Pettit said. “The Rankings allow local leaders to clearly see and prioritize the challenges they face — whether it’s rising premature death rates or the growing drug overdose epidemic — so they can bring community leaders and residents together to find solutions.”
According to the 2019 Rankings, the five healthiest counties in the state, starting with most healthy are Rockland, followed by Nassau, Westchester, Saratoga and New York. The five counties in the poorest health, starting with least healthy are Bronx, Sullivan, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua and Niagara.
What’s new for 2019? This year’s Rankings explore severe housing cost burden and health. The 2019 Key Findings Report highlights the link between housing and health that the RWJF and the UWPHI are seeing across the nation. As housing costs have outpaced local incomes, many families not only struggle to acquire and maintain adequate shelter, but also face difficult trade-offs in meeting other basic needs.
Did you know increases in the share of households that are severely housing cost burdened are linked to more children in poverty and more people facing food insecurity? New measures this year that help to illustrate how counties are fairing including Severe Housing Cost Burden, Homeownership and Life Expectancy. A new ranked measure included this year is Flu Vaccinations. In addition, an updated data source for the ranked measures of Preventable Hospital Stays and Mammography Screening are being used.
“The County Health Rankings show how Genesee and Orleans Counties rank on factors that influence its overall health ranking,” Pettit said.
For example, Genesee County has an improved Clinical Care ranking, scoring 40 this year as compared to 57 out of 62 counties five years ago. This improvement can be attributed to a lower uninsured population (under age 65) than the NYS average, as well as an increasing number of mental health providers available although still far behind the state average. A similar trend can be found in Orleans County in regards to these two ranked measures.
Additional strengths in Genesee County include a lower percentage of children living in poverty, which is 15% as compared to the state average of 20%. The high school graduation rate in Genesee County (91%) and Orleans County (89%) in 2019 is higher than the state average of 82%.
The rankings of Social Associations, Severe Housing Problems, and Long Commute-Driving Alone are also fairing well in both counties compared to the NYS averages. Orleans County has also improved in the Physical Environment and Health Factors rankings, by 11 points (21st out of 62) and 2 points (54nd out of 62) compared to 2018.
Even with the above mentioned positive trends, both counties continue to have challenge areas and are still struggling with health factors specifically with adult smoking (Genesee – 20% / Orleans – 22%), adult obesity (Genesee – 35% / Orleans – 36%), physical inactivity (Genesee –29% / Orleans – 31%), access to exercise opportunities (Genesee – 61% / Orleans – 70%), driving alone to work (Genesee – 84% / Orleans – 80%), and access to clinical care for primary care physicians, dentists and mental health providers.
Orleans County is also ranked as having a higher percentage of children living in poverty (24%) as compared to the state average mentioned earlier.
The Rankings have become an important tool for communities that want to improve health for all. Working collaboratively with community partners, Genesee and Orleans counties have a number of initiatives to expand health opportunities for residents, including providing the National Diabetes Prevention Program (Prevent T2), a lifestyle change program to prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes; the Get Fit! Program, an 8-week family-friendly physical activity and nutrition focused program; a tri-county Opioid Task Force; and decrease smoking/nicotine usage through referrals and increase cancer screenings.
“The Rankings data will be used in conjunction with additional local sources, such as the Community Health Assessment Surveys and Community Conversations that are being collected and occurring now, to develop the 2019-2024 Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Community Health Improvement Plan, which will be submitted to the NYS Department of Health this December,” Pettit said.
The CHA survey is available online in English and Spanish until March 31. Paper copies are also available at various locations in each county. The survey is anonymous and only takes about 15 minutes to complete and focuses on the health of the person taking it. If you are younger than 18, be sure to receive permission to take the survey from your parent(s) or guardian(s).
The GOW Health Departments are also seeking to schedule Community Conversations with willing groups to learn what they feel are the greatest health concerns or issues in their community and thoughts on how they can be improved.
Responses from the confidential surveys and conversations will help identify services that are working, need improving, or to be created. The more members of the public who participate, the larger and stronger the “building block” of these plans will be!
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2019 at 2:38 pm
ALBION – Two roads in the Town of Albion will be closed while the owner of the railroad makes steel and masonry repairs to the bridges over Butts Road and Keitel Road.
Genesee Valley Transportation Co. in Batavia is the owner of the Falls Road Railroad, which runs from Lockport through Orleans County to Brockport.
Keitel Road will be closed between Route 31 and the Erie Canal from March 25 to April 23.
Butts Road will be closed between Route 31 and East State Street from April 23 to mid May.
Provided photo – Pictured from left include: Senior SkillsUSA officers Seth Warriner (Lyndonville), Ryan Burbee (Lockport), Morgan Hahn (Royalton-Hartland), Robert Humbert of Wolcottsville Wildlife, Jonathan Scroth (Lyndonville) and Shawnasea Swiatowy (Lockport).
Press Release, Orleans-Niagara BOCES
MEDINA – Robert Humbert of Wolcottsville Wildlife recently received donations collected by the staff and students at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.
Mr. Humbert had recently worked with the school’s Envirothon team coached by Science teacher Peter Jablonski. Mr. Jablonski learned that Wolcottsville Wildlife depends on donations to care for the sick and injured animals it takes in. He approached the SkillsUSA officers to ask if they would like to support a collection drive for the organization.
Both senior and junior officers readily agreed, and senior officer Morgan Hahn created a flyer asking for donations of paper towels, gently used towels and blankets, cat and dog food, cleaning supplies, etc.
The school was able to donate two boxes of items and a check for $200 to help Wolcottsville Wildlife in their mission to care for injured wildlife. Mr. Humbert was thrilled with the donations and said it will all be put to good use.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2019 at 9:27 am
HOLLEY – The school district has been identified as a “target district” by the State Education Department, and will have at least two years to improve student performance.
Holley is in good standing for the elementary and high school. However, it has been identified as a “target district” due to low student scores for seventh- and eighth-graders, said Brian Bartalo, the school district superintendent.
Holley is one of 106 school districts out of 733 in the state that are target districts. The state will provide resources to help the districts form a plan to raise student achievement. Holley is the only district in Orleans County on the list.
Bartalo said he is all for raising student performance.
“It can be done,” he told the Holley Board of Education on Monday. “We have to believe in our kids and have high expectations.”
Holley students in seventh and eighth grade overall had low scores in state ELA and math tests from last spring. That is the main factor in Holley being listed as a target district, Bartalo told the board. The previous year, Holley students scored high enough where Holley was listed in “good standing” by the state.
The district also rated low in a new category from the state measuring college, career and civic readiness. The district offers college level and advanced placement classes. Bartalo said the district may need to encourage students to take more of those classes as well as work towards diplomas that are Regents with Distinction.
He travels to Albany on March 26 to meet with State Ed officials on the next steps for the district. State Ed officials also will spend three days in Holley from May 7-9, meeting with staff, students and focus groups. The state officials will also do classroom visits as part of a needs assessment for the district.
Holley will work with a consultant to form a plan that should be in effect to start the next school year, Bartalo said.
The superintendent met with junior high teachers last week to go over the report from the state. Bartalo said he shared a clip from the movie Stand and Deliver, a 1988 film based on the true story of high school math teacher Jaime Escalante. He worked in Los Angeles and his students overcame extreme poverty to excel in calculus. Escalante led his classes with the philosophy of “ganas,” which translates into “desire” or “motivation.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2019 at 8:17 am
Lyndonville and Medina both have village elections today, with polls open from noon to 9 p.m.
Lyndonville has three candidates running for two village trustee positions that are four-year terms. The spots are currently filled by Darren Wilson and Mary Kage. They both want to continue on the board. Kimberly Kenyon also will be on the ballot.
Kage is running under the Kage Party, Kenyon under the Pool Party, and Wilson picked the Main Street Party.
Voting is at the Village Hall on 2 South Main St.
Medina has two candidates seeking two spots on the board. Incumbents Owen Toale and Todd Bensley are both seeking re-election to two-year terms. They are both running under the Accountability Party.
The election is at the Senior Center, the former railroad depot on West Avenue.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2019 at 8:00 am
Photo courtesy of Melissa Ierlan
CLARENDON — The first of four new signs for Clarendon pioneer cemeteries arrived last week and will soon be installed at Robinson Cemetery on Route 237, near Glidden Road.
The town is replacing four wooden signs, which are rotted. Those signs went up in 1982, said Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon town historian.
The town received a grant from the Elizabeth Dye Curtis Foundation in Orleans County for the new signs. The cast-aluminum signs are made by Sewah Studios in Ohio.
The signs include an image of the Clarendon water falls. They also have a quote from David Sturges Copeland, who wrote the History of Clarendon in 1889. “Buried here are those whose labor, energy, spirit and love once lived in Clarendon. May they not be forgotten.”
The sign for Robinson Cemetery highlights some Clarendon residents buried in the cemetery, including Chauncey Robinson, a veteran of the War of 1812 who was a prominent abolitionist in the community.
Thomas McManners was an escaped slave who served in the American Revolution.
William Lewis was the first sheriff in Orleans County.
Ierlan said there is a chance the sign could be installed this week. She is waiting for the other three signs to arrive from Sewah Studios.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 March 2019 at 10:01 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Christine Langelotti, a Holley second-grade teacher, is presented with a Soaring to New Heights Award by Brenda Swanger, president of the Holley Board of Education.
Langelotti was recognized this evening by the Holley school district for her recent award by Brockport State College.
She received the Roy Bubb Award for her support of student teachers. She has welcomed many students into her classroom over the years.
Brockport each year recognizes teachers who work with students in preparing for careers as educators.
Bubb, a Clarendon native, worked 25 years at Brockport, preparing future teachers. Prior to retiring in 1986 he established the Roy Bubb Award, which is administered by the Department of Education and Human Development.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 March 2019 at 9:46 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: John Grillo accepts an award from Brenda Swanger, president of the Board of Education. Grillo is retiring as coach.
HOLLEY – John Grillo was praised by Holley school officials this evening for a distinguished career that includes a state record 796 wins as a wrestling coach.
Grillo’s achievements as a coach are an “unparalleled record as a professional,” said Brian Bartalo, the district superintendent.
Bartalo joined Holley this year after working in the Hilton school district. Even at Hilton, Grillo is well regarded for building such a strong program at Holley, and for his relationships with other coaches and the wrestling community, Bartalo said.
Grillo’s achievements were highlighted during the Board of Education meeting this evening, including 16 times the Genesee Region coach of the year, five times the Section 5 coach of the year, and a finalist for national coach of the year. His teams also won 20 GR league titles and 12 Sectional championships.
But even more importantly, Grillo was a great role model for the athletes and helped many succeed off the mat as well, said Dan Courtney, the school’s athletic director.
“The numbers are mind blowing,” Courtney said about Grillo’s achievement as a coach. “But it’s not just the wins and losses.”
Grillo said he was proud of this year’s combined Holley and Kendall team which won the sportsmanship award for Section 5 for the first time in his career. Grillo said that award is a tribute to the wrestlers, the parents and the fans in the community.
Grillo also thanked the Holley school district for backing the wrestling program through the years.
“Thank you for bringing me in,” he said. “I know I was a pain in the rump at times, but you always supported me in doing what we had to do to build the program. Thank you for all you’ve done for me and your support over the years.”
