Photo courtesy of Lindon Morici

ALBION – Lindon Morici took this photo in her Albion backyard this morning of a spectacular sunrise. Many local residents have posted pictures on social media of the sunrise, which was appreciated after a spate of cold weather.

Today the high will be up to 47, followed by temperatures near 60 on Thursday and then 52 on Friday.

Press Release, Congressman Chris Collins

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Chris Collins (NY-27) released a letter today to the Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao calling for a temporary grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 8 Aircraft.

Faulty software on the aircraft is the focus of investigations after two fatal airline crashes in the past six months. In October 2018, Lion Air Flight 610 crashed in Indonesia, killing all 189 passengers. And, this past Sunday, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after take-off, killing 157 passengers.

“We must be certain that these aircraft are safe for flight,” Collins said in a news release. “It has been more than a decade since the last fatal airline crash in the United States and we cannot take any chances when it comes to the safety of Americans.”

When he was the Erie County Executive, Collins was one of the first on the scene at the crash site of Colgan Air Flight 3407 in Clarence. Working with Congress and the Transportation Department, the families of the Flight 3407 victims have worked tirelessly to promote air safety. Their efforts have paid off, as the United States has not witnessed a commercial airline crash since.

“We owe it to the American public to ensure the safest skies possible,” added Collins.  “Until all questions are answered about this specific aircraft, it should be grounded until we are one hundred percent certain it is safe to fly.”

More than a dozen countries across the world including, the European Union, China, and Indonesia have grounded the jets following reports of faulty software on the aircraft. Leaving the United States and Canada as the only two nations still flying the aircraft. In the United States, American Airlines and Southwest say they will continue to fly the aircraft.

The letter urges Secretary Chao to move quickly to ground the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft until the investigations have concluded and Boeing can take action to ensure these aircraft are safe to fly.

Press Release, New York State Association of County Health Officials

ALBANY – Local public health officials today expressed concern that a critically important proposal to better protect children from lead poisoning will be impossible to effectively implement without an appropriate commitment of new flexible state resources.

The proposal, which passed the NYS Assembly and is also contained within the Executive Budget, would lower the acceptable blood lead level in children from 10 to 5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood.

Paul Pettit

Local health officials conservatively estimate that implementing and sustaining the program would increase costs to local health departments by $35 million annually. The Executive Budget proposal allocates just $9.4 million in funding, which is insufficient in both dollar amount and funding structure. Any and all funding for this proposal must be located within the existing Lead Prevention appropriation to allow for nurses and staff to intervene. Without the proper funding structure, local health departments will not be able to hire staff to meet the demands of this policy.

“Lowering the acceptable blood lead threshold is good policy, but it will trigger an avalanche of intervention demands on local health department nurses and staff,” said NYSACHO President Paul Pettit, who also serves as Public Health Director for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

State Health Department data from the three years most recently reported show that nearly 500,000 children under the age of 6 had been screened for lead poisoning. In 2015 alone (the most recent year reported by DOH) 1,800 children tested above 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. These children and their families required services from local health department staff to engage in the clinical and environmental response strategies necessary to protect the entire household from continued lead exposure. Depending on the magnitude of the poisoning sources and required mitigation, these interventions can last days, weeks and even months.

Lowering the limit to 5 micrograms of lead, while sound public health policy, will dramatically increase the number of children and families who would require similar services. Based on the 5-year average incidence (from 2011-2015), if the lower limit is adopted, approximately 18,000 additional children could require services. Local health departments would be unable to respond to an increase of that scale without a commensurate increase in re- sources that can be used to hire staff.

“Effective public health policy requires public health resources,” Pettit said. “We will continue working with our state leaders to craft a final proposal that will deliver on its promise of better protecting our children from lead poisoning.”

LYNDONVILLE – A Lyndonville Board of Education member who voted last month for a merged boys soccer team with Medina now wants to have the vote back on the agenda because he said Medina misrepresented the issue, telling Lyndonville it couldn’t have its own boys soccer team without jeopardizing the other merged programs with Medina.

Steve Vann, a Lyndonville board member, last month said Medina presented the shared sports and extracurricular activities as an “all or nothing” proposition. That was based on individual conversations with Medina board members.

The districts first started sharing a boys soccer team about six years ago. That expanded to the school musical, football, girls soccer, volleyball, cross country, swimming and Medina’s marching band.

David Sevenski, Medina’s Board president, told the Orleans Hub the two districts have a great working relationship, and the shared programs have opened up opportunities for students in both districts, preserving programs and creating new ones.

“There was no edict from Medina that it had to be all or nothing,” he told the Orleans Hub on Feb. 27. “We went to great lengths to not twist anybody’s arm.”

Vann, at Lyndonville’s board meeting on Monday, said Sevenski’s comments to the Orleans Hub were contrary to their personal conversation.

Vann wants Lyndonville to have another vote on the boys soccer team at the April meeting. Lyndonville has about 20 boys interested in playing varsity soccer this fall, and Medina has a similar number, Lyndonville board members were told in January and February, when the board was considering whether to bring back Lyndonville’s own team.

Ultimately, the board voted 5-2 to keep the merged team with Medina because Lyndonville didn’t want to lose the opportunities for students in the other programs. Some board members also were concerned if it was sustainable long-term for Lyndonville to have its own team.

Vann said that vote was made with the wrong information. If having their own team doesn’t impact the other programs, Vann said there should be a revote in Lyndonville.

Vern Fonda, a district resident, also expressed his disappointment in the vote to keep the merged team. He said the full boards of the two school district, as well as the athletic directors, should have met to discuss the issue to make sure everyone knew the expectations and ramifications.

The districts should have been more transparent with the decision-making, instead of having “closed door” conversations, Fonda said.

Board member Harold Suhr responded that Lyndonville has been very transparent in the process.

Vann also pushed for Lyndonville to create a subcommittee to review its policy for student activities with athletics.

“I didn’t feel like we had a policy we could point to for this and why we’re doing what we’re doing,” Vann said.

He will serve on that subcommittee with Suhr and Board President Ted Lewis.

Lewis said the board and school officials will discuss Vann’s request to put boys varsity soccer back on the agenda. Lewis said it might be a “done deal.” The agreement approved last month by both districts was for four years.

“This is the first I’m hearing about it,” Lewis said at Monday’s meeting.

ALBION – Neighbors want vacant land near the intersection of Route 98 and West Countyhouse Road to stay residential.

They spoke during a public hearing Monday at the Albion Town Hall. The town is proposing to change the zoning from R-1 to light industrial. That includes 852 feet of frontage on West Countyhouse Road and 370 feet on Route 98.

“It would potentially change the nature of the neighborhood,” said resident Jeffrey Post, voicing his objection to the rezoning.

Grant Downey, another neighbor, said he also opposes the zoning change. He prefers the peacefulness of the area right now.

“There’s a nice wooded area there with deer and wildlife,” he said at the hearing.

David Hill of Gasport is seeking the zoning change so he can start a business on the property. He wants to have self-storage units that would take up about an acre of the property, and draw very little traffic.

Post is concerned the zoning change would lead to more development of that land, with the storage units only the beginning.

Marcell Taylor urged the Town Board to make the zoning change because it supports bringing more businesses to the community.

The Town Board didn’t make a decision on the issue on Monday.

Hill in 2015 proposed a small concrete plant at the southwest corner of the property. He proposed a storage hopper and gravity-fed discharge truck loading tower with an 85-foot antenna.

There would have been entrances on West Countyhouse Road and Route 98, as well as 12 parking spaces for employees and a 4,200-square-foot wood framed building.

That project didn’t move forward. Hill said on Monday he is trying to generate some revenue from the property with his latest proposal for self-storage units.

In other action, the board approved to have Bruce Landis of Photos by Bruce take photos of all town employees, including board members, for new photo IDs.

Town Supervisor Richard Remley said the IDs will assist security on court days. The officers aren’t familiar with all the town employees, Remley said.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office

Provided photo: Sheriff Randy Bower and Koryn Neale are pictured at a youth BB Gun Safety Class on Feb. 17 at the Holley Rod and Gun Club.

ALBION – In the month of February, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department 911 Dispatch Center processed 1,968 police incidents, including 705 events for Sheriff’s Road Patrol, 160 for the New York State Police and 1,103 calls for the village police agencies of Lyndonville, Medina, Albion and Holley.

There were 581 Fire/EMS-related calls dispatched countywide with 376 of those calls emergency medical in nature and 4 drug overdoses.

Sheriff’s Department Road Patrol deputies handled 61 automobile accidents, including 7 with injury and 24 car-deer collisions. Road patrol also made 82 service attempts and successfully served 41 subpoenas, civil, or court papers.

The Sheriff’s Animal Control Division handled 56 incidents including 17 stray dogs, 2 animal bite complaints, 4 neighbor dog problems, and several other miscellaneous animal calls. In addition, 2 animals were taken in to shelter on voluntary surrenders.

The Orleans County Jail processed in 111 inmates and handled 39 prisoner transports.

Press Release, NYS Association of Counties

As state leaders continue to negotiate legislation to legalize adult use cannabis in New York State, county governments are emphasizing the local impact of this policy.

Regardless of which level of government opts in to legalized marijuana, it will be county government programs and services that bear the impact of legalization in our communities.

“Public policy ought to be about doing the public good,” said Stephen Acquario, executive director of NYSAC. “No harm to the public should be done. Will taxpayers once again end up subsidizing the long-term effects of this industry in our communities? If the state opts in to authorize adult use cannabis, counties need state resources to support any policy change from day one of the implementation.”

If the resources to support legalization are not there, the state should focus on decriminalization and undoing the damage caused to communities disproportionately impacted by marijuana charges. That is a worthy goal, and one that helps to uplift our communities.

“If the state moves forward with legalization, it will be county governments that pay for the impact on social services, mental health departments, public safety, addiction services, public health education, traffic safety enforcement, and other local programs that have been proven to reduce the adverse effects of other legal psychoactive substances,” said Chuck Nesbitt, NYSAC president and Orleans County chief administrative officer. “In every region of the state, these programs and services are provided by counties.”

Legalizing adult-use marijuana requires the funding to do so responsibly, with proper local support in place. Without sufficient revenue to support the services that ensure public health and safety, counties are not willing to take this gamble. We simply can’t afford to.

The bottom line is that it’s better to have no policy than shortsighted policy.

ALBION – The Village of Albion will getting more funds for Bullard Park after the Albion Town Board agreed to send $45,000 to the village for handicapped accessibility at the park.

The Town Board held a public hearing about the issue on Monday. Town Supervisor Richard Remley said the funds needed to go for handicapped accessibility or to assist low-income residents in a public project.

The village is working to upgrade the park this year. Remley said directing the funds there met the eligibility requirements for the funding, which came from the state initially for a revolving-loan fund at the Orleans Economic Development Agency.

The state is directing the agencies to close out the funds, with agreements for the money in place by March 31.

If a local project didn’t meet the state eligibility requirements, the funds would need to go back to the state.

The Town of Albion had $45,000 to work with because the town had projects that used the revolving-loan fund previously.

The Orleans County Legislature last Thursday approved divvying up $223,000 in funding for handicapped accessible projects at Bullard Park in Albion, a pedestrian bridge in Medina and a portion of a waterline in Holley.

Albion and Medina, which each have about 6,000 people, were approved for $97,500 each from the county through the revolving-loan fund. Holley, which has less than a third of the population of the villages of Albion and Medina received $28,000 from the county. That is equal to its percentage of population compared to the two villages.

(The Orleans Hub last week reported higher numbers from the county. Those numbers “were not to exceed” the amounts stated. The dollar amounts listed in the above paragraph are the solid figures, county officials said.)

Bullard Park will see major improvements this year with a new amphitheater, utility building, splash pad and other upgrades planned.

The village in December 2016 was awarded a $499,605 state grant for Bullard upgrades with the village providing $166,370 with in kind-services or funding.

The county and town funding won’t count towards the local share for the village.

Remley, the Albion town supervisor, said it will make the splash pad and amphitheater accessible to people in a wheelchair. The amphitheater, for example, is expected to have a cement sidewalk with a railing.

Photo by Tom Rivers: A deer is pictured in a corn field on Albion-Eagle Harbor Road in Gaines on Monday.

The temperature will be on the rise the next couple days, going from a high in the mid-30s today to a high of 47 on Wednesday, and then a high of 63 on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Friday, the temperatures drop with a high of 48. The cooling continues with a peak of 36 on Saturday and 35 on Sunday, according to the Weather Service.

Press Release, DEC

File photo by Tom Rivers: Joe Morlino (right) of the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Company joined firefighters in battling a brush fire on July 12, 2016 on Ridge Road in Murray, preventing the fire from destroying a house and spreading to a nearby wooded area.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos today reminds residents that with spring approaching conditions for wildfires will become heightened and residential brush burning is prohibited March 16 through May 14 across New York State.

“While many people associate wildfires with the western United States, the start of spring weather and the potential for dry conditions increases the risk for wildfires in New York,” Seggos said. “New York prohibits residential burning during the coming high-risk fire season to reduce wildfires and protect people, property, and natural resources. The ban has been extremely effective in reducing the number of wildfires, and we’re encouraging New Yorkers to put safety first.”

Even though much of the state is currently blanketed in snow, warming temperatures can quickly cause wildfire conditions to arise.

DEC posts daily a fire danger rating map and forecast during fire season on its website and on the NY Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife App available on DEC’s website. Currently, wildfire conditions in the state are low risk.

Historically, open burning of debris is the largest single cause of spring wildfires in New York State. When temperatures are warmer and the past fall’s debris, dead grass, and leaves dry out, wildfires can start and spread easily and be further fueled by winds and a lack of green vegetation.

New York first enacted strict restrictions on open burning in 2009 to help prevent wildfires and reduce air pollution. State regulations allow residential brush fires in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents during most of the year, but prohibit such burning in spring when most wildfires in New York occur. Since the ban was established, the eight-year annual average number of spring fires decreased by 42.6 percent, from 2,649 in 2009, to 1,521 in 2018.

Campfires using charcoal or untreated wood are allowed, but people should never leave such fires unattended and must extinguish them. Burning garbage or leaves is prohibited year-round.

Wildfires can be deadly and destructive, and the national annual cost of their consequences can range anywhere from $71.1 to $347.8 billion, according to recent study by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Last year’s Camp Fire in northern California destroyed the city of Paradise and killed more than 80 people, making it the nation’s deadliest wildfire in more than a century. This year, the USDA Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters, and the Ad Council are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the launch of the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention campaign, the longest-running public service advertising campaign in U.S. history.

Violators of the state’s open burning regulation are subject to both criminal and civil enforcement actions, with a minimum fine of $500 for a first offense. To report environmental law violations call 1-800-TIPP DEC (1-800-847-7332), or report online on DEC’s website.

HAMLIN — A search for a missing Town of Sweden woman has been called off after State Police discovered the body of a woman on the Lake Ontario shoreline at Hamlin Beach State Park.

State Police used a helicopter when they spotted the body of a woman at about 9 this morning, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Law enforcement officers then recovered the body. Foul play is not suspected.

Margaret DeGraff, 47, had been missing since Wednesday. Her vehicle was located Sunday in the Hamlin Beach State Park area.

The body has not been positively identified pending an autopsy by the Monroe County Medical Examiner.

Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter thanked the department’s deputies, Park Police, DEC officers, State Police, firefighters and other law enforcement agencies for their assistance in an extensive search and recovery.

The Sheriff’s Office extended its condolences to the family and friends of the person recovered from the shoreline.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

Provided photo: Scott Brauer has been a SkillsUSA advisor for 28 years.

A huge and much deserved congratulations to Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ Project Based Engineering teacher, Scott Brauer, who has been named the SkillsUSA New York Area 1 Advisor of the Year.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce.

Brauer teaches at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center. His SkillsUSA journey began when he was a junior in high school and attended BOCES. He says being a member of SkillsUSA gave him direction, purpose and focus. It is one of the reasons he decided to become a career and technical education teacher at the same center he attended and become a SkillsUSA advisor himself.

“I just want others to experience what I was able to experience as a student,” he said. “SkillsUSA is life changing!”

Brauer has been a SkillsUSA advisor for 28 years. He has been the lead advisor at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center for the past 12 years and believes in order to be a great advisor you have to become involved through ardent practice, gathering of information and networking.

He trains others not to do things for the young people, but to assist them on their journey. He coordinates all the competitions that the center participates in at the regional, state and national levels. He is also the contest chair for Advanced Manufacturing Technology, CNC and Machining contests at the regional level. His class has been recognized by the NYS Education Department as a Top Career and Technical Education Program in New York State.

He was nominated by his peers across the Area 1 division. One nominator says, “Young people are always the center of Scott’s decisions and plans. He is forever mindful of any action’s impact on the individual or the group. He is always moving forward, taking others with him into the future and the world beyond his classroom.”

Photo by Tom Rivers

(UPDATE at 12:13 p.m.) Route 31 has been reopened to traffic.

ALBION – Many police, EMS and other fire responders are at the Albion Middle School this morning for a large-scale active shooter/emergency response drill.

The school is closed today for the drill which includes multiple local law enforcement, EMS and fire service agencies, as well as participation and assistance from state and federal agencies.

“This is huge for us,” Albion Police Chef Roland Nenni told a group of observers this morning. “We’re going to test a lot of things.”

The drill started about 9 a.m. and is scheduled to last until approximately 2 p.m. During the drill, Route 31 will be closed from Route 98 to Clarendon Street. Residents who live in the area will be allowed to access residences on Route 31 during the drill if necessary.

Nenni said the drill gives the many different agencies a chance to work together, and determine the best way to respond to an active shooter or large emergency response.

Law enforcement arrived in stages this morning, with the Albion Police Department first on scene. Firecrackers were sent off in the hallway to simulate gun shots. More law enforcement were then called in from Orleans County, as well as Border Patrol and the Department of Environmental Conservation.

The drill also simulated how to quickly assess the condition of victims and get survivors medical attention.

About 200 school district staff members will be participating in the drill, simulating various roles within the school to allow for a realistic emergency response environment.

Kendall Central School hosted an active shooter response drill last August. Lyndonville Central School will host one this August.

(Editor’s Note: The media wasn’t allowed to take photos inside the school during the drill. Chief Nenni said he will send a press release with images.)

ALBION – The Albion Town Board agreed to increase the town’s contribution for the annual Strawberry Festival.

The town has given $4,000 each of the past two years, with those funds dedicated to paying some of the costs for marching bands. The town will pay $4,450 towards the cost of the parade on June 8.

Some of the bands are increasing their fee to be in a parade, the Town Board was told on Monday by Strawberry Festival officials. The budget for the upcoming June 8 is $6,250.

“Having a parade is costly,” said Karen Sawicz is president of the Albion Rotary Club, which sponsors the festival and helps organize the two-day community celebration, now in its 33^rd year. “That’s where we would be using your dollars.”

Some of the bands give the festival a break on their appearance fee, she said. But others have raised their rates. Several of the bands travel an hour or more to be in the parade.

The parade is typically about 90 minutes long and includes about 75 units.

“The parade is a signature parade but it’s only part of the festival,” said Michael Bonafede, who helps organize the festival.

This year’s festival has a theme of celebrating the lift bridges, which are about a century old. The June 7-8 event will bring back the trout pond, which will be moved to the family fun center next to the Presbyterian Church on Main Street.

There will be five entertainment venues, a 5K-8K race, poster and essay contest for Albion students, a classic car show, chalk art, and food and craft vendors.

“We try to deliver a wholesome family-centered, community celebration,” Bonafede said.

Many volunteers work on planning the event. He also praised fraternal organizations, churches and the village for all helping to make the festival a success.

For more information on the festival, including how to volunteer, click here.

The Albion Town Board for the first time in 2015 started setting aside town funds to support the Strawberry Festival, initially with a $3,000 contribution. That was boosted to $4,000 in 2017.

MEDINA – A Medina man faces felony charges by the State Police following a three-county chase a week ago.

Jessy L. Miller, 32, has been charged with reckless endangerment in the 1^st degree, fleeing a police officer in a vehicle in the 3rd degree, and aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree.

Miller was arrested on Sunday after he was released from the hospital after being treated for his injuries following a car crash in the chase. He was arraigned in Alabama Town Court and is being held in the Genesee County Jail.

Police first responded to Miller in Medina, when he allegedly struck a house after doing doughnuts in a yard. Miller fled the area in his SUV and was pursed by Medina police.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office joined the pursuit as Miller headed south into Genesee County.

State Police stopped Miller’s vehicle on Judge Road in Alabama. Miller and a female passenger were ordered to get out of the vehicle. The female got out of the vehicle and Miller put the SUV into reverse and the female was struck with the open door. Miller then went forward with the vehicle and the female was struck again by the door, the Video News Service is reporting.

After the incident, the female was transported to ECMC by ambulance for her injuries.

The chase ended in Niagara County when Miller was found in a parking lot in Middleport after crashing his vehicle. Miller was then taken to the hospital for his injuries.

He may face additional charges in Orleans and Niagara counties.

Miller recently faced a charge of first-degree assault in Orleans County after he allegedly beat up another person and then left the scene without calling for an ambulance. That incident was on Dec. 17, 2016 during a party at Ricky Place in Medina.