Photos from Orleans County Sheriff’s Office

YATES – Katlyn Moore, Orleans County Sheriff’s animal control officer, holds an injured snowy owl on Sweet Road in the Town of Yates on Tuesday morning.

She was dispatched to the site at 7:36 a.m. She discovered the owl in a field and it appeared to have a broken wing, Sheriff Chris Bourke said.

Moore hands the owl to DEC Officer Nathan Godson. He responded as well as Brandi from Little Critter Rescue. The snowy owl was transported to a vet for treatment, Bourke said.

CARLTON – The Carlton Town Board didn’t have enough votes to approve spending $22,350 in a contract with Monroe Ambulance for 2024.

The board is down a member following the resignation of Debbie Yockel, effective Dec. 1. She was appointed the town clerk on Tuesday following the resignation of Karen Narburgh.

The board needs 3 votes to pass a resolution, and contract proposal from Monroe was 2 votes in favor and 2 against.

Town Supervisor Gayle Ashbery and Councilman Dana Woolston voted for the contract while council members Brian McCue and Charlie Ricci were against it.

The vote followed public comments when several residents said they were concerned about not enough ambulances being available in the community, resulting in frequent delayed responses even in critical emergencies.

The $300,000 contract calls for Monroe to station an ambulance in Albion 24 hours a day, seven days a week and one in Holley for at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Monroe also will draw on ambulances in Monroe County if there is a need in Orleans County.

Carlton was the seventh of the seven towns in a consortium to vote on the contract. It was approved by the first six – Albion, Barre, Gaines, Clarendon, Murray and Kendall.

It’s unclear if the $300,000 contract among all seven towns is null and void. At least one town, Murray, made its commitment contingent on all seven towns approving the deal.

The state is making $50,000 available to promote sports and physical recreation activities for youth in Orleans County.

The Genesee-Orleans Youth Bureau will administer the funding from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. Applications are due to the Youth Bureau by Dec. 31. Non-profit and community-based organizations are eligible to apply.

Grants can fund coaches, instructors, referee fees, equipment and uniforms, facility and field improvements, adaptive sports equipment and programming, and other needs.

Interested organizations can email the Youth Bureau for more information at youthbureau@co.genesee.ny.us or call (585)344-3960.

MURRAY – Voters in the Murray Joint Fire District elected two fire commissioners to five-year terms on Tuesday, and also approved creating capital reserve accounts.

Chris Middleton was the top vote-getter for “Commissioner A” with 46 votes, to 27 for Tom Knight and 22 for Dave Knapp, an incumbent and original commissioner for the joint fire district.

For Commissioner B, David Smith was elected with 56 votes, followed by 37 for Joseph Morlino and 4 for Greg Johnston.

Voters also approved a proposition to create reserve accounts with 79 yes and 16 no.

The fire district will establish repair and replacement capital reserve accounts for apparatus and motor vehicles, equipment and buildings.

Courtesy of Kendall Central School – Most of the capital project includes upgrades to the elementary school.

KENDALL – School district residents approved a proposed $12,680,000 capital today with a vote of 102 in favor and 41 against.

Kendall’s recent capital projects have focused on the junior-senior high school. This proposed project is primarily at the elementary school.

The work at the school is an estimated $11,122,076 and includes site improvements with new paving, a new playground with age-appropriate equipment.

Inside the elementary school, projects include safety and security upgrades to interior doors, entryways, and alarm systems, as well as energy- efficient classroom lighting, corridor enhancements and auditorium upgrades, according to the district.

The project includes $153,089 in work at the junior-senior high school for common area improvements with new flooring and lighting.

In the transportation building, two bus lifts would be replaced at a cost of $1,065,278.

A roof would also be replaced for the Buildings & Grounds facility at a cost of $339,557.

District officials say the project won’t result in a tax increase. The state is covering 74 percent of the costs. Kendall has 15 percent of the expense already in a capital reserve fund. The other 11 percent is money Kendall has been paying in debt from prior projects that will be retired.

The project will go into the design phase to be submitted to the State Education Department in the summer 2024. After SED review/approval, construction is expected to start in the spring 2025 and be complete the end of 2026.

Provided photo: Donna McCloy, center, accepts congratulations and gifts in celebration of the 50th anniversary of her employment with FMC Corporation in Middleport.  FMC’s Agricultural Sciences Plant Manager Edgar Chirivella (left) and Josh Walker (right), Maintenance & Site Services Manager at the Middleport facility join Donna in celebration of the remarkable milestone.

Press Release, FMC in Middleport

MIDDLEPORT – The team at FMC Corporation’s Agricultural Sciences Plant in Middleport gathered recently to celebrate a truly remarkable employment milestone – the 50th anniversary of FMC team member Donna McCloy.

McCloy is currently a Safety Program Specialist at the Middleport facility. She joined FMC Corporation in 1973, and has played a number of roles during her five decades of service to the company.

During the 50th anniversary celebration, McCloy received a number of gifts in recognition of her service, as well as video messages of congratulations from many senior leaders at FMC’s corporate offices in Philadelphia, Pa., including FMC Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Douglas.

Press Release, Heritage Wind

ALBION – Heritage Wind has announced four local organizations as awardees from the project’s community grant program. Launched in 2020, this program supports community organizations throughout Orleans County working to build healthy communities, support economic development, foster environmental sustainability, and promote education.

“We are proud to once again support the good work of the Orleans County community. With this round of funding, Heritage Wind has contributed over $85,000 to the greater Orleans County area” said Carmen O’Keefe, Senior Development Manager, Apex Clean Energy.  “We are proud to join with so many dedicated local organizations to support the needs of the area.”

The latest grant recipients are: Orleans County Joint Veterans Council, Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association (Western New York Chapter), Genesee-Livingston-Orleans-Wyoming Counties Chapter NYSARC, and The Village of Medina Fire Department.

Orleans County Joint Veterans Council ($2,000) – “My thanks to the generosity and their grant application process of Heritage Wind we are able to upgrade our computer system and applications that will help us better schedule and record our drivers and vets to make sure they get to the medical appointments in a timely manner,” said Owen Toale, veteran and group volunteer. “Thank you Heritage Wind for this much needed grant.”

The council provides no-cost transportation to veterans from Orleans County to any VA directed medical appointments. Twenty-eight volunteers have logged over 5,500 hours and have driven close to 55,000 miles serving the veterans of Orleans County. The funding this organization received from this grant cycle will be used to purchase new computers and updated software to help scheduling for rides.

Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association ($2,000) – Senior Director of Development Lynn Westcott states, “We are so grateful for the generous support Apex Clean Energy and Heritage Wind continues to give to the Alzheimer’s Association Western New York Chapter.”

This grant will provide funding to help the organization’s Orleans County’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s. This event raises funds for ongoing research and support services for families with a loved one who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.

GLOW ARC ($6,300) – Arc GLOW (formerly Arcs of Livingston Wyoming and Genesee Orleans) is a parent- and family-driven not-for-profit organization that empowers and supports people of all ages with a broad spectrum of emotional, intellectual, and developmental disabilities including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, epilepsy and neurological conditions.

“Arc GLOW is so incredibly thankful for the generosity of Heritage Wind in giving us a grant to purchase a set of steel doors with an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mechanism at our East Academy Day Habilitation site in Albion,” said Lisa Bors, public relations director for Arc GLOW. “With this money, we will be able to ensure the safety of our individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities that we serve. Additionally, we will now be able to fully utilize our entire space.”

The Village of Medina Fire Department ($600) – These funds will be used by the municipal department to purchase four pediatric stretcher restraint systems. This will ensure that each ambulance will have a 5-point harness available to help transport youth patients safely. In addition to providing to the Village of Medina, they are the primary ambulance for the towns of Shelby, Ridgeway and Yates, and Village of Lyndonville; through mutual aid agreements their ambulance responds throughout Orleans County, northern Genesee County and eastern Niagara County.

Counting this year’s recipients, Heritage Wind has awarded over $85,000 to community causes and non-profit organizations since the start of development. These grants are part of a larger community grant program by Apex Clean Energy. During 2023, Apex has contributed over $1 million to community groups across the country. Since 2017, over $ 4 million in funds have been awarded to local communities nationwide.

Heritage Wind is committed to being a strong community partner to local governments, area businesses, and non-profits working to improve people’s lives across the region. The community grant program will open an additional round of grant funding this spring. To learn more or apply for a future grant, visit www.heritagewindpower.com/grant.

Albion fire chief says not enough ambulances available to serve community, often resulting in long waits

GAINES – The Gaines Town Board approved a contract with Monroe Ambulance to provide service in the town for 2024, making Gaines the sixth of seven towns to approve the agreement. Carlton is the last of the seven and the Town Board meets this evening at 7 to vote on the contract.

File photo: Albion Fire Chief Jeremy Graham

Monroe upped the contract from $181,200 in 2023 to $300,000 next year. The agreement for 2023 would have been $200,000 but Kendall didn’t pay anything towards ambulance coverage this year.

Among the seven towns in the agreement only Gaines is seeing a decrease, down from $24,600 in 2023 to $12,030 next year.

The other six will all pay more as part of the contract. Here are the financial terms for the other six town for 2024 (with 2023 in parentheses): Albion at $155,820 ($84,400), Barre at $13,740 ($8,000), Carlton at $22,350 ($14,800), Clarendon at $25,350 ($18,800), Kendall at $17,850 ($0) and Murray at $52,860 ($30,600).

The leaders to the towns divvied up the town shares based on call volume. An Albion resident, Jason Dragon, said he believes an error was made and some of the Gaines calls were put in the town of Albion. Part of the village of Albion is also in Gaines, and Dragon said he suspects those Gaines calls in the village were mistakenly put in Albion’s numbers and is part of the reason Albion is seeing a huge increase while Gaines goes down.

“As a taxpayer in the Town of Albion I would hope Gaines would pay its fair share,” he told the Gaines Town Board.

Tyler Allport, the Gaines town supervisor, said he would ask Richard Remley, the Albion town supervisor, to verify that the village calls were properly accounted for each town.

Albion Fire Chief Jeremy Graham also spoke during the Gaines Town Board meeting on Monday and he said the current ambulance coverage is deficient for the Albion fire protection area in Albion and Gaines.

Albion firefighters are often first on the scene for an EMS call. What used to be a 5-minute wait for an ambulance to arrive and take over for more serious EMS calls has often turned into 30 minutes to an hour, Graham told the Gaines officials.

He looked at the data since April 2023 when Monroe first started as a primary ambulance provider in central Orleans. Graham said there have been 180 EMS calls, and 68 times Albion firefighters have responded because an ambulance wasn’t available nearby.

“Monroe Ambulance can’t provide us with enough ambulances,” the fire chief said. “The patients get very upset and irate with the wait.”

The $300,000 contract calls for Monroe to station an ambulance in Albion 24 hours a day, seven days a week and one in Holley for at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Monroe also will draw on ambulances in Monroe County if there is a need in Orleans County.

Allport said stationing two ambulances 24-7 in Orleans County would have cost $500,000.

Dave Bertsch of Carlton, a long-time medic with COVA ambulance, said the community is getting less service despite more cost for ambulance services. COVA closed late last year due to financial challenges. COVA did not receive any government aid from the local towns.

There often isn’t an ALS ambulance available for central Orleans, Bertsch told the Gaines officials.

“I said it last year that we’re going backwards and we’re still going backwards,” he said.

Charlie Ricci, a Carlton town councilman, asked the Gaines officials if they would be willing to partner with Carlton in a contract with Mercy EMS for ambulance services. The Gaines officials didn’t comment on that request.

Hofer, currently battling pancreatic cancer, has been scouting volunteer for 30 years

Provided photos

KENDALL – Dave Hofer is presented with the Silver Beaver Award and also the District Award of Merit from Jess Merkel, a representative of the Western New York Scout Council.

The awards were presented on Friday at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where Hofer had been for five weeks receiving care for stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Hofer is now home in Kendall.

He has volunteered with scouts for 30 years, including as scoutmaster for Troop 94 in Kendall. He has helped the former Iroquois Trail Council for many years with its camps at Camp Dittmer in Phelps and Camp Sam Wood in Portageville.

The Silver Beaver Award is a top award from a council given to a scouter who has made an impact on the lives of youth through service given to the council.

Hofer’s experience in scouts helped him learn the discipline and kindness that are hallmarks of his life, his wife Judy said.

Hofer was working at Kodak and running a machine shop on the side before he fully committed to the machine shop. Since 1993, he has owned and operated DMD Machining Technology in Kendall.

He has made time available to help teach and lead scouts. He has served as director of the Webelos Conservation Camp and a member of the Council Camping Committee, in addition to an active role with Troop 94.

He attended the Philmont Scout Ranch with his son Matt. Philmont, in the Rocky Mountains, is a high-adventure base of rugged mountain wilderness in northeastern New Mexico.

“Everything he’s learned from Boy Scouts he has used along the way,” Judy said. “Even on family camps we have to make sure everything is picked up better than when we arrived.”

The honors for Hofer were already in the works before his illness. Judy said the recognition is appreciated.

“He is an overall an amazing person,” she said. “He has such a great mindset.”

Dave Hofer is pictured with his son Matt and daughter Jessica. Matt and Jessica are both currently running the machine shop.

Hofer, 60, is a person who seldom has been sick and always persevered. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early November. He is now home on hospice care.

His wife Judy said the family appreciates the recognition from the scouting council, even though Hofer has always been glad to help scouts with no accolades expected.

Ken Spohr in 2007 joined the troop as a leader. At the time Hofer was the scoutmaster. Spohr said Hofer has always been willing to step up and help the troop, especially with camping.

“He was always the one to take all the gear in his truck with a group of boys and away we would go,” Spohr wrote in a letter to the Western New York Scout Council, nominating Hofer for the District Award of Merit. “Camp is where I saw Dave shine, he loved to do projects at camp and would often supply the materials himself. Over the years I cannot tell you how many projects he has done or helped with, but it is a great deal.”

Spohr said Hofer never sought any limelight. Hofer convinced Spohr to eventually take over as scoutmaster, with Hofer staying on as assistant scoutmaster.

“Dave has been the best assistant a person could ask for,” Spohr wrote in the nomination. “He is always there to help and is always willing to do whatever needs to be done. His knowledge of scouting and camping is incredible.”

Hofer lives the Scout Law of being trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

Hofer has encouraged scouts to push themselves to be their best, and to become members of the Order of the Arrow, scouting’s national honor society.

In  more recent years Hofer worked with the council to improve the scouting camps, and how Webelos can better transition from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.

“This is who Dave Hofer is to me,” Spohr wrote to the council. “He’s the guy in the room who can teach scouts something without them knowing it and never looking for praise. He is always willing to help in any way and he lives his life by the Scout Law. He will always be a friend and an inspiration to me and Kendall Boy Scout Troop 94.”

Tammy Odenbaugh from the Baltimore Area Council in Maryland also sent a letter of support to the council urging Hofer to be honored with the District Award of Merit. She twice worked with Hofer at a scouting jamboree. She praised him for his dedication, patience and knowledge. Hofer was committed to all scouts, even setting up an archery stand for disabled scouts at a jamboree.

“Dave has given so much of his time not only to scouts in the area, but he has given his knowledge and even more time to scouts globally and nationally as well,” Odenbaugh said.

A GoFundMe page (click here) has been set up to help Hofer and his family.

The minimum wage will go to $15 an hour for upstate counties beginning Jan. 1, up from the current $14.20.

The minimum increased from $13.20 to $14.20 on Dec. 31, 2022, and now moves to $15 for upstate counties. It will be $16 per hour in New York City, Westchester and Long Island.

“On January 1, we are lifting New York’s minimum wage to help hard-working New Yorkers keep up with rising costs and continue supporting their families,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “If you are a minimum wage worker and you don’t see this increase in your paycheck next year, I urge you to file a wage complaint with the Department of Labor to make sure that you are getting the wage increase you deserve.”

As part of an agreement in the current state budget, the minimum wage will increase another 50 cents in both 2025 and 2026, and then be indexed to inflation beginning in 2027.

The New York State Department of Labor will begin a public awareness effort to remind New Yorkers about the minimum wage increase and encourage minimum wage workers to report missing wages, Hochul’s office said. That effort will include digital outreach through social media, newsletters, and e-mail communications and direct outreach to distribute informational flyers with partnering organizations.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The reindeer outline and tree are decorated in lights on the Orleans County Courthouse lawn.

A wind advisory is in effect in Orleans County today until 6 p.m., the National Weather Service in Buffalo stated. The advisory also includes Niagara, Genesee and northern Erie counties.

There will be southwest winds from 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 mph, the Weather Service said.

“The gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects,” the Weather Service said. “Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.”

The high temperature today will reach 44. The highs in the following days are forecast to be 35 on Wednesday, 39 on Thursday, 47 on Friday and 44 on Saturday.

Press Release, Downtown Browsery in Albion

ALBION – A merry band of misfit toys assisted more than 65 children in picking out holiday gifts for their family members on Saturday.

The misfit toys include from left: Donna John, Diane Wight, Dar Krull, Linda Hollenbeck, Paula Brooks, and Liz Groat.

Dar the Dancing Reindeer handed out play money to the young children to “pay” for their selected special family gifts.  Gifts were donated by many Browsery vendors over the course of the year for the specific purpose of the children’s shopping extravaganza.

Young children often want to participate in the joy of gift giving, but do not have an easy way to purchase family gifts. The children were able to select gifts with the assistance of a Misfit Toy personal shopper, secretly wrap the gifts, and take them home to their Christmas tree.

Parents of the kids were appreciative of the opportunity for their kids to have their own secret gifts to give family. It is meaningful to kids and family members alike.

As the final young shoppers filed out of the Browsery at 3:30 p.m. with their gifts, the Misfit Toys were exhausted but happy to have put smiles on kids’ and parents’ faces. The Misfit Toys are expected to return next year.

BARRE – A Barre woman has been charged with assault with intent to cause serious physical injury after allegedly stabbing her boyfriend several times this morning, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke said.

Nathalie Ann Smith

Nathalie Ann Smith, 57, allegedly stabbed her boyfriend, John G. Dunn, 59, multiple times at 5164 Oak Orchard Rd. The Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the scene at 7:56 a.m. with a report of a violent domestic incident involving a knife, Bourke said.

Law enforcement arrived on scene and assisted in rendering aid until medical personnel arrived. Dunn and Smith were both transported by ambulance to area hospitals where they were treated, Bourke said.

Dunn is in stable condition at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, while Smith was taken into custody after an evaluation.

Besides the assault charge, a class B felony, Smith has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon with intent to use, a class A misdemeanor.

Smith was arraigned in Orleans County CAP Court at 7:30 this evening. She is being held at the Orleans County Jail on $100,000 bail. An order of protection has been issued for the victim.  Smith is to return to the Barre Town Court.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the New York State Police, the Barre Fire Department and Monroe Ambulance.

Students performed for full houses at Clifford Wise Intermediate School

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Jacob Foley starred as Mowgli last week during performances of “The Jungle Book Kids” at Clifford Wise Intermediate School. Mowgli was lost and abandoned as a baby boy and was raised by wolves.

A cast of 90 fifth- and sixth-graders put on the show during four performances for about 1,300 people total. Anna Ferlito served as musical director. They worked since September to prepare for last week’s shows.

Last year, Clifford Wise performed Aladdin Jr. in the spring in the school’s first musical led by Ferlito. This year the show shifted to the fall so Ferlito can co-direct the high school musical in the spring.

Vincent Hosmer plays the role of Shere Khan, a tiger that decides that Mowgli is no longer welcome in the jungle. Shere Khan intimidates many of the other animals.

Harlow Rhim plays the role of Kaa, a snake that lulls Mowgli to sleep while Kaa sings “Trust in Me.” The snake coils include William Mojeski, Melody Pawlaczyk, Arik Papaj, Cadence Truesdell, Jace Campisano, Violet Trilizio, Emily Smith Flately and Bethany Chavez.

Kole Jones is the wiley King Louie, left center, and Amonte Mortenson-Chamblee is Baloo, a bear disguised as a very big monkey. They are singing, “I Wan’na Be Like You.”

Students created the artistic elements to turn the stage into a jungle scene.

Jill Vader is Colonel Hathi doing an inspection of the Elephant Army.

Shanti  is played by Amber O’Kussick. Shanti is a girl from the Man Village. When Mowgli sees her, he is enchanted by her and decides to leave the jungle to live amongst humans in the village.

Bagheera, a panther played by Avery Twitchell, and Baloo, a giant fun-loving bear played by Amonte Mortenson-Chamblee, sing “The Bare Necessities.” Bagheera tries to keep Mowgli safe from predators, including Shere Kahn.