The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a high wind warning for Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. for Orleans, Niagara, Monroe, northern Erie and Genesee counties.
Winds will be southwest at 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 60 mph.
“High winds of 58 mph or greater will make driving difficult and could result in property damage, including downed trees and power lines,” the Weather Service said. “Scattered power outages are expected. Home owners should secure loose objects.”
Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office
Photo by Tom Rivers: The four-sided Fancher clock, a memorial to 10 soldiers from the Fancher area who died in World War II, is pictured on Thursday. Clocks should be turned ahead an hour on Saturday night for Daylight Savings Time.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today reminded motorists of the dangers of drowsy driving as daylight saving time begins with clocks being set forward on Sunday, March 10, 2019, at 2 a.m. to 3 a.m.
To raise awareness, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and Department of Health will be holding “Stay Awake! Stay Alive!” events at various SUNY campuses, and the National Road Safety Foundation has sponsored a “Stay Awake! Stay Alive!” video public service announcement contest for students at these campuses as well.
“Drowsy or fatigued driving can pose a serious risk to everyone on the road,” Governor Cuomo said. “As New Yorkers change their clocks on Sunday, I encourage all drivers do their part by getting enough sleep before getting in the car as just a few seconds of inattention can lead to tragic results.”
When drowsy or fatigued, reaction time slows, judgment is impaired, and the risk of a crash increases. According to statistics from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research (ITSMR), “fatigue/drowsy driving” or “driver fell asleep” were factors in 2,337 fatal and personal injury police-reported crashes statewide in 2017. Preliminary figures from ITSMR for those same factors show 2,273 fatal and personal injury police-reported crashes statewide in 2018, a decline of over 2 percent.
According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), some people are more vulnerable to drowsy driving than others, such as young people, shift workers, commercial drivers, people with undiagnosed or untreated disorders, and business travelers. NSF data says young people ages 18-29 have the highest likelihood to drive while drowsy at 71 percent, ages 30-64 at 52 percent, and age 65 and older at 19 percent.
“Drowsy or fatigued driving is a risky driving behavior that puts you, your passengers, and all those sharing the road in danger,” said Mark J.F. Schroeder, Acting Commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and Acting GTSC Chair. “All motorists should learn to recognize the signs of drowsy driving and take appropriate action, like pulling over to a safe rest area or letting someone else drive.”
Tips to prevent drowsy driving:
• Make regular stops or switch drivers every 100 miles or 2 hours.
• Drivers are most likely to feel drowsy between 1-4 p.m. and 2-6 a.m. If possible, avoid driving during these times.
• Don’t count on caffeine. It can provide a short fix or ‘pick me up.’ But be aware, it takes 30 minutes before you feel the effect and it can wear off quickly.
• Avoid prescription and over-the-counter medicines that could make you drowsy.
• Never drink alcohol. It slows down your reflexes and causes drowsiness.
It is important to note that opening the windows, turning up the radio, or turning on the air conditioner will not help you stay awake while driving.
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Work has now resumed on Phase 2 of the renovation project at Medina’s Veterans Memorial Park. Today workers began erecting the framework for the large new permanent grandstand on the south side of the park.
The Phase 2 work, in addition to the new grandstand which will include a press box, will also include the repositioning of the two light standards on the south side which were taken down last fall as well as a new entrance area.
Here a portion of the framework for the grandstand was unloaded this morning.
By late afternoon the grandstand was quickly starting to take shape.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with solid numbers for the three municipalities. The original dollar amounts were higher, but they were amounts that were described as “not to exceed.”
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has 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.
The money comes from a revolving-loan fund that was administered by the Orleans Economic Development Agency. The state is requiring those funds be ended with the money staying in the community for projects if they are for handicapped accessible initiatives or if they assist a neighborhood that is predominantly low-income.
The County Legislature had a public hearing on Thursday for the projects in Albion and Holley. The Legislature agreed to have $97,500 go towards Bullard Park in Albion.
That money comes at a perfect time for the village, said Deputy Mayor Gary Katsanis. The village will do a lot of work this year at the park, with a new amphitheater, utility building, splash pad and other improvements.
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.
“We’ve been trying for years to upgrade the park,” Katsanis said during Thursday’s public hearing. “This funding and this kind of support couldn’t have hit us at a better time.”
The $111,500 won’t count towards the village’s local share in the project. It will go towards handicapped accessibility projects.
“We can now carry this through in a way that we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to do,” he told county legislators.
In Holley, the Legislature approved $28,000 towards a new waterline on Thomas Street.
Jim Whipple, the Orleans EDA executive director, praised village officials, including code enforcement officer Ron Vendetti, for getting the paperwork together so Holley was eligible for the funding.
The Legislature last week approved $97,500 to Medina for a new pedestrian bridge over Oak Orchard Creek on Route 31A. The revolving-loan fund also included $55,000 from the Village of Medina for the bridge and $130,000 from the Town of Shelby for the project.
The communities all had economic development projects with the revolving-loan fund. The money can only go to municipalities where businesses used the fund.
The section of Maple Ridge by the creek has become busier with a housing development, several new businesses and also the GCC campus center.
The pedestrian bridge and sidewalks on Maple Ridge have been sought by the village for several years but Medina didn’t receive grants for the project.
Mayor Mike Sidari has said area by the creek is narrow and seems to funnel pedestrians close to the road. It has been identified as a safety concern for several years.
The county decided to equally split $97,500 to the villages of Albion and Medina, which are nearly the same population with about 6,000 residents each. Holley got less than a third of what those two villages are getting. Holley has about 1,800 residents, less a third of the population in Albion and Medina.
Photos by Tom Rivers
KENDALL – Ryan Barrett stars as Gomez and Olivia Reed is his wife Morticia in Kendall’s production of The Addams Family. Hanna Hofstra is their daughter, Wednesday. Morticia is upset that Wednesday is wearing a bright yellow dress, a break from the color black. Wednesday also is engaged, which further troubles her mother.
Kendall will perform the show 7 p.m. today, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday at Kendall Jr./Sr. High School Auditorium.
Kody Roese is Fester, who declares his love for the Moon. The Ancestors join this song.
The drama department, Studio K, has been attempting more ambitious shows in recent years and The Addams Family is the most challenging so far, said Michael Billotti, the school’s drama director the past eight years. He also is an English teacher.
Last year Kendall did Shrek the Musical, which was preceded by Once Upon a Mattress and Seussical the Musical.
“We’ve building up to shows like this the last few years,” Billotti said.
Several seniors have been with the program since seventh grade. Ryan Barrett, who plays Gomez, says the group has a strong bond and appreciates the program has been trying more difficult shows.
Hunter Menze, who portrays Lurch, also is a senior. He said the cast was excited to to an edgy show like The Addams Family with lots of dark humor.
“It definitely pushes the envelope,” he said.
Sara Whalen is Grandma and Seth Pray is Pugsley, her grandson. Grandma is one of the more zany characters in the musical.
The Beinekes head to the Addams’ family home for dinner. Joseph Nettles plays Lucas, left, who is in love with Wednesday. Anna Oakley is Lucas’s mother, Alice, and Brian Shaw is his father, Mal.
Wednesday and Lucas urge their parents to just act normal for the dinner, but tensions mount between the families.
Wednesday, Hanna Hofstra, urges her family to act normal for a simple dinner. She sings, “One Normal Night.”
The families gather for dinner and Gomez announces they will play “The Game,” where each person at the table confesses something. That leads to the group singing, “Full Disclosure.”
Alice, Anna Oakley, accidentally drinks a potion resulting in brutal honesty and declares that her marriage is devoid of passion.
Press Release, State Sen. Rob Ortt
Today, Senator Rob Ortt (R,C,I,Ref-North Tonawanda) was joined by 11 state legislators in calling for the U.S. Senate to confirm President Trump’s three U.S. nominees to the International Joint Commission.
In August of 2018, President Trump nominated three members to the IJC who are tasked with negotiating the water levels of the Great Lakes between the U.S. and Canada.
Ortt, who authored the letter, was joined by Sen. Rich Funke, Sen. Pamela A. Helming, Sen. Patty Ritchie, Sen. Joseph E. Robach, Assemblyman Peter Lawrence, Assemblyman Mark Johns, Assemblyman Brian Manktelow, Assemblyman William A. Barclay, Assemblyman Michael J. Norris, Assemblyman Stephen Hawley, and Assemblyman Angelo J. Morinello.
They are calling for Trump’s appointees to be confirmed so that preemptive safety measures preventing the flooding of Lake Ontario may be taken. Two years ago, properties of New York residents along Lake Ontario’s south shore were devastated by flooding due to a lack of proper water flow management and Plan 2014 implemented by the IJC.
“I call upon Senate Majority Leader McConnell to bring forth a vote on the Senate floor to confirm President Trump’s IJC appointees. We must give the appointees ample time to consider what precautionary steps can be taken and to implement preemptive safety measures to protect the homes and businesses along Lake Ontario’s south shore. We have seen the damage and devastation that can occur if Lake Ontario’s water flow is left singularly to Canadian representatives on the IJC.”
According to U.S. Army Corps data, Lake Ontario water levels are already higher than average and are currently on pace with levels seen in 2017.
MEDINA – Seven people were charged today after an investigation into the sale and distribution of crack cocaine and powder cocaine in the Village of Medina.
Isaiah A. Casanova
The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, the Medina Police department and the Department of Homeland Security executed three search warrants at various locations in Medina.
Police seized crack cocaine, powder cocaine, over $4,000 in cash, scales, packaging and other drug paraphernalia.
The following were arrested:
• Isaiah A. Casanova, 19, of 115 William St., Medina, who was charged with 9 counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and 10 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (all Class B felonies).
Quincy Casanova
He was arraigned in Shelby Town Court by Town Justice Joseph Kujawa, who remanded Casanova to the Orleans County Jail on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond.
• Quincy Casanova, 22, of 11360 Maple Ridge Rd., Room 14, Medina, who was charged with 4 counts of criminal sale and 4 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (Class B felonies).
Dakota Hunt
He was remanded to the Orleans County Jail on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond.
• Dakota Hunt, 24, of 115 William St., Medina, who was charged with 2 counts of criminal sale and 3 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.
She was committed to the Orleans County Jail on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond.
Brittany Osby Turner
• Brittany Osby Turner, 28, of 11360 Maple Ridge Rd., Room 14, Medina, who was charged with 1 count of criminal sale and 1 count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.
She was committed to the Orleans County Jail on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond.
Kayla M. Rowling
• Kayla M. Rowling, 28, of 803 South Main St., Medina, who was charged with 4 counts of criminal sale and 4 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. She was committed to the Orleans County Jail on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond.
• Ronald Powell, 37, of 701 South Main St., Apt. B, Medina, who was charged with 1 count of criminal sale and 1 count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.
Ronald Powell
The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision also assisted with the arrest of Powell, who is currently on parole. A parole detainer has been filed with the Orleans County Jail. Where he is being held without bail due to a previous criminal history, the Task Force said.
Shentelle Gagnon
• Shentelle Gagnon, 29, of 701 South Main St., Apt. B, Medina, who was charged with 3 counts of criminal sale and 3 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.
She was remanded to the County Jail without bail due a previous criminal history.
All seven who were charged today were due to appear back in Shelby Town Court at 6 p.m. today.
Further arrests and charges are pending in this investigation, the Task Force said.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $128 million in new state funding for repaving projects on state roads, including a portion of Route 98 in the Town of Barre.
The governor’s announcement said the roads were all impacted by this year’s harsh winter weather.
Funding will support 91 paving projects and the renewal of approximately 1,000 lane miles of pavement across the state, including at least one project in every county and the City of New York.
The new funding, provided through the PAVE NY Initiative, complements $100 million previously committed earlier this year for local projects that renew approximately 3,700 lane miles of road across New York State. This unprecedented infrastructure investment will make state highways safer and more efficient, while encouraging local commerce and tourism, the governor said. The projects announced today will begin this spring and will be completed later this year.
“A thriving transportation network is critical to supporting New York’s regional economic growth and local economies,” Governor Cuomo said. “While New York continues its nation leading investments in transportation infrastructure, harsh winter weather is the new normal and it impacts thousands of lane miles each year. This funding will help rejuvenate dozens of roads across New York and make traveling smoother while supporting local economies.”
In the Finger Lakes region – Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, Monroe, Wayne, Ontario, Yates and Seneca counties – the projects include approximately $12.8 million to renew 118 lane miles of the following roads:
• $980,000 to resurface Route 98 from Puzzey Road to Route 31A in Orleans County.
• $1.8 million to resurface Route 237 from Route 33 to the Genesee/Orleans County Line in Genesee County.
• $1.3 million to resurface Route 436 from the Wyoming/Livingston County Line to the Village of Nunda (West Village Line) in Livingston County.
• $1.3 million to resurface Route 253 (Lehigh Station Road) from Route 15A to Route 65 in Monroe County.
• $730,000 to resurface Route 19 from Route 104 to Route 18 in Monroe County.
• $1.0 million to resurface Route 64 from Route 21 to Dugway Road in Ontario County.
• $2.0 million to resurface Route 88 from Pearl Street to the Village of Sodus (South Village Line) in Wayne County.
• $1.4 million to resurface Route 19 from Route 39 to Route 78 in Wyoming County.
• $1.0 million to resurface Route 96A from Route 96 (Village of Interlaken) to Route 414 in Seneca County.
• $1.3 million to resurface Route 14A from Lake Street to the Windmill Farm in Yates County.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Undersheriff Chris Bourke said drug addiction fuels other crime in the county.
ALBION – The number of overdoses and drug fatalities increased in Orleans County last year, compared to 2017, Undersheriff Chris Bourke told the Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition on Wednesday.
“The opioid nightmare has touched everybody,” he said.
In 2017, there were 52 overdoses and 7 deaths in the county from overdoses. That increased to 69 overdoses and 12 fatalities in 2018, with an additional death pending, Bourke said.
He supports the added programs in the county jail and community to help people fighting addictions. Many of the crimes in the county, including burglaries, are often fueled by people in the grip of addiction.
The opioid epidemic isn’t a problem the county can solve only through arrests, Bourke said.
Bourke was joined by Scott Wilson, the county jail superintendent, in addressing the Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition.
The said the drug take-back program has been a success, removing 6,880 pounds of prescription medication and sharps since 2012. There is a drop-off box at the Orleans County Public Safety Building during regular business hours. The Albion, Holley and Medina police departments also have drug drop-off boxes.
The box at the Public Safety Building gets about 30-40 pounds a week of medicine that people want out of their homes, said Michael Mele, chief deputy for the Sheriff’s Office.
The Public Safety Building and the Medina and Holley fire departments also will be part of the drug take-back day on April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those sites will be staffed on April 27 during the event.
Unused prescriptions can be dropped off. The pills and their containers are then packaged and incinerated.
In addition to those sites, there are drug drop-off collection boxes at Medina Memorial Hospital and Rosenkrans Pharmacy in Medina.
About 30 people attended the meeting Wednesday for the Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition at Hoag Library in Albion.
In other news at the Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition on Wednesday:
• The group reported it is working on the 5th annual National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 6, at Bullard Park in Albion from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Human service agencies and community organizations are welcome to participate in the event, which includes demonstrations by first responders, and family-friendly activities, including a Battle of Belts, to see which team of four can get in and out of a car the fastest while using seat belts.
• Lyndonville Central School will host Stephen Hill on April 5 from 8 to 9 a.m. in the school auditorium. He will share a prevention program about vaping and substance abuse.
• Patricia Crowley, the Coalition director, also said the organization is planning to survey students in grades 7 through 12 this fall about their use and perceptions of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, non-prescribed medications and e-cigarettes.
The Coalition has done the survey every two years, beginning in 2005. Orleans United’s survey includes students in Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina school districts. Albion does its own survey.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Scott Wilson, superintendent of the Orleans County Jail, praised the partnership with GCASA for expanded services for inmates.
ALBION – Orleans County has received a three-year grant from the state to expand services in the jail for inmates fighting addiction.
Scott Wilson, the jail superintendent, shared the news on Wednesday with the Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition. The “Access Matters” grant will pay for a part-time clinical social worker and a part-time peer recovery advocate.
The jail currently provides Vivitrol to some inmates who are to be released within a month. Vivitrol blocks drug cravings.
The jail will expand its Medication Assisted Treatment to include methadone, a daily dose of opioid maintenance therapy; and also Sublocade, a form of Suboxone in opioid maintenance therapy.
The Access Matters grant will fund a nurse to administer the treatments and medications on the weekends.
Wilson said the goal is to improve the chances for inmates to succeed and stay drug-free as they transition from the jail to the community. Inmates in the program will all be released within 120 days of starting the treatments.
“It’s a voluntary program,” Wilson said. “It’s not court-ordered. We want to make sure the people who want to get clean get the help that they need. We’re hoping to get them on the road to recovery.”
Genesee and Wyoming counties also received Access Matters grants. The three rural counties will meet frequently to share the program’s successes and challenges.
“We want to reduce recidivism,” Wilson said. “Because you’re seeing the same people come in time after time.”
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office also will strive for a good handoff for the inmates being released to treatment programs through the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Wilson said.
The Access Matters grant also will fund transportation and childcare services for people in treatment, said Alyse Shamp, grant coordinator for GCASA.
Transportation and childcare can be barriers to treatment. If the treatment is disrupted, people are more likely to relapse, she said at Wednesday’s coalition meeting at Hoag Library.
GCASA has purchased two vans to transport people to GCASA sites in Genesee and Orleans counties, including the methadone clinic in Batavia. The grant also pays for drivers for the program.
“We want to keep their recovery on track,” Shamp said.
GCASA also has a contract with the Eagle Pride childcare program at the Albion Middle School, which is run by the YMCA. GCASA is looking to staff its own childcare site in Batavia.
If people released from the jail can stay off drugs, Wilson said that should result in less crime in the community and a smaller jail population, saving taxpayer money.
Press Release, Congressman Chris Collins
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Chris Collins (NY-27) has led a letter calling on the U.S. Senate to finally approve President Trump’s nominees to the International Joint Commission (IJC) which oversee all waters between the United States and Canada.
Currently, the IJC is in limbo because it only has two of its six commissioners in office when a quorum of four is necessary to conduct business.
With the harsh winter and current high lake levels in the Great Lakes, concern is growing about the potential damage to the Lake Ontario shore this spring when levels are likely to be even higher if action is not taken.
“We are again seeing an increase in water levels within Lake Ontario, which is a concern for myself, local governments, homeowners, and businesses,” said Congressman Collins. “We cannot wait until our community is impacted by another flooding disaster to take action, and the IJC cannot act without these nominations moving forward in the Senate.”
Joining Collins on the letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chairman James E. Risch and Ranking Member Bob Menendez, were United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Rep. John Katko (NY-24), Rep. Fred Upton (MI-6), Rep. Mike Kelly (PA-16), Rep. Pete Stauber (MN-8), and Rep. Bill Huizenga (MI-2). The letter requests an expeditious review and approval for the three of IJC Commissioner U.S. nominees as the Lake Ontario water levels are raising at a dangerously high rate.
Last year President Trump nominated Jane Corwin, a former state assemblywoman from Clarence, to serve as U.S. Chair alongside Robert C. Sisson and Lance V. Yohe as U.S. Commissioners at the IJC. These appointments expired at the end of the last Congress, but were re-nominated by the President and are awaiting passage through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and confirmation by the Senate.
Additionally, the Canadian government is withholding their IJC appointments until the United States has filled its appointments.
“Great Lake communities, especially Lake Ontario, are now facing detrimental impacts if commissioners are not in place at the IJC to take action,” added Collins. “We cannot afford to have a repeat of 2017 when Lake Ontario reached water levels that had not been seen in decades.”
The 2017 flooding damaged homes, businesses, and infrastructure. Due to the more than a hundred miles of coastline damage, Governor Cuomo declared a state of emergency for eight counties on the Lake Ontario shore.
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Matt Skehan, a senior at Holley, has the lead role of Jesus in the school’s performance of Godspell. He is shown during a rehearsal today.
Skehan suffered a fractured growth plate in his wrist during a basketball game about a month ago. The injury hasn’t kept him off the stage.
Skehan said the lead roles had to learn long lines, more so than in other shows, and they needed to be in sync with each other on stage to get the comedic timing down.
He has been in the musicals since seventh grade.
“There’s not a day it isn’t joyful,” Skehan said about the musicals. “It’s like one big family. Everybody cares for everyone.”
Holley will perform the show for the community at 7 p.m. Friday, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Middle/High School Auditorium. Tickets can be ordered online by clicking here.
Callie Updike plays Judas, a disciple who betrays Jesus.
“He deals with the emotional turmoil of betraying a trusted friend,” Callie said about her character. “It just rips you apart.”
Dan Burke is the director of the show. Burke, a science teacher at the school, also is the varsity baseball coach and a New York Yankees fan. Burke has Jesus wearing a Yankees shirt, while Judas wears the jersey for the archrival Red Sox.
Burke likes that the show allows the kids to have personalities and express themselves (and gives the director some leeway in the costumes).
There are 50 students in the cast, plus another 20 behind the scenes.
Burke has wanted to do Godspell for many years, and believes he has the right cast for the show this year.
“Godspell is a very difficult show to do,” he said. “There is timing and the actors have to tell stories on stage. It’s a powerful message.”
Mike Stoll plays John the Baptist and sings, “Prepare Ye The Way of the Lord.” Stoll enters the auditorium from the back of the room and walks down one of the aisles, turning to face the crowd. He then baptizes cast members on stage.
There are many high-energy songs and dances in the show. Allyson Skehan, left, and Lexianne Seewagen are among the cast members.
Matt Skehan as Jesus shares one of the parables from the Bible. Jesus urges kindness, tolerance and love.
Burke said the musical brings people from many backgrounds together in the school.
“If you want to get rid of bullying in schools, make them do musicals,” he said.
Adrianna Kruger stars as Robin and sings, “Day by Day.” Many of the cast members get solos in Godspell.
Tickets for the shows can be ordered online by clicking here or by going to the MS/HS main office.
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Provided photo: State Assemblyman Steve Hawley joins highway superintendents from across the state to rally for increased infrastructure funding.
Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley
ALBANY – Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today joined legislators, highway superintendents and members of road repair crews from across the state to call for a $150 million increase to the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), as well as restoration of $65 million in Extreme Winter Recovery funds that Gov. Cuomo plans to axe from this year’s budget.
“Western New York’s winters are brutal and it’s no surprise that potholes and road deterioration spread like wildfire every spring, so to cut these funds would rob us of the ability to provide safe, smooth and reliable transportation moving forward into the summer travel months,” Hawley said.
“CHIPS funding hasn’t increased in many years but state leaders have no issue dumping billions more into the dysfunctional MTA and expensive downstate projects,” he said. “This money is vital to upstate and we are asking for a small increase relative to the entire budget which is projected near $170 billion this year. I am hopeful state leaders heed our message today.”
Press Release, NYS Association of Counties
File photo by Tom Rivers – The entrance to Genesee Community College’s main campus is shown in in Batavia.
It’s not commonly known, but community colleges in New York State are funded through a three-way partnership: the state, the student, and county governments.
“This was intended to be an equal partnership. However, the funding formula has shifted considerably since the 1970s. Today’s students fund 43 percent of community college operations while the state picks up less than 25 percent of those costs. We are asking the state to uphold their commitment to these educational systems,” said NYS Association of Counties President Chuck Nesbitt, the Orleans County Chief Administrative Officer.
Counties have raised concerns in recent years regarding the state’s funding commitment to community colleges. The state financing mechanism, linked to the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) students on each campus, creates a roller-coaster state funding impact for students and counties. In addition, over the last decade state support has fallen far short of the rate of inflation.
This is especially concerning at a time when community colleges play a crucial role in workforce development for counties in all parts of New York State.
New funding formula proposed
To alleviate this problem and stabilize the community college system, the SUNY Chancellor is proposing a new methodology that would create a state maintenance of effort for the funding of community college campuses.
The new formula would prevent cuts in base aid and create a state funding floor for each campus. In addition, the Chancellor is calling for an increase in state funding for full time equivalent (FTE) students by $125, from $2,847 to $2,972 per student. New York’s counties support the Chancellor’s proposal, as well as the community college presidents and faculty.
“Community colleges are the key to a trained workforce throughout New York and are the greatest hope to foster social mobility for its citizens,” said Dr. Randall VanWagoner, President of Mohawk Valley Community College. “Establishing a floor in the state aid formula would provide stable and predictable funding to allow for better planning and operations as we anticipate and respond to the ever-changing needs of our community.”
“Community colleges and their students deserve a steady, reliable funding stream. County budgets don’t have capacity to take on the state’s funding responsibility,” said Stephen Acquario, NYSAC Executive Director. “We support the Chancellor’s proposal to stabilize community college financing, and we urge the state to fulfill their obligation to New York’s students.”
Editor’s note: In Orleans, the county is budgeting $1.9 million this year for the local chargeback for community colleges. That cost is up from $680,419 in 2004.
BATAVIA – An initiative to connect students in all four GLOW counties with companies and careers within their reach is moving forward, and organizers are hoping that Orleans County schools and businesses can take part.
GLOW With Your Hands is scheduled for September 24 and the project has already signed on 26 schools for the hands-on program across Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming counties; even reaching to Royalton-Hartland in Niagara County.
A March 8 deadline for schools to confirm an interest and appoint a district liaison for the program is nearing without any Orleans County districts registered, Genesee County Business Education Alliance Director Karyn Winters said.
“GLOW With Your Hands is open to all of the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming schools, and we’re hoping to have at least 40 kids from every district,” Winters said. “Our event is based on an event which has run successfully for 12 years in the Finger Lakes region … it is a hands-on career day where kids get the chance to experience careers like building trades, masonry, advanced manufacturing, and agricultural careers.”
Business-education alliances, along with the GLOW region’s economic development organizations have partnered to plan out the event. They have secured over $20,000 in private sponsorships and are aiming to cover the whole cost of a school’s participation, including transportation to the Genesee County Fairgrounds in Batavia, lunch and a commemorative hard hat for each student.
Chris Suozzi, the Genesee County Economic Development Center’s vice present of business and workforce development said companies are excited to meet with hundreds of students that are entering 8th to 12th grade in 2019; and to build an annual event that pulls together the potential workforce talent and opportunities of all four counties.
“Across the GLOW Region, companies are eager to connect with students and give them a hands-on feel for the career pathways available in our communities,” Suozzi said. “At GLOW With Your Hands, there will be dozens of opportunities for kids to try on career paths that are in high-demand.”
Winters is asking districts to contact her at kwinters@geneseeny.com or (585) 343-7440 to confirm their interest and get started.
