File photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from March 2015 shows the bridge on Route 18 over Oak Orchard River when it was limited to one lane so the Department of Transportation could make repairs.
Press Release, NYS Department of Transportation
CARLTON – The New York State Department of Transportation is advising motorists about a new traffic pattern in place along the bridge carrying Route 18 over Oak Orchard Creek in the Town of Carlton, Orleans County.
The bridge, which is currently posted for 28 tons, will now be reduced to a one-way alternating traffic pattern using a traffic signal at each end of the bridge.
This pattern is expected to continue for the next several weeks as NYSDOT is currently planning repairs to the bridge, allowing for two-way traffic to resume.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 January 2019 at 1:54 pm
ALBION – An Albion man was sentenced to a year of weekends in the Orleans County Jail for sexual misconduct.
Robert Tetrault, 37, pleaded guilty on Oct. 15 to two counts of sexual misconduct and faced up to a year for each Class A misdemeanor, with a maximum of two years in jail.
Tetrault entered an Alford plea, which is a guilty plea without admitting to the criminal act. He allegedly had sexual intercourse and committed another sex act against a child, both girls under age 18. Tetrault proclaimed his innocence in Orleans County Court.
He already spent seven months in the county jail since his arrest. County Court Judge Sanford Church credited the time served for the first count against Tetrault, and the judge said Tetrault would serve a year of weekends in jail for the second count.
Tetrault’s attorney, Joanne Best, asked for that sentence. She said Tetrault has a job as a crew leader for a business that does siding and roofing. She read a letter from the owner of the business saying Tetrault is a valued employee.
Tetrault acknowledged he has an extensive criminal history. He said he is determined to be a productive citizen.
“I’ve been doing good and I will keep up doing good,” he told the judge. “I’ve made changes.”
If Tetrault served weekends in jail, he could keep his job and help support his family, Best said.
Judge Church agreed to the sentence. Tetrault will have to pay a $1,000 supplemental sex offender victim fee, $175 court surcharge, $50 DNA databank fee, and $25 crime victims fee.
The judge also issued orders of protection for the two victims, with those orders lasting five years from today.
In other sentencings this morning:
• A Wyoming County man was sentenced to six months in jail and five years probation for grand larceny in the fourth degree.
Dean Smith Jr. accepted more than $13,000 for two construction jobs for Orleans County homeowners and didn’t do the work. He said he used the money to buy materials and pay employees.
He faced similar charges in Wyoming County and was sentenced there last Thursday to the same sentence. The sentences in Wyoming and Orleans will be served the same time, although he might have to spend a few additional days in the Orleans County Jail because the Wyoming sentence started last week.
Judge Church also ordered Smith to pay $8,450 in restitution to one victim and $4,800 to the other one in Orleans County, plus a 5 percent surcharge for both.
“I do apologize to the victims for what happened,” Smith said at sentencing. I didn’t mean for it to happen I was robbing Peter to pay Paul. The only person to blame is me.”
• Sarah MacDonald, an inmate at the Albion Correctional Facility, was sentenced to another 1 ½ to 3 years in prison for attempted promoting prison contraband in the first degree. She said she asked to have to suboxone sent to her to help her fight withdrawals from her drug addiction. The suboxone was intercepted by corrections staff. She didn’t receive it.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 January 2019 at 1:18 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Four people sustained non life-threatening injuries and were transported to Medina Memorial Hospital today after this vehicle slid off the road and hit a tree and fire hydrant on Route 31 on the western end of Albion.
Two ambulances from COVA took the four people, including two children, to Medina Memorial. The accident occurred at about 12:15 p.m. on Route 31 between Allen’s Bridge and Long Bridge roads.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 January 2019 at 9:15 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Trees in front of the Albion Middle School are pictured on Tuesday afternoon when it got foggy.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory today until 1 p.m. for Orleans, Niagara, Genesee and northern Erie counties.
Up to 2 inches of snow is expected, with the greatest amounts north and east of Buffalo, the Weather Service said. Winds gusting as high as 40 miles per hour will produce areas of blowing snow.
Today is forecast for a high of 23. The overnight low will fall to 12, according to the Weather Service.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 January 2019 at 8:19 am
Skip Helfrich, Leadership Orleans director, leads a retreat on Wednesday. He went over personality profiles, and how different types of personalities tend to thrive or struggle in different situations. Some people thrive on getting things done in an efficient manner. Some are very focused on details. Others are very social and like to involve many people in the process.
LYNDONVILLE – Leadership Orleans welcomed the second class of the program with a kickoff retreat over two days that will help members learn about themselves, their classmates and the community.
The class has 26 members and started with a two-day retreat on Wednesday at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville. That retreat will conclude this evening.
Leadership Orleans started in 2018. The year-long program meets monthly and the comes from a cross section of the community, including government department heads, farm leaders, agency directors and other business officials. The program picked residents who have demonstrated leadership abilities, interest in community affairs, and a commitment to Orleans County’s future.
Each month the group learned about a different sector of the community, including government, arts and culture, volunteerism and non-profit organizations, community health, tourism and recreation, agribusiness, economic & workforce development, and education.
This year’s class includes:
• Delano Alvarez, Quality Associate III, Baxter Healthcare
• James Bensley, Dir. Dept. Planning and Development, County of Orleans
• Melissa Blanar, Dir. Orleans County Office for the Aging, Orleans County
• Michele Bokman, Director of Operations, SUNY GCC
• Beth Brown, Business Administration Manager, Orchard Dale Fruit Company, LLC
• Sean Casher, Human Resources Business Partner, CRFS, LLC
• Nicole Davis, Director of Residential Services, GCASA
• Angela DiRosa, Executive Director, Orleans Community Health Foundation
• Daniel Doctor, Community Outreach Liaison, Medina Central School District
• Jessica Downey, Health Educator/Community Outreach, Orleans Community Health
• Ellen Eaton, Dir. of Recruiting and Employee Experience, Quorum Group dba Takeform
• Elizabeth Haibach, Librarian, Hoag Library
• Tessa Hartway, Dir. Of Marketing and Branding/Business Development, Talis Equity
• Carly Ward, Dir. of Planning and Oper., Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, Inc.
• Vanja Zinaja, QA Manager, Baxter Healthcare
Skip Helfrich leads a discussion at the opening retreat.
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Press Release, Department of Environmental Conservation
Photo from DEC: Asbestos-laden materials are shown at illegal dump site in the Town of Alabama.
TOWN OF ALABAMA – On Jan. 3 DEC conservation officers charged an Albion man for dumping asbestos-laden materials on state land after a seven-month-long investigation.
Carl J. Rivers, 49, was arrested on felony charges of endangering public health, safety, or the environment in the 3rd degree, a class E Felony, as well as a violation level charges of unlawfully disposing of solid waste in Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area in Alabama, Genesee County.
In May 2018, environmental conservation officer Gary Wilson was notified of an illegal dumpsite on Klossen Road. Wilson investigated the dump site and immediately notified the DEC Spills unit and investigators with DEC’s Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigation (BECI) unit.
Investigators from DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement’s Environmental Forensics Unit (EFU) and the State Department of Labor’s Asbestos Control Team assisted with the case. DEC Spills unit hired a contractor to clean up and remove the hazardous debris, which was brought to a registered facility.
Rivers, already in custody on an unrelated charge, was transported to the Town of Alabama Court for arraignment. The felony charge carries a maximum penalty of up to four years in prison and/or a fine up to $150,000.
The violation carries a penalty of up to 15 days in jail and/or a fine of $1,500 to $15,000.
Rivers is due back in court on March 7. The DEC was assisted in this case by the State Department of Labor – Asbestos Control Bureau, the U.S. EPA, and the New York State Police.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 January 2019 at 6:38 pm
Photo from NYS Assembly Majority: Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes of Buffalo today is welcomed as the Assembly’s new majority leader, succeeding Joe Morelle of Rochester who left the Assembly after being elected to Congress following the death of Louise Slaughter. As majority leader, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the Assembly chamber.
The State Assembly kicked off a new legislative session today, and Speaker Carl Heastie said he is eager to get going now that the State Senate is Democrat-controlled. Heastie said many proposals championed in the Assembly have been stalled in the Senate under Republican control.
“At times, we have had to fight tough battles to keep New York from falling behind,” Heastie said in a statement today. “In 2017, our loud voices helped correct an injustice facing our youth by raising the age of adult criminal responsibility – just one of the many criminal justice reforms we have passed numerous times.
“Year after year, we fought tooth and nail for each of these victories, and still countless pieces of progressive legislation were stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate. But this past November, voters gave Democrats their largest majority in the State Senate in a century. They too want to move New York forward.
“With our new partners in the Senate, we will take swift action to deliver the progressive legislation we have long sought for New York families.”
Heastie said he wants to push to enshrine the Reproductive Health Act into law, along with other measures to protect women’s reproductive health.
“Together, we will once and for all deliver comprehensive criminal justice reform to establish a more equitable system for all New Yorkers,” he said.
He will push for measures to ensure a speedy trial, reform our bail system, and end the use of solitary confinement.
“We must break down barriers to higher education by passing the New York State DREAM Act to ensure our immigrant youth have access to the resources they need to make meaningful contributions to our state,” he said.
He favors other legislation to protect transgender rights, expand voter access, give more legal protections to child sexual abuse victims, and protect the future of the state through “The Climate and Community Protection Act.”
“Together, we must find common sense solutions to protect New Yorkers from gun violence,” Heastie said. “We must address equitable funding for our neediest schools, and continue to ensure higher education is affordable for all New Yorkers.”
Heastie also said the Assembly will work for the good of the entire state.
“We will not forget that our upstate communities need economic development and job creation,” he said.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) represents a district that includes most of Orleans, part of western Monroe and all of Genesee counties.
“It is an honor and privilege to be back in Albany continuing the work we have done to reform our charitable gaming laws, meet upstate’s infrastructure needs, protect our vets, fully fund the Lake Ontario flood recovery efforts and empower small businesses,” Hawley said in a statement. “New York City politicians now control all three policy-making wings in Albany and I pledge to stand strong against any further tax increases, handouts to illegal aliens and big government expansion that has sent millions of our neighbors packing for greener pastures.
“New York is at a crossroads and it’s time that upstate flex its muscle at the table. Hardworking, middle-class families deserve a voice too and I will fight to make sure we are heard loud and clear.”
Michael Norris (R-Lockport) is a member of the Assembly whose district include the Town of Shelby in Orleans, and parts of Niagara and Erie counties, said in a Facebook message the Legislature and governor need to reduce state spending and property taxes, to stop the out-migration of people from New York.
“I am so proud to be back at the state Capitol representing you for the 2019 Legislative Session!” Norris said on Facebook. “There is a lot of work ahead in this new more progressive Albany but I am determined to make sure Western New York’s voice is heard loud and clear.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 January 2019 at 4:18 pm
Provided photo
SHELBY – Representatives from the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company today accepted a donation from Lyons Collision in Medina. Lyons donated new traffic cones and LED stop and slow signs that will be used by the fire police.
“It’s very helpful,” said Tim Petry, president of the Fire Company. “They will help at accident scenes.”
Pictured from left include: Scott Petry and Tim Petry of the Shelby Fire Company, and Kim Patterson and Jeff Lyons of Lyons Collision.
WASHINGTON, DC– Congressman Chis Collins (NY-27) today formally requested that his paychecks be withheld during the partial government shutdown. Along with withholding his pay, Collins has cosponsored legislation that will ensure that the federal employees who keep our communities and nation safe are paid for their service as shutdown negotiations continue.
“I believe it’s unfair for me to receive pay while the men and women who put their lives on the line to keep our country safe are seeing their paychecks delayed,” said Collins. “I’ve requested that my paychecks be withheld until essential federal employees, like our Border Patrol and TSA agents who work to protect the safety and security of American citizens, are fully compensated for their duties during this partial government shutdown.”
The Providing Pay For Essential Employees Act, introduced by Congressman Bob Gibbs, (OH-07), and cosponsored by Collins, directs the Treasury Department to appropriate funds to cover the salaries and any expenses of any officer or employee of the federal government physically working during the partial government shutdown beginning on or about December 22, 2018.
Collins added: “It’s time for partisan Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to quit using hardworking Americans as pawns as they stonewall efforts to secure the border and reopen our government. Protecting American citizens should be a top priority, and it is my hope that Congress and President Trump can work together to find a bipartisan solution that effectively secures our borders and reopens the federal government in a timely manner.”
To read the full text of the Providing Pay For Essential Employees Act, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 January 2019 at 10:50 am
MEDINA – The Medina Board of Education for the first time has a student representative, who gives a monthly report and weighs in on topics from a student perspective.
District residents during the May 15 school vote last year approved, 259-75, to have a student on the Board of Education, without voting privileges. The student isn’t allowed in executive session where the board discusses personnel and litigation. Medina will have a student on a trial basis for two years, and then can extend it after that.
Alissa Blount, the High School Student Association president, was picked by the district to serve as the first student representative on the BOE. Cora Payne, a senior and the FFA president, is an alternate for meetings when Blount is unable to attend.
David Sevenski, the BOE president, welcomes having a student sitting at the table with the board during the monthly meetings.
“We’re trying to get more information about what’s going on in the schools,” Sevenski said.
He has encouraged board members to be an active presence at the school, from taking tours during the school day to attending many after-school events.
Cora Payne, an alternate student rep on the Board of Education, speaks during a Dec. 18 BOE meeting. Marc Graff, the district’s business administrator, listens to her comments.
Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent, also pushed for a student rep on the board. Medina is the first district in Orleans County with a student on the board.
“It’s a natural way to get a student focus,” Kruzynski said.
Payne filled in for Blount at the Dec. 18 BOE meeting. She gave an update about holiday concerts, the FFA citrus sale and some other activities. She urged board members to attend concerts, sporting events and other school programs. She encouraged them “to be more visible” at the school.
Payne plans to major in journalism and political science at Boston University. She attended a meeting last year about a change in the school’s policy for tardiness. That initially raised her interest in the Board of Education and school policy.
She praised the district for having a student on the BOE.
“I appreciate that they valued my opinion,” she said.
Alissa Blount has only missed one meeting so far this school year. She gives a report each month, and also extends an invitation for the BOE to go to school activities.
Blount is also a member of the FFA. She spoke about the FFA’s model farm on the school campus during a recent meeting. That prompted other board members to request a tour of the farm, and Blount was happy to oblige.
Most of the board meetings are about 45 to 90 minutes. Blount said it has been interesting to see the decision-making process, and how the board and administration wrestle with so many details in discussing policies.
“It takes a lot longer to get things passed,” she said.
Blount plans to major in nursing with a minor in Spanish at Daemen College near Buffalo. She said she is feeling more comfortable at the board meetings as she learns more about the district’s inner-workings.
She said she would like to help mentor next year’s student representative so that student can join the board with a better understanding of how the board functions and some background on the issues.
“It’s been really positive so far and it will build in the future,” Blount said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 January 2019 at 8:35 am
YATES – The Yates Town Board approved a corrective action plan last month and sent it to the Office of the State Comptroller after a critical audit in October.
The comptroller’s audit said there isn’t missing money or misappropriated funds in Yates. However, the comptroller said Yates hasn’t kept adequate financial records or provided adequate oversight to the town bookkeeper.
The town spends about $1.3 million each year. The report covered Jan. 1, 2016 to July 17, 2018. (Click here to see the audit.)
The Office of Comptroller said the town’s fund balance had a deficit of $86,345 as of December 31, 2016 and should have been better monitored. The Office of the Comptroller issued the following recommendations:
• Ensure that financial records are complete, accurate and up-to-date.
• Provide effective oversight of the bookkeeper.
• Provide the Town Board adequate, comprehensive and up-to-date monthly financial reports.
• Address the financial problems affecting the general town-wide fund when adopting the 2019 budget.
Town Supervisor James Simon said in an Oct. 5 letter to the Office of the State Comptroller that he and the town had already implemented some of the recommendations. Simon, for example, now does an expanded Supervisor’s Monthly Report. Yates has also eliminated the bookkeeper position in favor of a professional services contract with Millennium Roads LLC in Lyndonville. It has approved a fund balance policy to address the general town-wide fund.
“As a relatively new town supervisor, I appreciate the recommendations,” Simon wrote to the Office of the State Comptroller on Oct. 5. “I understand that the audit did not find any hint of misappropriated or missing funds, and that the town’s overall financial condition is sound. I recognize the importance of providing more comprehensive financial management, of ensuring better oversight of the bookkeeping function, and of developing a viable fund balance policy.”
The Town Board on Dec. 27 approved a corrective action plan and submitted it to the Office of the Comptroller.
The plan of action includes additional monthly reports about the town’s financial records that include revenue/expense control and balance sheets (assets, liabilities, reserves and fund balance) reports. (This has already been implemented by the town.)
The town worked with Millennium Roads to utilize accounting software so Yates isn’t maintaining two cash ledgers. That was implemented last month.
The comptroller said the town needs to ensure bank reconciliations for all amounts are performed timely and properly. Simon said Millennium will provide summaries of the bank reconciliation for all accounts and will review for accuracy and to resolve any discrepancies. That is to be implemented by Jan. 31.
The town supervisor’s monthly reports now include all money received and disbursed, cash balances and detailed year-to-date budget-to-actual comparisons of revenues and expenditures for each fund, according to the corrective action plan.
The Town Board on Dec. 13 also passed a new fund balance policy in coordination with the Office of the State Comptroller. The town said it will take about three years to build up the fund balance. That time is needed so Yates can stay under the state tax cap, town officials wrote in the corrective action plan.
‘These next few years will be challenging for law-abiding, middle-class New Yorkers. This time around, the balance of power has been tipped in favor of downstate more than ever and it is important that Senate Republicans remain a voice of reason for those seeking rational-minded leadership.’ – State Sen. Rob Ortt
MEDINA – State Sen. Robert G. Ortt (R,C,I,Ref-North Tonawanda) will take his oath of office in front of family, friends and constituents on Saturday in Medina.
Ortt to take his oath of office, with the ceremony to be performed by State Supreme Court Justice Paul Wojtaszek. The ceremony will be at 3 p.m. at the Medina VFW, 216 E. Center St., Medina.
Ortt issued this statement on Tuesday about his legislative priorities for 2019:
“Last November’s elections saw the balance of power in New York State completely vanish – both geographically and politically. No longer is there the safety valve that was the Senate Republican Conference to defend upstate and stop the misguided and fiscally irresponsible policy promulgated from the regressive, New York City-based left.
“What comes next – gauging history as well as the announced intentions of those in power – will be an agenda that dramatically attempts to make New York the most liberal and “progressive” state in the union. The focus will be on the needs of New York City and supposed bogeyman in Washington, DC as opposed to the real needs of everyday New Yorkers.
“The governor and his NYC colleagues in the Legislature seek to disarm legal gun-owners, implement overbearing and burdensome taxes and regulations on our businesses and farms, irresponsibly increase state spending, and dismantle the rule of law (or at least the laws that they disagree with). Ultimately, it is up to the Senate Republican Conference to highlight – and whenever possible – stop these disastrous policies while advocating for the needs of Upstate and Western New York.
“Last week, I was named ranker on two new committees: the Senate’s committee on Veterans, Homeland Security & Military Affairs and the Agriculture committee. These new committees will allow me to influence policy on areas that are pillars of our state and country. While serving on the Veterans, Homeland Security & Military Affairs committee, I want to continue my focus on veterans’ suicide and mental health. We can do much more to help returning veterans find quality care, education, and employment. In the Senate Committee on Agriculture, we must adopt policies that keep agriculture a viable economic driver in small communities across our state, and I look forward to continuing my work as a voice for all of our state’s farmers.
“We have already seen the introduction of a bill that would require gun owners to purchase $1 million in liability insurance coverage and a bill that would force those applying to purchase firearms to hand over their social media passwords. The regressive left will not be happy until the Second Amendment is a relic of the past. They are attempting to dismantle our constitutional right to keep and bear arms until there is nothing left to protect your family and loved ones from those who would wish to do you harm. We must remain steadfast in our protection of the Second Amendment and continue to repel any attempts to disarm legal gun owners under the guise of security. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
“This upcoming session, we must also focus on making Western New York more affordable. In spite of the governor’s eight-year upstate jobs plan, which included spending billions of dollars on select private companies and well-connected donors, record numbers of residents continue to leave our state. The governor was right when he blamed the state’s exodus on the climate. However, it is the business climate and its overbearing regulations, not the weather that is driving people away. We must create an environment where businesses can flourish, residents can find work and families wish to grow.
“Finally, last year, Senate Republicans blocked over $1 billion in new taxes and regulations proposed by Assembly Democrats. While nothing stands in the way of the Democrat’s crushing new taxes, it is paramount that residents of New York know how their tax dollars are being spent. They deserve to know that their hard-earned tax dollars will be used to provide free college to illegal immigrants and incarcerated individuals, while also being used to file frivolous lawsuits against the President.
“The disintegration of law and order will be apparent more now than ever with an all-Democrat Legislature. Law enforcement will be villainized, while cop-killers are re-branded as political prisoners. Sex offenders will continue to receive executive pardons while illegal immigrants will be protected over American citizens.
“These next few years will be challenging for law-abiding, middle-class New Yorkers. This time around, the balance of power has been tipped in favor of downstate more than ever and it is important that Senate Republicans remain a voice of reason for those seeking rational-minded leadership.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 8 January 2019 at 5:45 pm
Photos by Ginny Kropf
MEDINA – A crane lifts a rafter today for the new Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God building on Maple Ridge Road in Medina.
The church is working on a new 9,306-square-foot building. It is moving from the former Medina High School, where it has been based the past 25 years. The building on Maple Ridge is near Salt Works Road.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 January 2019 at 5:08 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – It got real foggy late this afternoon after a hard rain. These photos were taken at Bullard Park in Albion at about 4:30 p.m.
After a high of 47 today, the temperature is forecast to drop to a high of 32 on Wednesday and a low of 21 on Wednesday night, with a chance of 1 to 2 inches of snow during the day.
BATAVIA – Just a few days after New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the $4.2 million Workforce Development Challenge grant recipients, a second Workforce Training Center opened in Niagara County in Lockport to the delight and the anticipation of many, including officials at the Niagara Orleans Board of Cooperative Educational Services (ONBOXES) and the Adult Educational Opportunity Center (AEOC) of Genesee Community College.
The Governor’s Workforce Development Challenge (WDC) was designed to ensure the region’s workforce pipeline meets industry demands. The largest award in the Challenge, $1.2 million, approximately 21 percent of the total project cost, was granted to the shared partnership between the ONBOCES and the AEOC of GCC for training equipment, facility improvement, personnel and recruitment for two Workforce Training Centers. The first center opened in July of 2018 in Niagara Falls and the second opened Monday, December 17, 2018 in Lockport, NY. Between the two facilities, this program is expected to annually train approximately 170 individuals and place at least 35 individuals directly into industry-related jobs.
With this grant, the Workforce Training Centers in both Niagara Falls and Lockport will expand services to include training in machining, welding, and Heating, Ventilation and Cooling (HVAC). In addition, this grant will allow AEOC to expand staff which already covered Orleans County to Niagara County. It is the grant’s mission to assist first-generation, low-income adults toward their post-secondary goals of Trade School or College. The grant program offers adult students the support needed to enter and continue college, regardless of the school or program they attend. AEOC currently serves 1,311 students annually and this grant will assist in providing support to individuals looking to explore High School Equivalency, Trade School and/or college.
“There is a shortage of skilled labor in each of these industries throughout the counties we serve,” said Katherine Trombley, director of GCC’s AEOC. “The AEOC office is very excited to help provide the necessary support services to individuals training in these centers.”
Back in May, Trombley worked with Susan Diemert and Joe Steinmetz of ONBOCES to write and submit a grant application to the Governor’s WDC. The alignments between the mission of the Training Centers and the WDC are many, but near the top of that list is that the Centers offer free tuition assistance options and literacy skills training to interested participants. Affordable training increases the likelihood of completion and success for trainees.
The AEOC will also provide an outreach specialist who will work one-on-one with viable solutions that help individuals overcome obstacles to success. These may include but are not limited to referral services for transportation, daycare, educational funding and housing. For more information about the AEOC, visit www.genesee.edu/aeoc or schedule an appointment by calling 1-888-394-2362 or emailing to AEOC@genesee.edu.
To learn more about the ONBOCES programs or Workforce Training Centers, visit www.onboces.org/ or call (716) 731-6800.
