HOLLEY – The Village of Holley has been awarded a $75,000 state grant for an inclusive playground that will ADA-accessible.

“Nestled beside the Erie Canal, this addition reflects the Canal’s role in enhancing quality of life and creating welcoming spaces for all,” the Canal Corp. said in announcing the funding on Monday.

Holley has the matching funds for a project that will total about $150,000, Mayor Mark Bower said.

The village has $35,000 set aside for the playground and the Town of Murray has committed $25,000 towards the project. The Holley Department of Public Works also will provide in-kind services with excavating and site work, Bower said.

Community volunteers will also be asked to help construct the playground which will allow Holley to maximize the funding towards the equipment for children.

The village will soon seek bids from playground companies for the equipment. Bower is hopeful construction will start in April.

The playground will go where there was one previously along the canal path. That playground wasn’t accessible to people with disabilities, had fallen into disrepair and was removed in 2022, Bower said.

The mayor thanked the Orleans County Health Department for helping to secure the grant for the village.

Holley also recently was awarded a grant to put in a kayak launch and new decking and stairs at its canal park.

MEDINA – Representatives from Citizens’ Climate Lobby will be in Medina on Wednesday to lead a discussion about climate change and how to influence policies that are friendly to the planet.

The discussion will begin at 6 p.m. at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, contact robertdotjohnson@rochester.rr.com.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a national nonprofit organization with local chapters across the country. The group pushed for the energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act.

“We welcome anyone who is serious about solving climate change as a volunteer,” the organization said in a press release. “We work with members of Congress across the political spectrum to find common ground on climate change action.”

For more about Citizens’ Climate Lobby, click here.

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

ALBANY – Every year, the New York State Conservative Party releases its conservative ratings for elected officials across the state. Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia), who has been a strong advocate for conservative policies in Albany, received a 100% rating from the party for the year.

Throughout his time in the state Assembly, Hawley has promoted initiatives to lower taxes, support law enforcement, protect our second amendment rights and cut regulations for small businesses.

Hawley, along with Sens. George Borello, Joe Griffo, Pam Helming, Mario Mattera, Rob Ortt, Steve Rhoads, Dan Stec, Jim Tedisco and Alexis Weik, as well as Assemblymembers John Lemondes, Brian Maher and Chris Tague, received perfect ratings during the 2024 Legislative Session.

“I’m proud to have received this high honor from the New York State Conservative Party for my record of supporting common-sense policies in the State Assembly,” Hawley said. “It’s an honor to be named amongst so many of my colleagues in the state government who are fighting hard each day to bring our state back to the conservative principles we were founded on. I’m grateful for the work we were able to do during last year’s session, and I look forward to the progress we can make this year to bring common sense back to Albany.”

Press Release, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) and Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) announced they sent a letter to newly confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting the Department of Defense consider opening the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) to support Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations with additional bed space for detainees and as a point of departure for deportation flights.

The letter states, “The Northeast U.S. currently has only one ICE-operated Service Processing Center, located in Batavia, NY. This facility, though critical, cannot solely handle the growing demand for detention and deportation processing. With an estimated 759,218 illegal immigrants residing in New York City alone, including 58,000 individuals who are either convicted felons or facing criminal charges, the need for additional detention capacity is clear. Local facilities are overwhelmed, and it is imperative that we have the resources necessary to address this serious public safety concern.

“The Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station’s role in supporting our national defense can be enhanced by partnering with ICE in this effort to ensure the swift and secure removal of high-priority illegal immigrants from the United States. Utilizing this federal resource would help ease the burden on local law enforcement and detention centers while advancing President Trump’s agenda of maintaining public safety through efficient and effective deportations.”

“Maximizing every available resource is crucial to carrying out President Trump’s executive orders to detain and remove illegal aliens swiftly and efficiently, particularly those who pose security risks to our country,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “I am so grateful to the ICE agents who are stepping up to protect our nation and address this pressing crisis and want to ensure they have all the resources they need to carry out these deportations. Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station can play a valuable role in hosting detention beds and serving as a point of departure for deportations, supporting ICE’s work in deporting these criminals. I urge Secretary Hegseth to authorize NFARS to assist in securing our borders and upholding our nation’s safety by allowing ICE to utilize this station in its fight against criminal illegal aliens that threaten the safety of our communities. NFARS can play a vital role in the fight to protect our borders, and I look forward to working with Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Noem to make this a reality.”

“One of my top priorities when I got home from Washington was to set up an in-person briefing with the Buffalo ICE office to hear directly from them about how their operations have ramped up under President Trump’s executive actions to deport criminal illegals,” said Congressman Langworthy. “In that meeting, I learned that the ICE Processing Center in Batavia is nearly at capacity, and with the massive illegal population accused and convicted of crimes in New York, opening the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station to support their efforts will help ensure they can continue to swiftly execute the President’s orders. As the Department of Defense is already aiding the Department of Homeland Security in its border security measures, it makes perfect sense to ask Secretary Hegseth to consider this request. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the entire federal government is working together to make our country safer.”

Projects offer huge revenues to municipalities but seen as very disruptive to refuge, Tonawanda Seneca Nation

Photos by Tom Rivers: (Left) Betty Pitcher of Lancaster speaks against industrial development at the STAMP site, saying it has negative impacts to wildlife and neighbors. “Nature does not have a voice,” she said. “It’s up to us to be that voice and protect this natural beauty.” (Right) Barbara Jonathan, a Tonawanda Seneca Nation resident, displays a poster that says, “The answer is ‘No, No, No.’ No data centers near wetlands, water.”

TOWN OF ALABAMA – Three companies have pitched plans for massive data centers at the STAMP site in the Town of Alabama. The projects would bring the prospect of about $150 to $200 million in revenue to Genesee County municipalities over 20 years.

But the data centers would be huge consumers of electricity, about 200 megawatts of lower-cost hydropower. Speakers during public hearings on Monday said a data center near a wildlife refuge and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation would be very disruptive, due to the noise and sheer size of the data center. The buildings, ranging from 750,000 square feet to 900,000 square feet, would be about five to six times the Albion Walmart Supercenter which is 155,000 square feet.

Christine Zinni of Batavia speaks against a large-scale data center at STAMP, which she said is a remote area with pristine wildlife. “I am here to speak for nature’s rights,” she said. “The character of this region is at stake.”

The GCEDC board will either select one of the companies or none of them, Mark Masse, the GCEDC chief executive officer. He spoke during three public hearings on Monday afternoon about the economic incentives offered for each of the projects.

The projects range from $2 billion to $6 billion in capital investments. GCEDC is offering sales tax exemptions ranging from $124.8 million to $462.6 million. Those are the main incentives from the agency. The data centers would also have access to the low-cost hydropower.

The data centers were roundly criticized for more than three hours during public hearings at the Alabama Fire Hall.

“The data centers are immensely intensive energy users with not much benefit,” said Chris Murawski of the Clean Air Coalition of New York.

The projects consume tremendous resources with water and energy while not producing many jobs, he said. The direct employment for the three projects includes 200, 105 and 122.

The three projects and the incentives offered include:

Potentia Holdings from Minneapolis, Minn.

• 892,000 square-foot data center
• $2,156,900,000 total capital investment
• 200 new jobs ($129,250 average), plus 76 other indirect jobs
• Economic impact: $143,378,881 in local municipal revenue over 20 years
• Sales tax exemption: $124,864,000
• Property tax exemption: $42,784,801
• Total tax incentives: $167,648,801
• PILOT payments: $42,784,801 over 20 years with $1,760,882 year 1 to $2,565,273 in year 20
• Other local municipal revenue: $100,594,080 over 20 years – $42,079,704 in year 1, $3,079,704 from years 2 to 20. (That includes $39 million towards substation, $1 million for community grant, $500,000 to county host, $82,104 towards fire district, and $1,497,600 electric sales tax revenue.)

Project Rampart, LLC from Dover, Delaware

• 750,000 square-foot data center on 67-acre parcel.
• Total capital investment: $3,318,450,000
• $206,028,908 in local municipal revenue over 20 years
• Sales tax exemption: $218,960,000 (half state and half local)
• Mortgage tax exemption: $19,950,000 (half local and half state)
• Estimated tax incentives: $238,910,000
• 105 direct jobs ($64,095 average), 40 indirect jobs
• PILOT payments, $3,848,745 in year 1 to $5,606,894 in year 20 paying $93,514,368 in 20 years, saving $93,514,368 in property taxes
• Other local municipal revenue: $112,514,540 over 20 years, with $43,625,727 in year 1, and $3,625,727 from years 2 to 20. In year one there would be a one time $40 million for substation, and then $1 million for community, $1 million county host, $89,727 to the fire district, and $1,536,000 in sales tax revenue.

Stream US Data Centers, LLC from Dallas, Texas (Project “Double Reed”)

• 900,000 square-foot data center on 59.2 acres
• Total capital investment: $6,320,000,000
• Incentive amount: $471,560,000
• Generate $218,450,978 in local municipal revenue over 20 years
• Sales tax exemption: $462,560,000
• Mortgage tax exemption: $9,000,000
• Estimated tax incentives: $471,560,000
• Direct jobs: 122 ($88,505 average), plus 46 indirect
• PILOT $127,723,298 over 20 years, $5,000,000 in year 1 to $7,993,252 in year 20
• Other local municipal revenue: $90,727,680 over 20 years, with $52,036,384 in year 1, $2,036,384 from years 2 to 20. Includes $1,920,000 sales tax revenue, $116,384 in fire district for $2,036,384 a year, plus one time $50 million for substation.

The GCEDC hasn’t set a vote on whether it will pick one of the projects. Speakers urged GCEDC to reconsider its plans to turn about 1,200 acres into industrial use. The site already has two projects under development.

Dr. Kirk Scirto, a family medicine specialist at Tonawanda Family Care Center, spoke at the hearings and called the three data centers “parasitic centers.” He said the constant noise from the data centers is comparable to the sounds of jet engines. The impact from the noise and light will have negative impacts on neighbors and wildlife, he said.

Barbara Jonathan, a Tonawanda Seneca Nation resident, said STAMP is threatening the way of life for the Tonawanda Senecas, putting the nearby Big Woods at risk. That forest is critical to the Nation for hunting and medicine.

“That land is all that we have left,” she said.

Kristin Mosher plays recordings of the sounds of birds in the Big Woods at the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, and also the noise from a data center in Virginia.

The “perks” from a data center in revenue and jobs aren’t worth sacrificing the lands and wildlife, she said.

Kristin Mosher, a wildlife photographer and sound recordist from Syracuse, played audio from the Big Woods with many different types of birds. She also played the noise from a  data center in Virginia. That data  center emits a constant low frequency sound, she said.

“There is incredible diversity of birds in the Big Woods,” Mosher said. “This is one of the last little untouched areas we have here in New York State.”

Christine Zinni of Batavia said the local residents living near STAMP should have the ultimate say in what goes there.

There should be “meaningful” noise studies and other assessments of the environmental impacts on local residents and the nearby wildlife, tributaries and other natural resources, Zinni said.

“I’m here to speak for nature’s rights,” she said. “The character of this region is at stake.”

(Left) Eveyln Wackett of Buffalo and (right) Gary Ciurczek of Buffalo speak against a data center at STAMP, saying it would put birds and other wildlife at risk.

Wackett held up a photo of a short-eared owl.

“I love owls,” she said. “I love raptors.”

Ciurczek is a member of the Buffalo Ornithological Society, a group that enjoys coming to the wildlife refuge and nearby wildlife management areas.
“It is shocking this is being considered in this pristine wetland area,” he said about the data center. “This would be a loud unrepenting noise 24-7, 365 days a year.”

Karen Jones of Shelby (left) and Amy Kahn of Rochester shared their concerns about a data center at STAMP.

Jones said water discharges from the facility could have negative impacts on the Oak Orchard Creek and other tributaries. The companies proposing the data centers haven’t provided much detail with the projects.

She said the companies should fully fund any needed infrastructure upgrades. She also worries the heavy electricity demands for a data center could push up costs for other rate payers.

Jones also was critical of the GCEDC for scheduling the hearings in the afternoon when many people are working or unavailable. It was also during the Tonawanda Senecas mid-winter ceremonies.

The hearings also were poorly advertised, Jones said, and weren’t included on the Town of Alabama website.

Amy Kahn denounced the “opaqueness” of the data centers, and wanted to know  who is leading the effort to develop them at STAMP.

She said the project with the noise, large-scale development and water discharges will affect very sensitive wildlife.

GCEDC is also accepting written comments to gcedc@gcedc.com before 5 p.m. on Thursday. The email must contain the project name in the subject line.

Stratton announces Albany Symphony will perform in Medina on July 2

Photo by Tom Rivers: Brian Stratton, commissioner of the Canal Corp., said there are over 400 events celebrating the Erie Canal’s bicentennial this year. He spoke during Friday’s Legislative Luncheon for the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.

MEDINA – It’s going to be a big year celebrating the Erie Canal in 2025, which is the 200^th anniversary of the completion of the 363-mile-long waterway.

Brian Stratton, the canal commissioner, said there are over more than 400 programs and events along the canal system in 2025, including many in Orleans County. He announced the Albany Symphony will be performing in Medina on July 2 to celebrate the canal’s bicentennial.

Stratton said the canal is an “economic engine” going across the state. He noted in Orleans County, canal water is used to supplement the tributary fishery, providing steady streams of water into December. The canal water also is used to irrigate farmland.

Those are just two ways the canal is used outside of navigation and recreation, the canal commissioner said on Friday when he spoke at the Legislative Luncheon in Medina, an event organized by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.

He spoke at the Bent’s Opera Hall, which has seen a dramatic restoration led by Roger and Heather Hungerford. Stratton highlighted a $4.5 million Forward NY grant from the state that will spur more investment in the community with nine different initiatives.

This year the canal will have a longer boating season than usual, opening May 16 and going until Nov. 3. There won’t be any tolls or fees for recreational use of the canal system this year.

“We’re extending the season because this year is such an important year,” Stratton said. “We’re going to have a huge celebration all year long.”

In 2024 the navigation season ended Oct. 16, and in 2023 it closed for the season on Oct. 11.

Stratton said he looks forward to the Erie Canal hosting the World Canals Conference in Buffalo from Sept. 21-25, with about 500 people expected. Many of them will make an excursion out to Medina and Orleans County, Stratton said.

Some of the local events highlighting the canal, in addition to the Albany Symphony concert on July 2, include:

• Erie Canal Arts & Craft Festival led by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council from Sept. 26-28 at Medina, Albion and Holley. The event will be a celebration of heritage, creativity, and community spirit along the canal. It will feature over 400 artisan vendors, a theatre and car showcase, a headline concert with The Voice’s Ddendyl Hoyt, and a festive boat parade, and boat taxis for attendees to get from each village.
• Erie Canal Bicentennial Building Bricks Event organized by the Village of Medina Tourism Committee. The event will be Sept. 20-21 at the Sacred Heart Club in Medina. Participants will create canal-themed boats, bridges, and landmarks using LEGO bricks, while competing for awards based on age and creativity.
• The Erie Canal Family Concert at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina on June 23.
• Holley’s June Fest on June 7.
• Albion Strawberry Festival on June 13-14.
• St. Rocco’s Italian Festival in Hulberton on Aug. 31.
• Blue Thursdays concert series at State Street Park in Medina this summer.

Photo by Ginny Kropf

MEDINA – The Kropf family recently posed for this five generation picture.

Counterclockwise, from right, are dad Hayden Kropf of Nelsonville, Ohio, holding three and one-half month-old daughter Evelyn, grandfather William Kropf of Medina, great-grandfather Mike Kropf of Albion and great-great-grandfather Allan Kropf of Medina (seated).

This is William’s first grandchild, Mike’s first great-grandchild and Allan’s first great-great-grandchild.

State senator concerned over rising costs, including electricity from Power Authority

Photo by Tom Rivers: State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt speaks during Friday’s Orleans County Chamber of Commerce Legislative Luncheon at Bent’s Opera House in Medina. Ortt said state policies and spending are driving more businesses and residents to flee to other states.

MEDINA – State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt listened to presentation Friday on how Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed budget would help with an “affordability crisis” in the state.

The governor wants refunds to help with the rising cost of inflation, increased child tax credits, universal school meals with free breakfast and lunch, increased access to child care, and a middle-class tax cut. State Canal Commissioner Brian Stratton went through a power point about the governor’s proposed budget during the Legislative Luncheon organized by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.

Ortt said he favors proposals to help residents keep more of their money. But Ortt said the governor’s proposed budget doesn’t rein in the state spending. The budget goes from $233 billion in 2024-25 to $242 billion in Hochul’s plan.

Ortt said he expects the spending will go even higher after the State Legislature, led by strong Democratic Party majorities, gets through with it.

“We cannot spend our way to a more affordable state,” Ortt said during Friday’s Legislative Luncheon with the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. “We need to reduce costs to stop residents and businesses from leaving.”

New York, population 19.6 million, spends more than states with bigger populations, Ortt said. Texas (population 30.5 million) spends $321.7 billion in a two-year budget, while Florida (population 22.6 million) has a proposed $115.6 billion budget for 2025-26.

“Why is New York so much more money?” Ortt said. “”You can’t spend your way to prosperity.”

The state senator cited two other price hikes that have him concerned about the affordability of the state.

Many businesses in Western New York, including some in Orleans County, have access to low-cost hydropower through the New York Power Authority. But NYPA is proposing to nearly triple the rates charged to customers for renewable hydropower from the Niagara Power Project. The proposed rate increase would go from $12.88 per megawatt-hour to $33.05 per megawatt-hour over four years.

Congestion pricing in New York City is imposing up to $9 fees on cars, $4.50 on motorcycles and $14.40 to $21.60 on trucks and buses. The pricing started on Jan. 5 to try to reduce some of the traffic in the city.

Ortt said he and Republicans in the Legislature are pushing for “immediate bold relief with taxes.”

Hochul, Ortt said, needs “to be more forceful” with Democrats in the Assembly and Senate about reducing costs in the state, addressing the negative impacts of bail reform, and targeting crime.

The state is entering a budget cycle with no more federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, adding to the challenges and pressure on New Yorkers to foot the full bill, Ortt said. ARPA was passed as part of a $1.9 billion federal stimulus package in 2021.

“We have got to do something about the rising costs in this state or we’ll continue to lose our most valuable asset, our people,” Ortt said.

‘We added a full continuum of services of care in a rural community. I would say that one of my biggest pride and joys is that our organization really tries to make a difference. The staff here care about the people we serve and always try to do the right thing. I will miss them all dearly.’

Press release, UConnectCare

John Bennett

BATAVIA – John Bennett is leaving UConnectCare after dedicating the past 25 years at the agency formerly known as Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse to helping those affected by substance and alcohol use disorder.

With his last day as chief executive officer set for this Friday (Feb. 7), the 63-year-old Geneseo resident took time out to reflect upon a 40-year career in the field.

A reception for Bennett, which is open to the public, is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. Feb. 4 at The Recovery Station on Clinton Street Road, Batavia.

Bennett has accepted a grant-funded director of network development position with Forward Leading IPA’s WeLinkCare social care network that connects individuals and families to vital resources that address the social factors affecting health – from housing and employment to food and transportation.

In his new position, he will oversee agencies, including UConnectCare, in 14 counties across the Finger Lakes region.

Question: Forty years is a long time in what can be a highly stressful field of work. What made you choose alcohol and substance use treatment and prevention?

Answer: In the past, I have shared that my grandfather, who I am named after, was an alcoholic. It was during the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s when they didn’t have EAP (Employee Assistance Programs) and much help for people like my grandfather. So, he died young from his alcoholism, and it affected my mom in a lot of ways.

My mom always worried that her children would develop alcohol and drug addiction, So alcohol was never allowed in our household growing up. If you came home with alcohol on your breath it didn’t matter what time of night it was she would get up to smell your breath.

Her whole life centered around breaking the cycle for her own children. Her sister, my Aunt Virginia, married a man who was alcoholic and she took me to AA and Al-Anon meetings when I was probably 8 or 9 years old. Also, my grandmother ended up living with us after my grandfather died. So my mom, my aunt and my grandmother influenced me to enter a field to help individuals and families with addiction.

I felt like it was a calling for me to help families and individuals with addiction. That’s how I got started.

Question: Where was your first job?

Answer: My first job was in Livingston County for what was then called Livingston County Council on Alcoholism. That was in 1985. I think there were 12 employees in total at the time – like two secretaries, a couple directors and the rest of us were counselors.

I went to college, SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Brockport, for counselor education and later I became a certified alcoholism counselor, a CAC, around 1989. I ended up working at LCCA for about 15 years.

Question: What brought you to GCASA, now UConnectCare?

Answer: I worked my way up in the field as a counselor and then as a team leader and eventually as the clinical supervisor. I was kind of recruited, actually, to come to GCASA by Beverly Maniace, who had just been promoted to deputy director in Batavia. She had a program director position open and asked me to interview.

So, I did, and I got the job a week later. That was in 1999. We were located in the bottom of the Growney Building (on Bank Street). We were there until 2003 and then moved to East Main Street to our current location.

Question: Dave Markham, the former executive director, was well respected in the community. What was your relationship like with him?

Answer: Dave was my mentor and when he left in 2012, I became the executive director and eventually the CEO. He has had a profound impact upon my life and career.  David was very well respected in the community and in the behavioral health field.  David gave me ample opportunity to get involved at the state level sitting on several state wide and local committees and he taught me a lot about how to be a leader.

Question: How has the substance use field changed over the years?

Answer: I started when substance abuse and alcoholism were divided up into two different sectors. And then eventually we became certified alcohol and substance abuse counselors.

There were two different divisions, and we treated drugs and alcohol differently at the time. DAAA and DSAS. Then the two different organizations merged to become OASAS (New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and now New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports).

When I first started we dealt mostly with long-term alcoholism and short-term drinking drivers. Opioids were a drug of last resort. Today the majority of our patients are addicted to poly substances and most included opioids. I never saw our organization opening a methadone clinic but we did in 2018 and I am thankful we did because we have helped a lot of people.

Question: What stands out as far as services available in Genesee and Orleans counties?

Answer: Looking back, the people that I met and the providers, especially those like Genesee Justice with its restorative justice program, stand out. I became friends with the director at the time, Dennis Wittman, and helped participate in pre-sentencing investigations when there was drug abuse involved.

Eileen Kirkpatrick, who was the director of Genesee County Social Services. People like Dennis and Eileen reached out to me when I first arrived in Genesee County and they introduced me to people and institutions that could make a difference in people’s lives.

I became part of the Criminal Justice Advisory Council, which is really unique across the state to have a council that’s made up of criminal justice and service providers.  I think that group of individuals does amazing things in our community and is incredibly collaborative.  It’s unique and I think all the agencies try to work together and the county legislature has been mostly supportive of our services

I’ve just really been impressed with Genesee County and Orleans County, the providers and law enforcement and everybody works together to try to make the lives of individuals we serve better. That’s one of the blessings to be able to work in a place where we had those types of relationships,

Question: UConnectCare has grown significantly in recent years. Can you speak about that?

Answer: Over the last 10 years, we’ve grown from an agency of 68 employees to what will be about 190 employees when the Women & Children’s Residence in Albion opens in a few months.

That was my goal when I took over. It was very frustrating that urban communities had all these services and rural communities had none. So, a lot of our community members had to leave the area to get the services they need … like inpatient or detox or to get methadone. And so, my goal was to bring all those services here so that people didn’t have to leave the community, and so that’s what we set out to do.

We added a full continuum of services of care in a rural community. I would say that one of my biggest pride and joys is that our organization really tries to make a difference. The staff here care about the people we serve and always try to do the right thing. I will miss them all dearly.

I think opening The Recovery Station at the former Bohn’s Restaurant is one of my favorite projects, because that is one of the most unique recovery centers across the state.

Recently, AA hosted an event there and they had 71 people there. We have had several events with over a 100 people.  So, it’s those things that make a difference in the lives of the people we serve.

‘I think the hardest part of working in this field is that I’ve spent 40 years working in a stigmatized field. And no matter how hard I fought to reduce stigma, it still exists today in the year 2025. People with addiction continue to be stigmatized and that sometimes makes me feel like I didn’t do enough to change the attitudes towards people with addiction.’

Question: What challenges have you faced and continue to face?

Answer: I think the hardest part of working in this field is that I’ve spent 40 years working in a stigmatized field. And no matter how hard I fought to reduce stigma, it still exists today in the year 2025. People with addiction continue to be stigmatized and that sometimes makes me feel like I didn’t do enough to change the attitudes towards people with addiction.

The people that we serve are just people like everybody else. They just have a drug addiction and when they become sober or get into recovery, they’re some of the kindest and coolest people you could ever meet.

So, that probably has been the most difficult part. When I reflect on how we tried to open a recovery center down on Swan Street and they kind of ran us out of town. Those are disappointing moments, not because we weren’t able to open a program, but because it sends a message to people who are struggling with addiction and are in recovery that they are somehow less than others. It makes me sad that people have this misconception of people in recovery.

Question: What can you say about the people you have worked with over the years?

Answer: Well, obviously, all of the staff that I’ve gotten to work with in the past 25 years at UConnectCare are amazing people. I’ve had the privilege to work with a great leadership team. Some of us have been together for the full 25 years.

I want to be careful to mention individuals because I am sure I will forget someone important, so I’ll just say that my current leadership team is comprised of incredible people who have devoted their careers to serving people and their families suffering with addiction. I couldn’t have done half of what we accomplished without them. I love getting to know as many staff individually as possible. I will miss them all.

I’ve worked with a great volunteer board of directors over the years. I want to say a huge thank you to all of them over the past 13 years. Most of them had some kind of connection to the work we do and I truly appreciate all their guidance over the years.

In the community, I need to mention Jay Gsell and now Matt Landers, Genesee County managers, and also Lynda Battaglia and Danielle Figura, who head up the mental health clinics in Genesee and Orleans. They have always had our backs and have been supportive all we do. There have been so many great people along the way – too many to mention.

Question: What made you decide to leave UConnectCare?

Answer: I will truly miss this work, but it was really after 40 years, it was just time for me to pass the torch on to someone else. I really kind of feel like I’ve accomplished what I needed to.

Honestly, my father died two years ago. I just kind of felt like I did what I needed to do in my career to make my family proud. I’m proud of how the agency has grown and I am leaving it, I hope, better than it was when I took over and in good hands with the current leadership and the interim CEO Kathy Hodgins.

With this new position, it gives me the chance to get back to my roots of hands-on assistance and help this social care grant grow and be successful and to help people who really sometimes just need the basics to have a better life.

‘Human trafficking can happen to anyone, but certain populations are disproportionately at risk, including people affected by prior abuse or sexual violence, poverty, and unstable living situations or homelessness’

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Orleans County Legislator Fred Miller, right, presents a proclamation from the County Legislature last week to Teresa Elam-Zwifka, Director of Child & Family Services for the Department of Social Services (left), and Heather Jackson, a senior caseworker at DSS.

The Legislature issued a proclamation declaring January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Legislators highlighted human trafficking which is a commercial sex act induced by force, fraud, or coercion or when a person induced to perform such an act is not yet 18 years old.

Legislators also said trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

“Human trafficking is a public health issue and crime affecting individuals, families, and communities across generations, in every state and territory across the United States, exploiting the most vulnerable among us and weakening our collective well-being,” the proclamation states.

People can be trafficked in person and online, and in industries such as restaurants, cleaning services, construction and factories, legislators said. People can be trafficked by strangers or someone they know, including partners, parents and other family members.

“Human trafficking can happen to anyone, but certain populations are disproportionately at risk, including people affected by prior abuse or sexual violence, poverty, and unstable living situations or homelessness, as well as those systemically marginalized and underserved,” legislators stated in the proclamation.

Provided photo: The Medina varsity winter guard competed in Batavia on Saturday and took fourth place.

Information courtesy of Medina Band Boosters

BATAVIA – The Batavia school district hosted a winter guard competition on Saturday with 22 guard units performing in competition.

Medina’s varsity guard’s show is entitled “Tidal.” Nature’s elements create phenomenal events and water, under the influence of the moon and other natural events, can create tidal waves, a force to be feared. The Varsity guard competed in the A1 class and came in 4th place with a score of 50.66.

The JV guard competed in the Cadet class and came in 3rd place with a score of 45.83. Their show is “Going Up” and depicts a journey to the party of the season where they enjoy the beauty and color of city nightlife.

Both guards are instructed by Melissa Jaeger and both will compete this Saturday in Victor.

BUFFALO – Buffalo State University is pleased to recognize the following students from Orleans County who have been named to the Fall 2024 Dean’s List. In general, students who have completed at least 12 credit hours and who have attained a GPA of 3.5 or higher qualify for the Buffalo State dean’s list.

The students from Orleans on the Dean’s List include:

• Nicolina Creasey, Albion
• India Green, Albion
• Lorelei Sanders, Medina
• Madison Williams, Medina

Buffalo State University is a State University of New York university located in Buffalo, New York, offering over 75 undergraduate majors, more than 60 graduate programs, as well as many minors and certificate programs.

Historian urges community to embrace for painted Ox statues for county’s bicentennial celebration

Orly the Ox was featured in the Nov. 30 Medina of Parade of Lights. It was the debut of Orly in his mascot costume. The vest includes the names of Orleans County towns, villages and hamlets. The statue was propped up on a trailer for the parade. The County Bicentennial Committee would like to see more of the statues painted to celebrate the county’s 200th anniversary.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, Number 5

ALBION – Hoag Library patrons may very well wonder if they are experiencing auditory hallucinations.

“Did I just hear a moo?”

Yes, Orly the Ox is temporarily “Ox in Residence” at Hoag. He emits a hearty “Moo” from time to time. Owned by Cornell Cooperative Extension, Orly is the first ox in Orleans County’s bicentennial herd. Scenes depicting his role in agriculture were created by artist Stacey Kirby Steward.

Orly’s “ambassador” is a nimble two-legged character with a winning personality. Orly in costume has proved to be very popular. He has recently made appearances at the Canal Culvert and and at various businesses throughout the county.

Charged with honoring the county’s 200th year since its political formation, the Bicentennial Committee chose the ox as its mascot, since oxen were indispensable to the early settlers. The ox also represents the importance of agriculture to the county and honors all of those who labor in the fields.

‘Slow, steady, strong and sure-footed, oxen were more suited to the rough terrain than horses. They could pull heavier loads than horses, and they could pull steadily for longer periods of time.’

The settlers who moved here in the early 1800s provided detailed written accounts of their journeys here and of their experiences as they tried to wrest arable land from deep woods. They used oxen to haul their wagons westward, an arduous trip which took from three to five weeks. Slow, steady, strong and sure-footed, oxen were more suited to the rough terrain than horses. They could pull heavier loads than horses, and they could pull steadily for longer periods of time.

Oxen are castrated male cattle, four years old, who have been trained to work. They can weigh up to 2,600 pounds, depending on weight. “Oxen” refers to more than one ox. A “yoke of oxen” refers to working pair, connected by a wooden beam (the yoke) on their necks, which allows them to pull together

The following are but a few references to oxen from first-person accounts published in the Pioneer History of Orleans County by Arad Thomas, 1871:

David Matson raised the first log-house in Clarendon in 1814. He sold the horses which he brought into the country, having no use for them in the forest. He bought oxen which drew the logs for the first shanty.

Nathaniel Brown came to Kendall with three yoke of oxen and wagon.

Adin Manley arrived in Kendall in 1815. The following fall he returned to Massachusetts and married. In February 1816, he set out with three yoke of oxen and a covered wagon, for his new home in Kendall. Unfortunately, that was the “year of no summer”:

“We had three yoke of oxen and nothing for them to eat, this was the worst of all. We turned them into the woods and cut browse for them, but the poor cattle suffered much.”

As the woods were cleared, oxen hauled logs and pulled the stubborn tree stumps out of the ground. Oxen were used in Orleans County for quite some time. As late as 1871, the Orleans County Agricultural Society Fair held in Albion included a category for Working Oxen, one for the Best Pair of Working Oxen and one for the Best String of Ten Yoke of Oxen.

The Bicentennial Committee encourages businesses and community organizations to participate in the “Oxen of Orleans County” Public Art project. We hope to populate Orleans County with an artistic & historic ox trail. Several are already on order!

Details are available on the Orleans County Tourism Page. Click here for more information.

Orly the Ox will be out highlighting people, places and things in Orleans County this year. Orly recently stopped by Canalside Tattoo Company in Medina where he got some ink from owner Shawn Ramsey. It was actually a sticker. To request a visit from Orly the mascot, click here for more information.

Orly also was hyped for the Buffalo Bills playoff games. Here he is wearing a Josh Allen jersey. Orly’s adventures can be followed on the Orleans County Tourism’s social media.