Press Release, NYS Department of taxation and Finance
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance is reminding holiday shoppers of the tax breaks on purchases of clothing and footwear sold for less than $110.
“The holiday shopping season is always a bit more affordable in New York State thanks to the year-round sales tax exemption on clothing and footwear items sold for less than $110,” said Acting Commissioner Nonie Manion. “These savings on sales tax can add up and make a difference during the holiday rush.”
Every day is a sales tax holiday in New York State. Qualifying clothing and footwear purchases are always exempt from the state’s 4% sales tax when they are sold for less than $110. Some of the tax exempt items include aerobic clothing, athletic uniforms or clothing (but not equipment such as mitts, helmets, and pads), bathing suits, blouses, boots (climbing, fishing, riding, ski, waders), coats and wraps, dresses, hats, hosiery, slacks, shirts, shoes (ballet, bicycle, bowling, cleated, football, golf, jazz, soccer, etc.), sleepwear and underwear.
They’re also exempt from local sales tax year-round in New York City and these eight counties – Chautauqua, Chenango, Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Hamilton, Tioga and Wayne.
If a locality doesn’t provide the exemption, tax will be charged at the local rate only. In Orleans County, that is 4 cents per $1.
In 2018, the state exemption alone is expected to save New York shoppers more than $850 million. Savings from the combined state and local sales tax exemptions are about $1.3 billion annually.
ALBION – This week the First Presbyterian Church of Albion and Pastor Susan Thaine received a surprise delivery of more than 20 food baskets from Albion High School drama students. These baskets will be distributed to needy families for Thanksgiving.
Cast members from “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” purchased food items with Drama Club funds and put the baskets together. They were used as props in a scene during the fall musical. Once the show ended, the students wanted to donate the baskets to an organization to help others in their community.
Pictured with Pastor Thaine are several cast members delivering baskets. Kneeling (left to right): Sophia Zambito, Aubrey Boyer, Emily Mergler, Annaliese Steier and Leah Kania. Standing: Molly Wadhams, Emma Tower, Chase Froman, Pastor Thaine, Myleigh Miller, Brennan Moody, Colby Ferchen, Nia Rodriguez and Kaylyn Holman.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 November 2018 at 9:31 am
BARRE – The Town Board has approved a $2,208,309 budget that reduces the tax rate by 10 cents, from $9.28 to $9.18 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The town tax levy for the general and highway fund barely increased, by less than 0.1 percent or $851, from $923,325 to $924,176.
The budget is $9,452 under the tax cap, according to town officials.
The budget includes the fire protection rate. That is up from $1.21 to $1.26 per $1,000 of assessed property. The contract for fire protection increased from $199,000 to $210,000.
The town’s tax base grew by nearly $1 million, from $99,631,547 to $100,550,534.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 November 2018 at 8:20 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Brown Street bridge in Albion, which has been closed to traffic for about five years, is pictured on a chilly Tuesday.
It’s going to be a cold Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow, with a high near only 21 in Orleans County, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
Today will reach 34, but the temperature will drop to an overnight low of 12.
Thursday there is a chance of snow showers before noon.
Friday will be warmer with a high near 33, followed by a high of 46 on Saturday and 48 on Sunday, according to the Weather Service.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Tops in Albion is shown in this photo on Feb. 21.
WILLIAMSVILLE – Tops Markets, LLC announced it has successfully completed its financial restructuring and emerged from chapter 11. The company reorganized on a fully consensual basis, with the support of its secured creditors and the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
Tops is emerging from chapter 11 with a substantially stronger balance sheet, reducing its debt by approximately $445 million, and with over $100 million in liquidity. This significantly enhanced financial flexibility will enable the company to continue to invest in its stores and create an even more exceptional shopping experience for its customers. Tops also emerges having resolved the labor and pension issues that it faced at the commencement of the chapter 11 cases.
“We are moving forward as a stronger company with an even greater ability to provide convenience, savings and friendly service to customers across our communities,” said Frank Curci, Chief Executive Officer of Tops. “We are investing in our stores and rolling out new services that make shopping with us even easier.”
Some of those services include “Tops Grocery Pick Up,” which allows customers to order groceries online and select their preferred pickup times. This builds upon the “Grocery Delivery” option that rolled out late last year. And, with Thanksgiving and the holiday season right around the corner, not only will shoppers find the best deals in town on family meals, gifts and household essentials, they will also be able to take advantage of exclusive savings opportunities like Tops Christmas Bonus.
“We thank our customers for their continued support, our Tops’ associates who provide our customers with exceptional service every day, and our vendors and partners for their ongoing support as we look forward to continuing to serve our communities for years to come,” Curci said.
Tops Markets, LLC, is headquartered in Williamsville and operates 159 full-service supermarkets, including stores in Albion and Medina, with five additional by franchisees under the Tops Markets banner. Tops employs over 14,000 associates and is a leading full-service grocery retailer in Upstate New York, Northern Pennsylvania, and Vermont.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 November 2018 at 1:02 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: A beech tree is pictured on March 1, 2017 at the corner of Beaver and Liberty streets in Albion. The tree is one of the older trees in the village.
ALBION – The Village of Albion has been approved for a $38,260 state grant for a tree inventory and management plan. The funding was announced today by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, part of $2.24 million in grants for urban forestry projects to protect air quality, water quality and natural resources across the state.
The village doesn’t have to provide any local dollars for the project. An outside organization will do an inventory of all the village-owned trees in the community, including at parks and Mount Albion Cemetery. There will be hazard rating to identify trees that should be removed and spots identified for new trees to be planted.
The village will also be given a recommendation for diverse tree plantings that would thrive in the village. A variety of trees would also protect the village from losing a large percentage of trees to blight.
The grants are part of DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, which helps communities develop and implement comprehensive tree planting, management, maintenance, and education to create healthy forests while enhancing quality of life for residents.
“Continued investments in New York’s urban forestry programs promote clean air, clean water, energy savings, and habitat creation,” Commissioner Basil Seggos said in a news release. “Thanks to Governor Cuomo, funding for these grants was made available through the State’s Environmental Protection Fund, providing crucial assistance for communities to manage their forests, particularly trees lost to the invasive emerald ash borer.”
The village also will soon be receiving a $300,000 grant with State Sen. Rob Ortt’s help that will pay for a Vactor or vacuum truck that can be used when the village Department of Public Works does water and sewer repairs.
Each year, the Genesee & Orleans County Youth Bureaus administer Youth Development Program (YDP) funding made available to Genesee and Orleans Counties by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services.
In each county, the Youth Board reviews all proposals and submits funding recommendations to the County Legislature for final approval.
Funding is available to support programs for youth ages 0-21 that provide services, opportunities and supports designed to improve our youth and community.
Developed by the NY State Council on Children and Families, the Touchstones framework is organized in six Life Areas: Economic Security; Physical and Emotional Health; Education; Citizenship; Family; and Community. The goals and objectives are related to each other and call for comprehensive strategies to address any single aspect of children and family well-being.
The following organizations are eligible to apply for funding through the RFP: not-for-profits, community based organizations, faith-based organizations and municipalities. Grants are awarded to non-profit organizations and Genesee and Orleans County municipalities that will operate to meet goals identified in the Touchstone Life Areas.
Applications are now available and can be obtained by sending an email to youthbureau@co.genesee.ny.us. The due date for completed proposals is Wednesday, Dec. 12. For additional information, please contact Jocelyn Sikorski, Youth Bureau Director at (585) 344-3960.
ALBION – GCASA’s Responsible Server Training is designed specifically to educate people who sell or serve alcohol whether on a daily basis or only occasionally.
The Responsible Server Training is a state-approved Alcohol Training Awareness Program and is available year round. The training is an education based program for all businesses, groups and individuals who sell or serve alcoholic beverages.
“Many people who sell or serve alcoholic beverages are not even aware of the liability they expose themselves to when selling or serving alcohol to the community,” said Pat Crowley, director of Orleans United Drug-Free Communities Coalition. “For this reason, and the recent arrests of four individuals working in Orleans County alcohol establishments we would like to waive the $10 fee per individual and offer this service to them free of charge.”
The program is designed to educate employees of bars, restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, liquor stores, fire departments and other establishments that sell or serve alcoholic beverages to help create the kind of environment that promotes safety and responsibility wherever alcohol is sold. Those completing the training receive state certification that is valid for three years. Some of the topics covered are:
• How alcohol affects the brain
• Behavioral indicators and how can they be used to assess a customer
• Alcohol Beverage Control laws and liability
• Valid and non-valid forms of identification
• How to document alcohol related incidents
To schedule a training for your establishment or for individuals to attend a regularly scheduled monthly training at GCASA, please contact Sherri Bensley, Assistant Director of Prevention, at 585-331-8742.
Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Sept. 9, 2015 shows the Falls Road Railroad in Albion. The railroad runs through Orleans County near Route 31, and stretches from Lockport to Brockport.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday announced $27.1 million to fund rail and port improvement projects across New York State, including $900,000 for the Falls Road railroad, which runs from Lockport through Orleans County to Brockport.
The grants, from the Governor’s Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program, will support projects that strengthen infrastructure and economic development vital to the movement of goods throughout the state.
“New York’s rail and port infrastructure is critical to local economies across the state, and these grants will not only support existing commercial activities but to help attract new business investments as well,” Governor Cuomo said. “With these improvements, we can keep these economic engines running, and ensure safe and efficient travel for both passenger and freight customers statewide.”
The funding for Falls Road Railroad, which is owned by Genesee Valley Transportation in Batavia, includes bridge repairs and track rehabilitation.
BATAVIA – A recent “changing of the guard” at Genesee Community College will result in expanding the armed peace officer force at the college’s Batavia Campus. With the retirement of a veteran Campus Safety officer, the Board of Trustees approved replacing the position with another peace officer whose presence will increase the level of security on campus through his or her additional knowledge, experience and the authority to conduct investigations, make arrests, and carry firearms on campus.
“We will increase the number of hours that an armed peace officer will be on campus, further safeguarding our students and campus community,” James M. Sunser, president of GCC, explained to the Board of Trustees at last week’s monthly meeting. “A peace officer brings additional training, credentials as well as the ‘tools’ to do the job.”
GCC will be following the Civil Service protocol and process to hire the peace officer early in the new year.
In other business at the meeting, the Board of Trustees:
• Approved a Resolution of Appreciation recognizing Laura J. Bohm and her 25 years of service as a Board Trustee to GCC during two separate periods, specifically 1986-2001 and 2008-2018. Mrs. Bohm’s integrity, dedication, loyalty and her enthusiastic support of GCC were among the many qualities cited in the resolution.
• Heard a report about the College’s awarding-winning 360 Degree Virtual Tour from two members of the College’s Admissions Office. Assistant Dean of Admissions and Recruitment Lindsay Gerhardt and Recruitment Communication Specialist Becky Green provided a demonstration of the 360 Degree Tour which offers a unique, 9-minute review of multiple “stops” across the college. From numerous classrooms and labs to the television studio, the Steiner Theatre to the Roz Steiner Art Gallery, the athletic facilities to the outdoor Nature Trail, downtown Batavia as well as the six Campus Centers-the Virtual Tour provides viewers with a unique, interactive opportunity to see all GCC offers. Earlier this year, the 360 Degree Virtual Tour won a bronze Telly Award as well as a gold Paragon Award from the National Council of Marketing and Public Relations.
• Heard of the appointment of two new employees. As the new Assistant Director for Human Resources, Allison M. Agnello brings extensive knowledge of and experience with Genesee Community College. She joins the HR team after four years as the assistant manager of the Barnes and Noble Bookstore at GCC. She earned her Bachelor’s in Human Services from Empire State College and her Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Medaille College. She resides in Batavia.
Patricia S. Furness, the new assistant director for GCC Operations, also brings a wealth of related college experience. She served as a campus center associate at GCC’s Albion Campus Center for 27 years helping with course planning, data analysis, academic advisement, marketing, program coordination and technical support. She is a GCC alumnus and earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems from Empire State College. She resides in Kent.
• Heard President Sunser share that as a result of external mandates, there are various required trainings that the college must provide. Some of this training is conducted upon hire, which includes Hazard Communication: Right to Understand, Workplace Violence, FERPA: Confidentiality of Records, Sexual Harassment: Staff to Staff, Title IX & Sexual Misconduct, and Responsible Employee Training. Other trainings are done annually, periodically or as-needed. This past month, Human Resources provided via SafeColleges (an online training program) Campus SaVE Act (Sexual Violence Awareness) training to all employees.
SENECA FALLS – Generations Bank, which recently merged with the Medina Savings & Loan, is adding two new members of the Medina institution to its board of directors.
Generations has expanded its board to include James Gardner and Timothy Moriarty. Gardner is the former chairman of the Medina Savings and Loan’s board of directors. Gardner has worked at The Barden & Robeson Corporation in Middleport since 1992, serving as VP of Commercial Operations since 2009. He has a long association with the Orleans County Habitat for Humanity and the Home Builders Association.
Moriarty is the former president and CEO of Medina Savings and Loan.He has enjoyed a distinguished career in the banking industry including holding positions at Security Trust, M&T Bank, and Rochester Community Savings Bank.
Moriarty held the post of president and CEO of Medina Savings and Loan from 1996 until the merger with Generations. His community activities include the Medina Lions Club, and Medina Sandstone Society and past involvement with many prominent organizations including a term as president of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA, Little League baseball and Junior Achievement.
“We are very grateful to have such strong representation from the Orleans County market join our Board of Directors,” said Menzo Case, President and CEO of Generations Bank. “As an institution we are firmly committed to contributing to the success of the communities we serve. With the guidance that Mr. Gardner and Mr. Moriarty provide we are in an excellent position to live up to that commitment.”
Generations Bank works with businesses, municipalities and residents across the Finger Lakes Region and Western New York. The bank was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Seneca Falls.
In his ongoing quest for bipartisanship and cooperation between lawmakers’ interests in varying regions of the state, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) visited the Bronx last week for a community-wide tour with Assemblyman Michael Benedetto.
Hawley has been hosting reciprocal visits with downstate lawmakers for several years, previously visiting Queens with Assemblyman Michael DenDekker, Smithtown, Long Island with Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick and Staten Island with Assemblyman Michael Cusick.
“Unfortunately, politics in our country is deeply divided and although it is difficult to change the national tide, we can do our part to reach across the aisle, be more inclusive and understanding of other lawmakers’ needs and concerns,” Hawley said. “Opening perspectives is always important in any profession and although we disagree on many policies, we are all colleagues and all New Yorkers at the end of the day. I thoroughly enjoyed touring the Bronx with Assemblyman Benedetto and hope to continue bridging the upstate-downstate divide moving forward.”
Assemblyman Hawley and Assemblyman Benedetto tour SUNY Maritime, one of only seven degree-granting maritime institutions in the country.
The two assemblymen also toured Bartow-Pell Mansion a historic landmark that dates back to the 17th Century.
The two lawmakers read stories to children at the Greek-American School, toured SUNY Maritime, visited Co-Op City, the world’s largest cooperative housing development and visited with business leaders in the Westchester Square Business District.
Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Nov. 22, 2013 shows two turkeys roaming along West Bacon Road in Gaines.
American Farm Bureau Federation’s 33rd annual price survey of the classic Thanksgiving dinner – including turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie and all the fixings – revealed an average cost for a family of 10 was $48.90, less than $5 per person and down less than 1 percent from prior-year levels.
Since 2015, the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner has declined steadily and is now at the lowest level since 2010.
For 2018, more than 150 volunteer shoppers from 37 states visited their local grocery stores to survey the prices of the various items used to prepare their Thanksgiving feast. To establish an accurate representation of the cost of this holiday meal, shoppers were asked to find the best value without using any coupons or discounts.
One of the major factors driving the decrease in the cost of Thanksgiving dinner is turkey prices coming in at an average of $1.36 per pound, or $21.71 for a 16-pound bird. This is down 3 percent, or nearly 70 cents, from last year’s $22.38, or $1.40 per pound. Our survey results show that the cost of turkey this year is the lowest since 2014. These results are in line with USDA data indicating wholesale turkey prices have been trending lower in recent years and are nearing levels not seen since 2010.
Heading into the holiday season, turkey production in 2018, along with frozen turkeys in inventory, are in line with prior-year levels. However, inventories haven’t been this high since 2009. This is helping to keep turkeys affordable this Thanksgiving. Survey shoppers also registered lower prices for other items, including milk, frozen peas and sweet potatoes.
In contrast, items on the Thanksgiving dinner menu that saw higher prices this year include stuffing, cranberries and pumpkin pie mix. Cranberries have seen higher supplies in recent years, prompting USDA to put in place volume controls to support those growers.
To reflect the diversity in Thanksgiving meals across the U.S., several new items were added to the survey. The new menu items include a bone-in ham, Russet potatoes and green beans. When including those items, the total cost of the dinner was $61.72.
Finally, with the rise of grocery delivery services throughout the country, popular food delivery services were surveyed to evaluate the cost for the same menu items in the Farm Bureau survey. The results show that the cost of convenience will increase the price of Thanksgiving dinner by as much as 60 percent, with turkey nearly 50 percent higher at almost $2 per pound. When including the new menu items added this year, the cost would increase to more than $10 per person – before delivery fees.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 November 2018 at 5:01 pm
This rendering shows how the statue will look when it is installed atop a monument by the former Medina Armory, which is now the Orleans County YMCA.
MEDINA – The Parade of Lights this Saturday will feature a very special float.
Those who attend the spectacular parade will get the first glimpse of a statue which will be erected atop the monument in front of Medina Armory (YMCA).
The existing monument was an idea of Medina native Bill Menz and pays tribute to the 550 men from Orleans County and the surrounding area who were members of Company F and trained there.
The final piece of the monument, the life-size bronze statue of an infantryman, was delivered to Medina this afternoon by a family friend, John Brown of Batavia, accompanied by Menz’ daughter Lynne Menz, Cathy Fox (whose father was a member of Company F), Kathy Iorio (whose father Butch Whittleton was a member of Company F) and Ginny Kropf, who has covered the story for the media from day one. Meeting them at the University of Buffalo’s foundry was Lynne Stewart, whose father was a member of Company C and also trained at the armory.
Sadly, Menz, at the age of 86, died in July, four months short of seeing completion of his dream.
A veteran himself, Menz first pitched his idea in 2006 to a local World War II veterans’ reunion.
He thought there should be a monument in front of the Medina Armory which would pay tribute, not only to the men who trained there for four world conflicts from 1898 to 1945, but to veterans from all wars. This also included Company C, which trained there from 1947 through 1977, when the National Guard stopped using the building.
With the support of the Sandstone Society, of which Bill was a member, and two years of fundraising, in 2008, the five-sided monument was dedicated, with several World War II veterans and their families in attendance.
Bill’s vision didn’t end there, however, and he began planning for the next phase of his monument – the bronze statue.
Chris Siano, president of the Foundry Group at the University of Buffalo, loads the bronze statue of a Company F statue onto the trailer to be brought back to Medina.
More fundraising ensued to raise an additional $65,000 and on Jan. 16, 2017, sculptor Brian Porter of Pendleton was commissioned to do the statue.
In the following months, Bill, Lynne, Fox and Kropf made visits to Porter’s home to view his progress.
Menz, in a wheelchair, also got to visit the foundry at UB were the firing was done, just 11 days before he died.
Menz may not have been physically present to see the statue returned to Medina, but he was there in spirit. Lynne wore her dad’s Company F sweatshirt, and as her dad insisted every time they visited Lockport, the group stopped at Ted’s Hot Dogs for lunch.
The Company F soldier will be the first where Porter incorporated 3-D imaging to create molds for the cast bronze statue. In the new process, a miniature clay model was scanned with the 3-D technology and data sent to a CNC machine, which cut out thin plywood slices which were then glued together. This wood structure became a subframe on which clay was applied.
From left, Chris Siano, president of the Foundry Group at the University of Buffalo; John Brown, family friend of the late Bill Menz who delivered the Company F statue to Medina; and sculptor Brian Porter of Pendleton work to secure the statue for its ride to Medina, where it will appear in Saturday’s Parade of Lights.
Porter is also an assistant professor of art at Erie Community College, and has created such masterpieces as the United States Seabees Memorial in North Tonawanda. He has also worked with the University of Buffalo to create two statues of graduates to be installed at their North Campus.
The statue’s unveiling at the Parade of Lights at 6 p.m. will be in front of a crowd anticipated to be 10,000 people.
It is interesting to note the parade route is the exact opposite of that taken by those troops when they marched from the Armory to the train station all those years ago.
The statue was met at the Pickle Factory by Shelby Highway Superintendent Mike Fuller who lifted it off the trailer and placed it in storage, where it will be readied for the parade. In the spring, the Medina Department of Public Works will help erect the 1,500-pound statue on the monument at the Armory.
The statue of a pre-World War I doughboy is ready for its return to Medina from the foundry at UB, where it was fired.
Sculptor Brian Porter, center, gets a group hug from the ladies who have been involved with creation of a statue paying tribute to soldiers who trained at the Medina Armory in Company F. From left are Kathy Iorio, Cathy Fox, Porter, Lynne Menz and Lynne Stewart. The statue was returned from the foundry at UB to Medina this afternoon.
The late Bill Menz always had to stop at Ted’s Hot Dogs in Lockport when he went to visit sculptor Brian Porter in Pendleton to check on the progress of the statue being created of a Company F doughboy. In Menz’ honor, his daughter Lynne Menz, left, Kathy Iorio, center, and Cathy Fox stopped at Ted’s on their return from UB, where they accompanied the completed statue to Medina.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 November 2018 at 2:10 pm
ALBION — The call went out for volunteers to send Christmas cards to soldiers overseas. Catherine Schmidt wasn’t sure what kind of response she would get.
On Sunday afternoon, about 40 people filled out about 1,000 cards. Schmidt had 500 with her, and needed to get more.
She said a card with a hand-written message goes a long way in making soldiers feel appreciated while they are deployed far away from family.
“It lifts the spirits of soldiers who can’t come home,” she said on Sunday at 39 Problems, an Albion restaurant and bar that hosted the card-signing.
Schmidt is the volunteer coordinator of the recently started PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer-to-Peer program in Orleans County. The program aims to connect veterans to services and social events.
She set a goal of 900 cards. That is how many are deployed on the Naval ship. The additional cards will likely to sent to other soldiers.
This group was among the volunteers sending cards to soldiers on Sunday. They include, from left: Fred Heschke, Jim Freas, Adam Johnson, Steve Johnson, Catherine Schmidt, Lurando Mata, Earl Schmidt and Lisa Mannella.
The volunteers added artwork, jokes and messages from the heart in their cards, Schmidt said.
Cards will be accepted until Nov. 30 and can be dropped off at the YMCA in Medina or the Orleans County Veterans Service agency on Route 31 in Albion.
Pam and Savannah Allen were happy to spend a couple hours on Sunday writing cards with a personal message for veterans deployed overseas.
Savannah Allen thanks a veteran in her message in the card.
Erica Miller, back right, brought her children and a friend to write messages to soldiers. Myleigh Miller is at right and her brother Garrett is in back. Zoe Cusson joined the family for the event. Zoe decorated her cards with reindeer and Myleigh added jokes to her messages.
