Photos courtesy of Roy-Hart Central School: (Left) Hailey Pasnik and Abigail Glyshaw played in the Senior High Area All-State Orchestra. (Right) Reed Hughes, Addyson Kiner-Ronson and Benjamin Hickman were part of the Junior High Area All-State Orchestra.

Press Release, Roy-Hart Central School

MIDDDLEPORT – Five students from the Royalton-Hartland Orchestra Program participated in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Area All-State Honors Festivals over the month of November.

These students auditioned in the Spring of 2023 and were selected among string students from Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties to participate in the festivals.

Three Roy-Hart students – Benjamin Hickman, Reed Hughes and Addyson Kiner-Ronson – were selected for the NYSSMA Junior High Area All-State Orchestra which was held on Nov. 3-4 at Akron Central School.

Two students from Roy-Hart – Abigail Glyshaw and Hailey Pasnik –were selected for the NYSSMA Senior High Area All-State Orchestra on November 17-18 at SUNY Fredonia.

Congratulations to these students who worked very hard to be selected for their respective Honors Ensembles!

Farmers could be forced to use older, more toxic pesticides to control pests

Press Release, New York Farm Bureau

ALBANY — Harvest season has wrapped in what has been a challenging year for New York’s farmers, including a wet growing season and increased pest and disease pressures.

Farmers need safe and effective risk management tools at their disposal to grow food needed to feed a growing population. This is why New York Farm Bureau is asking Gov. Hochul to veto the so-called “Birds and Bees Protection Act” (S1856-A/A7460) that would ban an entire class of pesticides and treated seeds known as neonicotinoids.

The bill is deeply concerning, especially because of the precedent it sets. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and its scientific expertise should maintain the authority to properly review and register risk management tools, something the legislature is attempting to strip away. This is the same justification cited by Gov. Hochul in her veto message earlier this month of S5957/A5949, that would have allowed local governments to ban the use of certain pesticides in freshwater wetlands.

Seeds treated with neonicotinoids were designed to be safer and reduce pesticide use. In many cases, it uses 99 percent less of a chemical versus traditional broadcast spraying. While New York Farm Bureau shares the same goal as supporters of the legislation, to always look for ways to reduce our environmental footprint, we believe the result of this ban will force farms to revert to spraying greater amounts of older, more toxic pesticides as well as increasing tillage to combat harmful pests. This would release more carbon from the soil and increase the likelihood of soil erosion, creating additional environmental and climate issues for the state, moving us backward.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Traffic heads down Main Street in Albion this morning after about 2 inches of snow fell this afternoon. The roads were slippery and there were several accidents in Orleans County.

Other parts of Western New York received a foot or more of snow. East Aurora was leading the snowfall tally with 16.5 inches as of about 10 a.m., according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

On Wednesday, there is a chance for about another half inch of snow in Orleans. The high is forecast for 33.

The high temperatures in the following days are forecast to be by 46 on Thursday, 42 on Friday, 42 on Saturday and 44 on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Christmas trees shine on the Orleans County Courthouse lawn this evening.

Photos courtesy of Medina Fire Department

MEDINA – Jeffrey Tuohey smiles today with a cake on his last shift at work after 22 years with the Medina Fire Department.

Tuohey will retire next week as a firefighter and paramedic with the Medina FD. Fire Chief Matt Jackson praised Tuohey for his dedication to the department and community. He never called in sick during his career, Jackson said.

Pictured from left include Medina firefighter Adam Fisher, firefighter Jeff Tuohey, Fire Chief Matt Jackson and Captain Jonathan Higgins.

Fisher holds the red line plaque that was given to Tuohey as a gift from the Medina Firefighters IAFF Local 2161. Jackson and Higgins hold the axe plaque which is a gift from the Medina Firefighters Benevolent Association.

The Fire Department also announces two new full-time additions: Tiffany Petry and Stephen Baxter.

Petry is a local resident and volunteer with the Shelby Fire Company as a firefighter and EMT. She is the first woman career firefighter for the Village of Medina.

She starts on Dec. 11 and will work with the first platoon.

Baxter is a seasoned paramedic with commercial EMS experience from both inside and outside of New York, Chief Jackson said.

Baxter starts Dec. 10 and will be assigned to the second platoon.

Petry and Baxter will both be attending an upcoming Recruit Class at the NYS Fire Academy.

Chart from Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) are alerting residents to rising cases of syphilis and congenital syphilis.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is most often spread through sexual contact. Congenital syphilis is a preventable disease that occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the infection on to the baby during pregnancy.

In 2020, there were 12.1 confirmed cases of syphilis per 100,000 population and to date in 2023, there have been 33.3 cases per 100,000 population, which include confirmed cases and probable cases pending investigation. With a rise in cases, particularly among women, GO Health has also seen a rise in congenital syphilis cases.

Syphilis and congenital syphilis can lead to serious health complications, but they are preventable with screening, early detection and treatment.

“Syphilis is caused by a bacteria that enters the body during oral, vaginal or anal sex,” said Brenden Bedard, director of Community Health Services for GO Health. “It can also enter through broken skin that is exposed to the syphilis bacteria. Newborns can get congenital syphilis before birth or during vaginal delivery if the mother has syphilis.”

Signs and symptoms of syphilis may or may not be noticeable. They may include a painless sore on the genitals, anus or mouth; a rash on the body; tiredness; fever; sore throat; headaches; swollen glands; loss of appetite; weight loss; patchy hair loss; muscle aches and fatigue.

Oftentimes the signs of syphilis go away and the person does not have it checked out. If not treated for syphilis, an infected person even without symptoms can still infect others, including an unborn baby.

Having syphilis once does not protect you from getting it again, even after successful treatment. A person can get it many times, so that is why people and their partner(s) must get tested and successfully treated. If your sex partner(s) does not get tested or treated, you may get syphilis again. The longer the person waits to be treated, the more damage the disease causes to the body.

Syphilis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, neonatal death, blindness or deafness, bone abnormalities, skin lesions, developmental delays, and other serious health problems to a developing baby. The best way to protect babies from congenital syphilis is to get screened throughout the pregnancy and just prior to delivery.

Here are some ways to prevent the spread of syphilis:

• Not having sex (abstinence) is the only sure way to avoid infection.
• Limit sex partners, especially if pregnant.
• Use latex or polyurethane condoms each time during oral, anal or vaginal sex.
• If you or your partner have any sores on the genitalia, anus, or mouth, or unexplained rashes on the body, talk with your healthcare provider and get tested. Do not have sex until both partners are fully treated.
• Get tested often for sexually transmitted infections/diseases.
• If you are pregnant, talk with your healthcare provider about being tested to protect your baby.
• If you know someone who is pregnant, encourage them to get tested.

For more information on Syphilis and other Sexually Transmitted Infections, visit the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention website.

Photos contributed by Maarit Vaga: Maarit Vaga, secretary of the Cobblestone Society, took this snapshot of an old Swedish Christmas card. The words “God Jul” mean “Good Christmas.” Vaga will share traditions of a Scandinavian Christmas in a program titled, “Simply Christmas,” at the Cobblestone Museum on Saturday. (Right) This is Maarit Vaga’s daughter’s doll dressed as Saint Lucia, a Scandinavian Christmas tradition which will be celebrated Saturday at the Cobblestone Museum.

CHILDS – The Cobblestone Museum will present an inaugural special holiday event titled “Simply Christmas” at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Cobblestone Church at 14389 Ridge Rd. West.

The program will feature Maarit Vaga, an Albion resident of Scandinavian heritage. She will share her native Christmas traditions in the church, which will be adorned in period decorations.

Vaga explained, “On Dec. 13th, every school, church, care home and office across Sweden will have a visit from a ‘Luciatag’ procession of singers dressed in white gowns and carrying candles, led by Saint Lucia herself.”

Although this Swedish custom was established in the 19th century, the first recorded appearance of Saint Lucia dates back to 1764, Vaga said. A Christian feast day, it commemorates the martyr Lucia of Syracuse (in the Roman Republic), who, as legend has it, brought food to Christians hiding in Roman catacombs, lighting her way with a candlelit wreath on her head. Traditionally, the oldest daughter of the family assumes the role of Lucia, with the younger siblings making up the entourage, bringing a breakfast tray of coffee and fresh baked goods to the parents in bed.

Saturday’s program will include the Lucia procession, some readings, several musical performances and audience sing-along carols. The program will last about 45 minutes, after which a reception with Scandinavian treats will be served in the Proctor Room on the lower level of the church. A free will offering will be taken.

Also on the lower level is the Museum’s Holiday Gift Shoppe, which will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. According to Sue Bonafini, assistant director of the museum, “Hundreds of new or gently used Christmas theme books and miscellaneous items are available at incredibly low prices, such as artificial trees and wreaths, tree ornaments, paper goods, decorations, candles, mugs, indoor/outdoor lights, stockings and hangars and much more.”

Photo contributed by Sue Bonafini: The sanctuary of the Cobblestone Church is elegantly decorated for the holiday season and Saturday’s presentation of “Simply Christmas.”

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Ric Jones of Medina leads the Middleport Community Choir in rehearsal for a previous concert. Their annual Christmas show this year will be a cantata titled “The Wonder of Christmas,” at 4 p.m. Saturday at Middleport United Methodist Church.

Middleport planning several activities, including tree-lighting

MIDDLEPORT – The Middleport Community Choir’s annual Christmas concert this year will take place on Saturday in conjunction with the Village of Middleport’s “Light up Park Avenue.”

The choir, under the direction of Medina resident Ric Jones, will present a cantata this year titled “The Wonder of Christmas,” and will include the Bell Tones, directed by Debby Clark, who is also accompanist for the choir. The performance will start at 4 p.m. at the Middleport United Methodist Church.

The Middleport Community Choir has a long history of performing cantatas, Jones said.

“It has been a number of years since we prepared one for the holiday season, so this felt like the right time to perform one,” Jones said. “What I like about this cantata is that every single song is a recognizable Christmas song; each a unique arrangement, but never stepping away from the original tune.”

Included in the performance will be an audience sing-along.

“This concert is the perfect fit for the small-town ‘Hallmark Christmas’ atmosphere of the day,” Jones said.

The Middleport Community Choir members come from throughout the area, including Orleans and Niagara counties. Seven original members of the choir are still singing with them.

“We are blessed to add new members over the years while still being tied to the beginning of this wonderful group,” Jones said.

There is no charge for admission, but a free-will offering will be taken. Refreshments will follow in the Fellowship Hall.

Concert-goers are invited to come early or stay late and enjoy Middleport’s annual Christmas activities and tree lighting event. Festivities begin at 2:30 p.m. in the village park on Park Avenue (across from the church) and include holiday a visit with Santa, games and crafts, raffles, meet the Grinch and wagon rides. Activities in the Roy-Hart School gym include music by Roy-Hart students, games and crafts.

The tree lighting at 6 p.m. on Park Avenue will be followed by cookies and cocoa.

KENDALL – Students in prekindergarten through grade 6 are being sent home this morning due to an odor in the Kendall Elementary School.

The district’s buildings and grounds team noticed a faint odor from a specific area in the building this morning, said Nick Picardo, the district superintendent in a phone call to parents and community members.

The students and staff are currently in the junior-senior high school. The students will get on buses at 10:45 a.m. and then be taken home around 11, Picardo said.

Kendall has cancelled all activities today in the elementary school.

Picardo said a company will be at Kendall to help check the elementary school. The students are being sent home “out of an abundance of caution,” he said.

“The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority,” Picardo said.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Air Raising Events owner Sheryl Watts created a snowman out of balloons last year for Albion’s “Santa’s Hometown Parade” on Dec. 9. The participants in the parade gathered at the Arnold Gregory parking lot on South Main Street before heading downtown. This year the route starts and ends at Dubby’s.

Medina’s big Parade of Lights on Saturday, with 55 lighted floats and 16 other participants including fire trucks and marching bands, started a holiday parade season in Orleans County.

There are three more lighted parades in December – one in Clarendon on Dec. 8 and then parades Dec. 9 in Albion and Barre.

Clarendon will have a Christmas parade that starts at 7 p.m. at the Clarendon fire hall on Route 31A and goes to the Clarendon Historical Society. The route goes down 31A, then a right turn onto Route 237, a left on Church Street to the Historical Society.

There will be refreshments and a visit from Santa at the Historical Society. People are welcome to bring a bulb to decorate the tree. Parade participants can just show up at the fire hall, no RSVP is needed.

Mike Van Lieshout leads off the Barre Tractor Parade last year on Dec. 10 with a sign proclaiming “A Barre Merry Christmas To All.” The parade started at Van Lieshout’s farm on East Barre Road and then headed north on Route 98 to the Barre Town Park.

Barre will have its tractor parade at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 9. Last year there were about 20 tractors and farm trucks decorated in lights.

Tractors line up on East Barre Road by 5:15. The route goes north on Route 98 to the Barre Town Park. The event organized by the Barre Betterment Committee.  A rain date is set for Dec. 10. For more information call (585) 590-7503 or send a message through the Betterment Committee’s Facebook page.

Albion will have “Santa’s Hometown Parade” at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 9. The parade has different route this year. It starts at Dubby’s Tailgate on Platt Strett, goes to East Avenue and then north on Main Street. Then it turns on Bank Street and comes back to Dubby’s on Platt Street.

The parade is sponsored by the Albion Merchants Association and Village of Albion. There are prizes for the top three floats: $300 for first, $200 for second and $100 for first.

So far, 13 entries have signed up to be in the parade, said Susan Oschmann, parade coordinator. The deadline to sign up is noon on Dec. 8. Click here for a Google sign up form or email Oschmann at susanoschmann@gmail.com for more information.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Santa squeezed in an hour in his busy schedule this evening to stop by Hoag Library to meet with about 100 people, including Mary Heise of Albion and her granddaughters, Emma Button, 9 months old, and Azaria Poole, 9. Azaria asked Santa for a balance beam.

Hoag Library is usually one of Santa’s early stops locally after the Thanksgiving holiday, before his schedule really gets jampacked in December.

Santa looked very spiffy in red when he came into the main meeting room at the library.

He led the group in some stretches. Santa said he is getting older and a bit “creaky” these days.

Nicholas Bloom, 7, of Albion got to wear a red nose, and Santa gave him some antlers in celebrating his favorite reindeer, Rudolph.

Hadley Oberther, 7, of Medina was picked to ring the bells while the group sang, “Jingle Bells.”

Santa always reads a story when he visits the library. This time he read, “How to Catch Santa Claus,” a story about children setting traps in their house to try to catch Santa. With the help of his elves and reindeer, Santa avoids getting snagged in a trap.

Santa told the kids the library is a great place to visit throughout the year.

John  Santiago, 8, of Albion shares a Christmas request with Santa, who then gave him a candy cane.

Layla Hanna, 4, of Albion had a gift for Santa, a hug.

Press Release, Danielle Figura, Orleans County Mental Health director

ALBION – The Care & Crisis Helpline (585) 283-5200 is working again after temporarily being non-operational as a result of phone and network issues.

While it was down, people in a mental health need or mental health crisis were encouraged to call Orleans County Dispatch to ask to speak to the on-call mental health clinician.

Court date set for Dec. 5 as Genesee seeks to finish sewer project through Shelby to Oak Orchard Creek

Photos by Tom Rivers: The entrance to the STAMP manufacturing site in Alabama is located off Route 63, south of the Town of Shelby in Orleans County.

ALBION – Attorneys for Genesee County Economic Development Center have submitted court papers in response to a lawsuit from Orleans County seeking to halt a sewer main from the STAMP site in the Town of Albion down Route 63 to the Oak Orchard Creek in Shelby.

Genesee claims Orleans is making “obstructionist proceeding” in a last-ditch attempt to stop the project as part of an “extortionate” demand from Genesee for money to get the Orleans blessing.

Steve Hyde, the GCEDC executive director, in a sworn affidavit dated Nov. 6 said Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, made the demand for the county to be paid $4.98 per 1,000 gallons discharged into the creek – which translates into about $10 million annually if 6 million gallons is sent into the creek daily from STAMP at full buildout. Johnson said that money should be disbursed quarterly to the Town of Shelby, Orleans County and Orleans Economic Development Agency, according to the Hyde affidavit.

Orleans County, in its lawsuit, said Genesee never had the county’s permission to do the project, and improperly formed a subsidiary – STAMP Sewer Works – to own the sewer main. Orleans also states the discharge into the creek would hurt the fishing resources through the world renown Oak Orchard and limit the economic development chances in Medina and Orleans County by adding up to 6 million more gallons of water daily to the creek.

Orleans County sued on Sept. 11. The State Supreme Court in Orleans County has set a 2:30 p.m. Dec. 5 court date with lawyers to appear by video conference. The Town of Shelby has since joined the lawsuit as an intervenor.

Attorneys for GCEDC and others named in the lawsuit – G. DeVincentis & Son Construction Co., Inc., Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation, and STAMP Sewer Works, Inc. – filed a 56-page response earlier this month and called the court challenge “a baseless attempt … to obstruct or delay construction of a long-planned, duly-approved infrastructure project.”

The sewer main would allow businesses at the 1,250-acre STAMP to discharge treated sewer water into the Oak Orchard. The sewer main is imperative for economic development to move forward at the site, writes attorneys Craig A. Leslie, Adam S. Walters and Matthew J. Fitzgerald of Phillips Lytle LLP.

They say Orleans County was well aware of the project for several years and never objected until mid-2023. Its silence prior to that should be considered consent, the attorneys write.

“After Orleans County chose to sit on the sidelines during the years-long process that led to that project’s approval, and after having its demand for an extortionate payment rejected by GCEDC, Orleans County now seeks to block the project entirely, at the eleventh hour and fifty-ninth minute, for no principled reason and seemingly purely out of spite,” the attorneys write.

The GCEDC attorneys say the state is strongly behind the site, and committed another $56 million to it on Nov. 2 through the Empire State Development. That brings the state’s commitment to economic development at more than $100 million for STAMP infrastructure and incentives, the attorneys said.

Plug Power is already under construction at STAMP and Edwards Vacuum has announced it will build a $319 million “Factory of the Future” semiconductor dry-pump manufacturing facility at STAMP.

Plug Edwards plans to employ nearly 70 people at its site, while Edwards Vacuum said it would have 600 highly skilled professionals in its facility.

Genesee says Orleans misfires in its lawsuit, including by failed to name other “necessary parties” in its petition, including the Town of Alabama, state Department of Transportation (which owns Route 63), the Niagara County Water District which agreed to provide water to the site, and landowners who have approved easements for the sewer main but won’t get paid if it’s not constructed.

The statute of limitations has passed and it’s too late to include the necessary parties now, GCEDC attorneys said.

The lawyers also fault Orleans for not establishing clear and convincing evidence that it will suffer irreparable injury.

“The balancing of the equities favors the STAMP Respondents, current and future STAMP tenants, the taxpayers, and the general public,” Genesee states in its court filing.

Genesee stated in the court papers the water from STAMP will be cleaner with lower phosphorus levels than the water treated by the Village of Medina sewer plant and sent into the creek.

“Once construction and installation are complete, the Force Main will be closely monitored and will continue to be overseen by multiple state and federal regulatory agencies which—unlike Orleans County —possess the skills, training, and experience to ensure the environment is protected,” the attorneys write.

They are harshly critical of Orleans for waiting so late in the process following more than a decade of planning with many chances for comment. Construction of the pipe is already in the ground on Route 63 in Genesee County. The installation is about half done with the project on hold in Orleans due to the lawsuit.

A sewer line is shown on Aug. 12 on Route 63 in the Town of Alabama. Genesee County Economic Development Center seeks to install the sewer main along 9.5 miles of Route 63 – from the STAMP site to Oak Orchard Creek.

Genesee said Orleans County could have voiced opposition in the previous seven years, waiting until mid-2023 when tens of millions of taxpayer dollars had already been invested in STAMP. The Orleans County Health Department approved the sewer project to the Oak Orchard Creek, and the Town of Shelby voted to be part of the STAMP Sewer Works, Genesee states in the court papers.

Genesee notes the project has faced stringent environmental reviews from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Transportation.

Orleans, in its lawsuit, also stated GCEDC is wrong to spend Genesee funds for a project outside its county and jurisdiction. But the Genesee attorneys say the project is funded by the state through an Empire State Development initiative.

Hyde, in his affidavit, said he and the GCEDC have worked 15 years trying to develop STAMP. It is one of the few mega-sites with more than 1,000 acres available in the state and is designed to attract large-scale, advanced manufacturing companies.

The site is attractive to semi-conductor companies because of “the extensive environmental review and pre-permitting diligence completed by GCEDC and Genesee Gateway to date, together with the significant investment in infrastructure made by the State of New York through its economic development agency Empire State Development,” Hyde said.

At full build-out STAMP can accommodate up to 6.1 million square feet of advanced technology manufacturing, office and retail space. GCEDC projects direct employment of up to 9,330 full-time jobs with a regional economic impact for support companies serving the site.

“Notably, it is projected that the economic impact of STAMP will benefit not only the Town of Alabama and Genesee County, but also the entire Greater Buffalo-Niagara and Rochester regions, including Orleans County,” he said.

The Genesee attorneys urge State Supreme Court Judge Frank Caruso to dismiss and deny the Orleans County petition.

“A judgment in Orleans County’s favor at this point would not only reward its dilatory and obstructionist conduct, it would waste $100 million in public investment,” the Genesee attorneys write.

Thwarting the sewer line would also do “irreparable harm to the STAMP Respondents—and to the public,” the attorneys write.

“That far outweighs the speculative harm claimed by Orleans County, tipping the equities decidedly in favor of the STAMP Respondents.”

Provided photo: Bob Golden and Annette Finch hold artwork representing the migrant family.

ALBION – Albion’s Community Coalition for Justice, led by Robert Golden and assisted by Karen Watt, is planning a discussion at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 30 at Hoag Library to explore the topic “Does Immigration Help Orleans County?”

Golden has put together a panel of local people from the farming community, law enforcement, religious and service agencies, who will give presentations. There will be an opportunity for questions and comments.

The Community Coalition for Justice includes the Hoag Library, Albion Betterment Committee, Pullman Universalist Church’s People Embracing Diversity and the Social Justice Committee.

Golden recently served on the Buffalo Diocese Peace and Justice Committee and as chair of its Immigrant/Refugee Committee. He is retired as probation director in Orleans County.

Watt, an Albion fruit grower, has served for many years on the board of directors for Oak Orchard Health, was a district director for the New York Farm Bureau, and is currently on the board for the National Center for Farmworker Health, where she was a past board chair.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $100 million in road improvement projects in counties throughout the state, including a $1.6 million repaving of about 8 miles of Route 31A in Orleans County from Route 98 to Hulberton Road in Clarendon.

The $100 million statewide incudes 66 repaving projects, totaling almost 568 lane miles of pavement.

“From a devastating blizzard to historic flooding, we are living in a time of record-breaking weather events which have left many roads across New York State in need of repair and rejuvenation,” Hochul said in a news release this afternoon. “This $100 million will lengthen the lifespan of dozens of roads across the State, making them more resilient in the face of future extreme weather conditions.”

The current $32.9 billion State Department of Transportation five-year capital plan, inclusive of federal formula funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides historic funding for road and bridge repair and modernization, and this critical infrastructure funding will help restore hundreds of lane miles of highway impacted by extreme weather, Hochul said.

In Genesee County, the funding announced today includes $2.2 million to resurface Route 33 from the City of Batavia to the Village of Corfu in the towns of Batavia and Pembroke.