By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 October 2018 at 10:07 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Members of the Albion Interact Club joined the Albion Rotary Club on Thursday in filling about 100 bags with personal care items. These Interact members include, from left, Susan He, Trinity Allen and Avalina Hand.
They joined Rotarians in filling the bags that are going to Medina Memorial Hospital. The Rotary Club also will be giving new shirts, sweatpants and underwear for the hospital to give to sexual assault victims. Those victims often have their clothing taken to be used as evidence.
The hospital sees about 50 sexual assault victims – females and males – each year at the emergency room.
Sometimes the hospital has to give them gowns or surgical scrubs because there aren’t other clothes available.
Cindy Perry and Jessica Downey from Community Partners at Orleans Community Health will deliver the personal care items to the hospital. Pictured, from left, include: Cindy Perry, director of outreach, education and marketing at Community Partners; Michael Bonnewell, Albion Central School superintendent and a Rotarian; Jessica Downey, health educator with Community Partners; and Trinity Allen, Avalina Hand and Susan He, members of the school’s Interact Club, which is sponsored by the Rotary Club.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 October 2018 at 9:17 am
Apex is planning 47 turbines in two towns, with 8 in Yates
Photo by Tom Rivers: Yates Town Supervisor Jim Simon said the two towns, Yates and Somerset, working together and sharing costs is best chance to stop Apex from building a project “that would eviscerate our local laws.”
YATES – Town officials were praised and criticized on Thursday evening for agreeing to a 50-50 split in legal costs with the Town of Somerset, an arrangement Yates approved in April.
Last week Apex Clean Energy unveiled a layout for 47 wind turbines in Lighthouse Wind. Of the 47, eight are planned for Yates or 17 percent of the total.
That has some residents thinking the town should only pay 17 percent of the legal fees from Dennis Vacco and his law firm Lippes, Mathias, Wexler, Friedman LLP.
Susan and Harvey Campbell both said Yates is paying far more than its fair share.
Mrs. Campbell said Somerset has more resources for its 50 percent. The town has money from a PILOT with the power plant and Niagara County has also chipped in with the legal bills.
“We’re going to support them to stop a project that could lower our taxes,” Mrs. Campbell said during Thursday’s meeting. “I think that’s ridiculous.”
The Yates Town Board was working with Hodgson Russ, a Buffalo law firm. The town decided to have joint legal counsel and went with Dennis Vacco and his law firm. Vacco is a former state attorney general.
Kate Kremer, vice president of Save Ontario Shores, praised Yates for going 50-50 with Somerset.
“Unequal funding would give us a lesser voice,” said Kremer of SOS, a citizen organization opposing Lighthouse Wind.
She expects the costs will accumulate with briefings, depositions and hearings with the project. It makes the most sense to have one legal team, she said.
Other residents spoke in favor of the equal split in legal fees.
“We’re fighting this together,” said Judy Esposito of Yates.
Town Supervisor Jim Simon said on surface it may look like Yates should only pay 17 percent of the costs. He said the full footprint of the project isn’t known with access roads, transmission lines, substations, concrete mixing stations and other impacts. That could push Yates’ “share” of the project above 17 percent.
Simon said he wants Yates to have an “even voice” in the legal fight, in determining the direction of the counsel.
Vacco, as former attorney general, also is an asset because the large-scale turbine projects are now reviewed in Albany by a state siting board. Vacco “understands the dictatorial system” from the state, Simon said.
He noted the administrative law judge from the state urged the towns to share legal representation. That was in January 2016 at a hearing about intervenor funds, the $70,350 Apex needed to provide the two towns and Save Ontario Shores for the initial response in the project’s application.
The judges approved $40,350 for Somerset, followed by $20,500 for Yates, and $9,500 for Save Ontario Shores.
The entities are expected to be approved for another $200,000 in intervenor funds if the application proceeds. Those funds help the towns and citizen groups hire experts and lawyers to review the application.
Simon said the two towns have passed local laws to keep the turbines from within 3 miles of the shoreline and at least a half-mile from residences and a half-mile from the property lines of landowners who don’t have leases with Apex.
The company is planning for turbines that don’t meet those regulations.
“None of the turbines are legal,” said Yates Town Councilman John Riggi, citing the setbacks and lake buffer zone.
Yates has $20,000 budgeted for legal costs this year. That includes $8,500 to Andrew Meier as the municipal attorney. The town has nearly maxed out the $20,000 this year, Simon said.
Next year, Yates has budgeted $18,000 for legal costs. Next year Meier might not attend many of the Town Board meetings and instead be available by phone, which will reduce his costs.
Simon said the intervenor funds will help with the legal expenses if Apex proceeds with its application.
The town supervisor said Yates needs to protect the community from the project and fight for the integrity of its municipal laws.
“By hiring a joint legal team we stand the best chance of stopping Apex from eviscerating our local laws,” he said. “We need a legal team that will fight not only this company but the Siting Board that wants to shove it down our throats.”
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By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 October 2018 at 9:36 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – Two friends hold the Chinook salmon they caught this evening in Johnson Creek near the Lyndonville Dam.
Frank Bradley, left, is from Warren, Ohio, and his friend James Read is from Greenville, Pa. The two come to Orleans County to fish two or three times a year.
The fall salmon run draws many out-of-state fishermen to the county. One of the anglers is shown near the dam while the sun is setting just before 7 p.m.
There were several fishermen near the spot just before the dam. The salmon traveled several miles through Johnson Creek but could get no farther because of the dam.
Photo by Tom Rivers: A heron is pictured by the Erie Canal in Medina near State Street Park on Monday when it was about 80 degrees.
The weather will take a dramatic turn from summer-like temperatures in recent days. Instead of high temperatures in the 80s, the highs in the coming days will be 51 on Friday, 50 on Saturday, 57 on Sunday and 51 on Monday, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
The overnight lows will be about 40 degrees on each of those days, according to the Weather Service.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 October 2018 at 3:27 pm
ALBION – A North Carolina woman pleaded guilty today to criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, after a loaded gun was found in her rental car on Aug. 26 when she was visiting the Albion Correctional Facility.
Ashley Mongeon of Charlotte, NC, could face up to 11/2 to 3 years in state prison when she is sentenced on Jan. 24.
She told Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church she didn’t know the Smith & Wesson handgun was stolen. She bought it on the street in South Carolina. She told the judge she knew that it was illegal to acquire a gun that way.
In other cases in County Court today:
• A Medina resident was resentenced today after an error from his sentencing on July 23. Dino Callara, 50, in July was sentenced to 3 years in state prison for criminal possession of a weapon. The court sentenced him for committing a violent felony.
After the reviewing the case, the crime was determined to not be a violent felony. Callara was resentenced to a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 4 years in state prison.
He was arrested in February after he allegedly possessed and sold a firearm in November 2017.
• A Waterford, Saratoga County man admitted to mailing suboxone to an inmate at the Albion Correctional Facility.
Joshua J. Johnson, 38, pleaded guilty to attempted promoting prison contraband and faces a maximum sentence of probation as part of a plea arrangement that includes no jail time. Johnson said he was asked by an inmate to mail suboxone, and he did it knowing it was wrong. Suboxone is an opioid medication.
He will be sentenced on Jan. 4.
Sarah MacDonald, an inmate at the prison, is a codefendant in the case. She also pleaded guilty to attempted promoting prison contraband in the first degree. She said she asked to have to suboxone sent to her to help her fight withdrawals from her drug addiction. The suboxone was intercepted by corrections staff. She didn’t receive it.
As a second felony offender, she could face a minimum of 1 ½ years and a maximum of 3 years in prison when she is sentenced on Jan. 10.
• Two other people were also arraigned for promoting prison contraband in the first degree for attempting to have suboxone be brought into the Albion Correctional Facility.
Edwin King, 58, of the Bronx allegedly mailed suboxone on two occasions, March 12 and April 13. He is charged with two counts each of promoting prison contraband and criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fourth degree.
Judge Church set bail at $25,000 for King, who has two prior felonies, several misdemeanors and three instances of failure to appear at court.
Maijia Scott, an inmate at the women’s prison, is the codefendant in the case. She was arraigned on two counts each of promoting prison contraband and criminal possession of controlled substance in the fourth degree.
She is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder from 2000. Because of that prior record, the judge set bail at $250,000, although Scott is expected to be in custody for several more years.
• A Lyndonville man was arraigned for aggravated driving while intoxicated, a felony. Kenneth Lonnen, 44, was arrested on Aug. 2 in Yates for allegedly driving with a BAC of 0.24percent, which is three times the legal limit.
• The judge set a Dec. 3 as the start of a trial against Collen Poole of Medina. He previously rejected a plea offer to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, with a cap of five years in state prison.
He was charged on March 1 after police found cocaine, marijuana and pills identified as Hydrocodone and Ecstasy.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $45 million in state grant funding has been awarded to 57 counties and New York City for emergency communications. The grants include $403,172 for Orleans County.
This funding enables local governments to expand their emergency response capabilities to enhance public safety operations. The 2018 Statewide Interoperable Communications Grant program supports nine Regional Communications Consortiums that focus on improving critical emergency communications across the state, as well as coordination between counties, state and federal agencies.
“In an emergency, every second counts and it’s critically important that first responders have the tools and resources they need to receive information fast to help New Yorkers in their time of need,” Cuomo said. “This funding will help us create a stronger, safer New York for all.”
The State Interoperable Communications Grant, administered by the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, has awarded more than $450 million in seven rounds to 57 counties and New York City since 2010.
The Statewide Interoperable Communications Grant is formula based and funded by cellular surcharge revenue. The program has allowed counties to make vital improvements in the way first responders can communicate between each other and different regions of the state using land mobile radio systems.
Each county and New York City can submit applications to fund projects involving infrastructure, equipment and technology upgrades. Eligible counties can use this funding for a variety of functions, including expanding radio coverage by installing new equipment at towers and antenna sites, implementing Next Generation 911 technologies and standards, setting up communication channels among public safety radio systems, consolidating emergency services dispatch centers, supporting the operations of public safety dispatch centers, and deploying new technology that help counties link their systems together.
Additionally, this funding will support training and exercises to promote efficient inter-regional communications, cooperation, and overall first responder readiness.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 11 October 2018 at 9:43 am
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Quarterbacks Bryce Pritchard, left, and Izaiah Rhim will lead Albion and Medina/Lyndonville/Barker into Friday’s annual rivalry game at Vets Park.
Looking to complete an undefeated B2 Division championship season, Albion will face Medina/Lyndonville/Barker at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Vets Park in the 121st renewal of one of New York State’s oldest schoolboy football rivalries.
Albion, which has already locked up the B2 title, brings a 4-0 division, 6-0 overall record into the contest while Medina/Lyndonville/Barker is 2-2, 3-3.
The victor will also receive the “Doc’s Rock” Trophy which is given annually in memory of Larry “Doc” Decker who taught and coached in both school districts.
The Purple Eagles have romped in all six previous outings winning by margins of 30, 35, 35, 14, 27 and 36 points while the Mustangs four division games have all been nail biters.
In fact, the Mustangs two division wins have come by a total of just six points (14-12 over Depew and 28-24 over Springville) while the two losses have been by a total of only three points (14-13 in overtime too Olean and 28-26 to Lackawanna).
Albion holds a 66-49-5 lead in the series which dates back to 1898. Since 2000 the Purple Eagles hold a 12-6 edge over the Mustangs, However, the teams have split their last four meetings with the Purple Eagles winning 51-22 last year at Albion.
Both teams are led by three year starting senior quarterbacks, the Purple Eagles by Bryce Pritchard and the Mustangs by Izaiah Rhim.
Pritchard, who has already surpassed the 1,000 yard total offense mark this season, has thrown for 6 touchdowns and run for 5 more.
The Purple Eagles versatile attack has also had running backs Ugene Harrison and Brilliance Johnson both with 5 rushing touchdowns, Isaiah Callicutt 4 and Deyonci Farley 3 while Nate Moore has 4 TD receptions and Kevin Hillman 2. Matt Kovaleski leads the Purple Eagles in pass receptions with 17.
In addition, Purple Eagles place kicker Alex Rustay had made good on 26 of 32 extra point kicks, including a school record 8 for 8 last week in the win over Iroquois, and has also kicked 2 field goals.
Pritchard passed for 2 touchdowns and ran for another and Harrison ran for 2 scores in the Purple Eagles win over the Mustangs last fall.
Rhim has had a hand in 15 of the Mustangs 19 touchdowns to date including 9 TD passes and 6 rushing scores.
Brian Fry, who has a total of 30 receptions for 425 yards, has caught 4 of those TD passes while Tyler Chinn has hauled in 3 and Rickie Pitts 2. Running back William Braswell has led the Mustangs ground attack with 326 yards including 3 touchdowns.
Mustangs place kicker Matt Hess has made good on 11 of 13 extra point attempts.
Rhim ran for 2 scores and Braswell 1 for the Mustangs in the loss to the Purple Eagles last year.
The Purple Eagles defense has been led by Ben Restivo with 47 tackles as Harrison has been in on 35 stops, Jessy Cruz and Deyonci Farley 30, Brennan Hughes 28, Moore 26 and Donamic Farley 24.
The Mustangs leading tacklers include Justice Hughes with 46, Chaise Prest 43, Fry 42 and Bobby Geiger and Blaire Prest 36.
The other regular season ending B2 game will see Lackawanna (3-1) hosting Olean (3-1) on Saturday.
This weekend’s other local games will have Roy-Hart at Wilson in a C North Division game at 7 p.m. Friday and Holley hosting CG Finney in an 8 man contest at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
The State Board of Elections today reminds all state residents to register to vote for the Nov. 6 general election. Mail-in voter registration forms must be postmarked by midnight Oct. 12 and received by a board of elections no later than Oct. 17 to be valid for the upcoming general election.
Candidates for Governor, US Senate, State Comptroller, State Attorney General, the House of Representatives, the State Legislature, the State Supreme Court as well as many important local offices will be on the ballot this year. You can check the State Board of Elections’ website (www.elections.ny.gov) or contact your local board of elections for more information (Click here for the Orleans County Board of Elections).
The voter registration form can be downloaded from our website: www.elections.ny.gov. You may also register online through the Department of Motor Vehicles at their MyDMV site. You can also register or find forms at most state and federal government offices in addition to finding forms at the post office or your local library.
Residents who have moved to a new county within the state are reminded that they must re-register from their new address. Those who are currently registered and have moved to a new address in the same county should notify their county board of elections in writing of their move no later than Oct. 17.
If you wish to change your party enrollment to participate in a primary in 2019, your change must be received by your local county board no later than Oct. 12.
Persons who are unsure whether they are registered, or wish to verify their current address, may check their status at the State Board’s website: www.elections.ny.gov.
New Yorkers wanting to register in-person may do so at their county boards of elections and at many state agency offices throughout the state, but must do so no later than Oct. 12 to be eligible to vote in the general election.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 October 2018 at 10:28 pm
T. Jones and Richie formed a tight bond through the canine training program.
ALBION – Officials at the Orleans Correctional Facility celebrated the first class of a canine training program where inmates served as handlers for rescue dogs.
The debut class lasted 13 weeks. The three dogs that were taught obedience and socialization are now available to be adopted to a “forever family.”
One of the dogs, Richie, already has been adopted by a family. Richie will join them on Thursday.
T. Jones, Richie’s handler, said he lost 10 pounds through the program, by walking the dog and leading it through the obedience training. Jones said his blood pressure also went down.
More importantly, he said, he welcomed the chance to be responsible and care for an animal.
“I’ve learned to be patient and caring,” Jones told a crowd during today’s graduation ceremony. “I hope all of the dogs find their forever home.”
He thanked the prison administration for adding the program.
“The program means a lot to me,” Jones said. “I hope Richie got as much out of it as I did.”
Karen Crowley, the OCF superintendent, pushed to have the program in the local men’s prison. She visited other prisons with similar programs and found the dogs improved the culture in a prison, with better-behaved inmates. The inmates also proved to be attentive and dedicated to helping train the dogs.
“It changes the inmate,” she said. “It teaches them responsibility and compassion, and we save the dogs.”
Inmates painted murals in a classroom that is used for training the dogs. This mural has a large paw print and says, “Saving Lives, One Dog at a Time.”
Crowley visited prisons in Georgia, North Dakota and South Dakota to see the programs. The program is uncommon in New York State. Crowley said Groveland Correctional Facility also has one, and the Albion Correctional Facility expects to have its program going by the end of the year.
The three dogs at the OCF come from either a shelter in Tennessee or the Genesee County Animal Shelter in Batavia. The Albion Correctional Facility expects to have a partnership with the Orleans County Animal Shelter in Albion, said Susan Squires, the prison superintendent.
Squires and leaders from other prisons and the state Department of Corrections attended the graduation today and toured the training area.
Tom Ryan, a dog trainer from Batavia, stopped by the Orleans prison once or twice a week to teach obedience classes. He praised the three main handlers and eight secondary handlers for their commitment to the animals. Two other inmates also helped walk the dogs.
The three dogs wait for direction from their handlers. Tom Ryan, second from right, led the obedience classes.
Ryan said the dogs in the program are often “problem dogs with big issues.” The dogs need a lot of attention. He worked with the inmates to teach the dogs impulse control. They wanted the dogs to stay on their mats, even when their handlers walked away.
“It has been a real pleasure to work with these guys and these dogs,” Ryan said during the graduation ceremony. “These dogs are well on their way to being dogs you can totally trust in a home.”
Karen Crowley, superintendent of the Orleans Correctional Facility, said the canine training program is good for inmates and the dogs. An inmate created the chalk art of the dogs that are displayed behind Crowley.
The three animals stayed in one of the dorms that has about 50 inmates. The first weekend at the prison, the dogs barked a lot. But then they calmed down. The dogs slept on a mat and stayed overnight with their handlers.
Krista Vasile, deputy superintendent of programs, said the dogs had a noticeable impact on the dorm and the prison as a whole.
“It changed the atmosphere of E-1 (the dorm),” she said. “It will be bittersweet to say goodbye to the dogs because we’ve fallen in love with them.”
Crowley said six more dogs will be in the next canine training class, which starts in about two weeks.
The program will also be expanded to include more inmates, who are all interviewed by a committee and must have exemplary discipline records and be committed to educational programs.
She is hoping the program has a long future at the facility.
Inmates in the Painting & Decorating class painted a dog theme inside one of the buildings which is serving as an indoor dog park. The large painted mural transformed what was an ordinary-looking classroom into a relaxed environment for the handlers and the dogs, said Crowley, the prison superintendent.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 October 2018 at 8:09 pm
Provided photo
MEDINA – Village officials were joined by some local children at 5 p.m. today to cut the ribbon on a new playground at Butts Park. Dallas Kepner joins Mayor Mike Sidari, right, in cutting the ribbon.
Other Village Board members in back in green shirts include, from left: Marguerite Sherman, Todd Bensley and Owen Toale.
The Medina Department of Public Works and community volunteers did a lot of the construction work for the new playground. The DPW continued to work on the site on Tuesday and this morning.
The new setup replaces a wooden playground, which was rotted and in rough shape.
The new playground and wood chips cost just under $40,000. Sidari said the volunteer labor from the community saved several thousand dollars for the installation.
In his bid for another term representing Genesee, Orleans and portions of Monroe counties in the State Assembly, Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) announced today that he has received an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association and the group’s endorsement for the 2018 general election.
Hawley, a consistent proponent of the right to bear arms, has sponsors several bills to repeal the NY SAFE-Act, passed legislation authorizing big game hunting in Genesee and Orleans counties and has been an unwavering voice against New York’s left-wing extremist groups seeking to dissolve the Second Amendment and cut back the rights of law-abiding gun owners.
“I am honored to once again have the endorsement and full confidence of the NRA,” Hawley said. “The fear tactics and subsequent extreme stances of some groups in our state are trying to severely roll back the rights of law-abiding firearm owners and undercut our constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and I will not stand idly by while that happens.”
“Hunting and responsible firearm ownership is a tradition here in Western New York,” he said. “We deserve the right to protect our home and family from danger and deserve to pass down the rewarding and special tradition of hunting that teaches valuable lessons of patience, responsibility and reward to so many. I will always stand for the Second Amendment and, rest assured, that will remain my duty as your representative in Albany.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 October 2018 at 12:13 pm
ALBION – Nate McMurray brought his congressional campaign to Albion on Sunday when he stopped at a house party in his honor at Joyce Riley’s home on Linwood Avenue.
About 50 people attended the event and raised more than $3,000 for the candidate, who is challenging Republican incumbent Chris Collins.
Riley said the group set a $1,000 fund-raising goal. She hosted the event from 4 to 6 p.m. and the attendees included many local Democratic Party leaders, as well as residents who are Conservatives and Republicans.
The 8-county district is heavily Republican. McMurray acknowledged he will need lots of support on Election Day from voters outside the Democratic Party.
“The thing that jumped out at me is he is all-inclusive,” Riley said today. “It wasn’t just Democrats at this gathering. It was Democrats, Republicans and Conservatives. In order for any Democrat to win, you have to cross the divide and represent your constituents. You can’t win with just one-party support you need to have broad community support.”
McMurray has been attending house parties, rallies and other events in the district. Last week his campaign announced it raised $475,000 since Chris Collins was indicted for insider trading.
“We’ve been fueled by potlucks and picnics and our grassroots support has been growing from day one,” McMurray said in a statement last week. “But this race now has, and deserves, national attention. Mr. Collins’ arrest put NY-27 in the spotlight because it’s obvious to everyone, and certainly voters here, that they deserve better than a representative out on bail. I understand how big this district is – I know because I’ve been everywhere talking to voters about healthcare, social security, and how to help small businesses and family farms succeed – and I know that it’s important we get our message everywhere.”
McMurray told the group in Albion that every vote is critical. He was elected Grand Island town supervisor, winning by 2 votes.
He focused on the importance of an active citizenry and community involvement in his message at Albion, Riley said.
The group responded to his message, with many donating to his campaign.
“That is a testament to the grass roots,” Riley said. “We’re not talking about huge donations.”
She appreciates that McMurray is reaching out to small-town residents and engaging with them at house parties and other events.
“These are the people who will go in and pull the lever,” Riley said. “He is really a go-getter. He believes in meeting you where you are. We all walk together.”
With several hunting seasons underway and the start of big game season just weeks away, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos is reminding hunters to put safety at the forefront of their actions this fall when going afield.
“Statistics show that hunting in New York State is safer than ever,” Seggos said. “But we know through our investigations that every hunting-related accident is preventable. So DEC is urging New York’s 500,000 hunters to use common sense, follow the tenets taught in the DEC Hunter Education Course, and put safety first in every action you take this season.”
The 4 Rules of Firearm Safety
• Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
• Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
• Keep your finger off the trigger and outside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.
• Always be sure of your target and what is beyond. Once you pull the trigger, you can’t take the bullet back.
Wearing Hunter Orange Saves Lives
DEC encourages every hunter to wear blaze orange or pink. Wearing orange or pink prevents other hunters from mistaking a person for an animal or shooting in your direction. Hunters who wear hunter orange are seven times less likely to be shot. New York State law requires hunters age 14 and 15 and their mentors who are hunting deer or bear with a gun to wear fluorescent hunter orange or pink visible from all directions: a shirt, jacket, or vest with at least 250 square inches of solid or patterned fluorescent orange or pink (the pattern must be at least 50 percent orange or pink) OR a hat with at least 50 percent fluorescent orange or pink.
During the past 10 years, not one person wearing hunter orange was mistaken for game and killed in New York. On the contrary, the majority of big game hunters involved in firearm-related incidents were not wearing hunter orange.
Tree Stand Safety Tips
Every year, hunters are seriously injured, paralyzed, or killed falling out of tree stands. Falls from tree stands have become a major cause of hunting related injuries and fatalities in New York. In 2017, DEC Commissioner Seggos requested the agency’s Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) to track and investigate tree stand injuries for the first time. DEC investigated 12 tree stand accidents last year, and 50 percent (six) proved to be fatal. All 12 accidents involved a hunter who was not wearing a harness or the harness was not attached to the stand or tree at the time of their fall. The proper use of tree stands and full-body harnesses will help to prevent these injuries and fatalities.
• When hunting in tree stands use a full body safety harness and a climbing belt and stay connected from the time you leave the ground to the time you get back down, as most tree stand accidents occur when hunters are climbing in and out of the stand.
• Never climb in or out of a tree stand with a loaded firearm.
• Read the manufacturer’s instructions and warnings before you use your tree stand and check your stands (including straps and chains) every season. Replace any worn or missing parts.
• Let a reliable person know where you will be hunting and when you will return. A map showing your tree stand location makes it easier for others to find you if you do not return on time.
Legal Hunting Hours
The DEC would like to remind hunters that the legal hours for big game hunting across the state run from official sunrise to sunset. It is the responsibility of hunters to know when those times are in their locations. Consult the DEC hunting guide, use the DEC wildlife app or search weather data on the internet to find the official sunrise and sunset times for your area.
Fitness for Hunters
Hunting is a physical sport. Every hunting season is marred by hunters who suffer heart attacks and strokes. Walking while carrying gear, spotting, and shooting at a deer and dragging a carcass can cause more stress than the heart can handle. That’s especially true if you are not physically active, smoke, have high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, or other health problems.
It is a good idea to start building up your endurance before hunting season. Any activity that gets you moving around, even if it’s just 30 minutes each day, can start strengthening your heart and lungs so you can have a safe hunting season. In addition, hunters should always be prepared for winter conditions when venturing in the woods, inform a friend or relative of their whereabouts, and pack emergency supplies.
Hunter Education Program
DEC requires every hunter to take a Hunter Education Course free of charge before they can receive a license to hunt. Since New York’s Hunter Education Program was first introduced in 1949, the number of hunting-related accidents have declined by 80 percent. Thanks to the efforts of 2,600 DEC staff and volunteer hunter education program instructors that teach nearly 50,000 students each year, New York’s hunting safety statistics continue to improve.
Trained volunteer instructors certified by DEC teach safe, responsible, and ethical hunting and trapping practices and the important role of hunters and trappers in wildlife conservation.
In 2017, 19 hunting-related shooting incidents (HRSI) were reported in New York. In 1966, there were 166 incidents, 13 of which were fatal.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 10 October 2018 at 8:40 am
MEDINA – When Gail Miller retired in 2013 as a business analyst for IBM, she wasn’t planning on going back to work.
But that’s exactly what she did – as volunteer coordinator of Medina ’s Canal Village Farmers’ Market.
Her efforts in developing the market, securing vendors and promoting local agriculture have earned her the distinction of Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year. She will be recognized with the other Chamber honorees on Oct. 18 at the White Birch Country Club in Lyndonville.
“I was on the board of the Orleans County Farmers’ Market, and when it quit, I thought it was a shame,” Miller said. “I mentioned it to several people, including Cindy Robinson, who said she would be willing to help get another market going. I must admit, it was more work than I thought it would be, but it has been well worth it.”
Miller is at the market, which operates in the former bank lot on the corner of West Avenue and West Center Street, every Saturday morning. The lot is owned by the Orleans Renaissance Group, which sponsors the market.
File photo by Tom Rivers: Gail Miller strives to make the market a fun place. She wore an Angry Bird costume in 2015 near Halloween. She is pictured with Chris Busch, chairman of the Orleans Renaissance Group, which oversees the farmers’ market.
In July 2015, the new market opened with eight vendors. There are now 20 on most Saturdays, who offer a variety of products, such as sausage, pork, chemical free and heirloom produce, dehydrated mixes, vegan food, baked goods, poultry, flour and maple syrup.
There are also vendors with children’s books and wineries who rotate every Saturday. A Canal Kids’ Tent provides games, puzzles, chalk art and free books to children.
“While our goal is to have farm-based products, we try to build on that and have a variety,” Miller said. “We have a different artist every week, who might do pottery, needlework or painting. It’s like a part-time job, and if it wasn’t for my husband helping me, I would be spending hours every day.”
They provide a community tent for non-profits to use each week. A recent week it was used by the Knights-Kaderli Fund to promote their annual walk/run. Another week, it might be yoga demonstrations.
Miller said she couldn’t believe it when she learned she had been recognized by the Chamber.
“I don’t think of myself as a business person, but more of a coordinator to help other people reach their goal, while helping the community get good, healthy and home-grown food,” she said.
She credits Chris Busch, the ORG chairman, for his work with the market, especially doing all the advertising, and eight other volunteers.
Miller is an active member of her community in other ways, as well.
She is membership chairman for the Medina Historical Society, a volunteer for the Parade of Lights and a member of Medina hospital’s Honeysuckle Twig.
Miller grew up in Cambria on her family’s crop farm, where she worked.
“While I am honored by the Chamber award, it is a tribute to the market and all its vendors,” she said. “It’s been a group effort.”
GAINES – Another local historical marker has been cleaned up and given a fresh coat of paint. Melissa Ierlan of Clarendon has been working on the markers in recent years.
She repainted the sign at Route 279 and Route 104, the “Crossroads” of the Oak Orchard and Ridge roads. The Gaines Highway Department on Tuesday put the marker back up at the corner.
Here is how the sign looked before it was repainted.
