By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2018 at 10:40 am
Several canal communities in Orleans County will soon get to work on a waterfront revitalization plan.
The Orleans County Legislature has approved an agreement with NYS Department of State to create the Erie Canal Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan.
The plan will provide a clear direction for suitable future development, reflect a community consensus, and establish a long-term partnership among local governments and the state.
In a resolution last week, the Legislature states, “the Erie Canal was critical to early community settlement and commerce in Orleans County and remains an essential asset for the purposes of economic development, recreation, tourism and cultural heritage.”
The state is providing a $62,000 grant for the plan, while the county contributes $10,000 in cash, and the participating towns and villages pay $10,500. The county Department of Planning and Development will also provide $167 of in-kind services.
The Village of Medina also is working on a Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan and received a $37,500 state grant for the effort. Medina has already formed a committee and hired a consultant, Bergmann Associates.
Medina will have a meeting on Oct. 17 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Medina High School, 2 Mustang Drive, welcoming the public to discuss how to best utilize the waterfront in the community, including the canal, Oak Orchard River and Glenwood Lake.
The Orleans plan will focus on the villages of Albion and Holley, and towns of Murray, Albion, Gaines, Ridgeway and Shelby.
The county expects to hire a consultant and start work on the plan in early 2019. Ken DeRoller, a county legislator, said the two planning efforts will work together.
There may be less than obvious ways to better capitalize on the canal, such as allowing more siphons for farmers to irrigate crops, DeRoller said.
“We are looking forward to enhancing the use of this asset in our county,” he said.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Corn is pictured at the Albion FFA Land Lab on Tuesday behind the school on Clarendon Road.
There will be another round of showers and scattered thunderstorms in Orleans County through the first half of today with some gusty winds and brief heavy downpours possible, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
The temperature will get up to 70 and then fall to around 61 by 5 p.m. The overnight low will be 45.
Friday will be mostly sunny with a high of 56, followed by a high near 78 on Saturday with a chance of showers. Sunday will be a high of 68 and a chance for showers, followed by a partly sunny Columbus Day with a high near 72.
MEDINA – The Genesee Community College Foundation has kicked off its annual campaign themed Scholarships in Action to raise funds for much-needed student scholarship assistance.
In 2017, the Foundation awarded over $224,000 in scholarships, largely to students in the GCC’s four-county service area of Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties.
GCC’s Foundation has been working with the communities it serves for decades to ensure scholarship assistance is available to help students in need. Under the leadership of Foundation President, Todd Bender, the Foundation hosted a scholarship campaign kick-off at Farmer’s Creekside Tavern & Inn in LeRoy on Sept. 20. The program featured a moving speech by Julie Carasone of Stafford. As a cancer survivor, single parent, full-time employee with three jobs, Ms. Carasone is also a GCC Human Services student and scholarship recipient who hopes to work in the medical field in the near future.
In Orleans County, the Scholarships in Action campaign kicks off on Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery, 10609 Ridge Rd. in Medina. The entire community is invited to enjoy the music of The Easy Street Band and hear how scholarships have impacted students, families and communities in Orleans County. Wesley Bedford, a member of GCC Class of 2006 and a Business Banking Relationship Manager at M&T Bank, will be chairing the Orleans County Campaign Division.
The longest running scholarship fundraising effort the Foundation hosts is coming up quickly. The 2018 Encore Celebration: “Let It GLOW” on Saturday, Dec. 1 will occur in the new Richard C. Call Arena at GCC’s Batavia Campus.
Earlier this year, the GCC Foundation united its 2018 scholarship recipients and donors to celebrate their shared interest in academic success! To see the additional scholarships in action, check out GCC’s Facebook album “Discover the Stars 2018.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2018 at 10:25 pm
State announces winners of Reimagine the Canals contest
ROCHESTER – A reimagined Erie Canal includes an armada of boats passing along the canal carrying people tasting craft beers. The future also will see some of the open spaces and former industrial areas along the canal turned into “pocket neighborhoods,” which are within walking distance to shopping and amenities.
The State Canal Corp. and New York Power Authority today announced the winners of a Reimagine the Canals competition. The two winners were picked from seven finalists and 145 initial entries.
The $2.5 million competition shows the state isn’t content to have the canal be a historical piece, said Gil C. Quiniones, New York Power Authority president and CEO.
“The message from the governor is clear: the canals still matter,” Quiniones said at today’s announcement.
The second-place winners of the Reimagine the Canals competition walk across the stage at the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester to accept their award. The Erie Armada team, led by Parks & Trails New York and the event-planning firm Area4 based in New York City will receive $500,000 to implement their proposal. Rory McEvoy, left, is co-founder of Area4 and James Meerdink is project director for Parks & Trails.
The Imagine the Canals competition surpassed its goal of drawing out ideas to better capitalize on the canal system, which Quiniones said is an important asset for economic development, tourism and to support agriculture.
The canal system now falls under the domain of the Power Authority. Quiniones embraced the reimagine competition. NYPA and the Canal Corp. are working on the long-term strategy for the canal, and Quiniones said many of the proposals in the competition may be included in the long-term plan.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is greet by Brian Stratton, director of the State Canal Corp.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul said she is optimistic the state will continue to make funding available to help finance some of the initiatives in the Reimagine competition.
The canal, which opened in 1825, was critical in the development of the state and nation. Hochul said the canal did more than move goods.
“It is the flow of ideas,” she said.
Many of the human rights movements, including abolition and women’s suffrage, gained momentum because the canal allowed leaders and residents to promote those ideas.
“It’s the Equal Rights Inspiration Corridor,” she said.
The canal competition put “actionable” ideas for review. The following were the winners:
• Pocket Neighborhoods: The first place entry seeks to build pocket neighborhoods along the Erie Canal and Erie Canalway Trail. Homes would surround a common greenspace and have direct access to the Canal to respond to the growing preference of millennials, families, and seniors to live in a place that is walkable to shopping, restaurants and other amenities.
A pilot project would be built in the Village of Canastota, Madison County, about 25 miles east of Syracuse. The expectation is this project—which would involve a public-private partnership—could be replicated in other communities.
“The pocket neighborhoods project will remind people that the canals are not only a great place to visit but a great place to live,” Quiniones said.
The team, which will receive $1.5 million to further develop its plan, includes the Madison County Planning Department, STREAM Collaborative – an Ithaca architecture and design firm, and Camoin Associates – an economic development consultancy based in Saratoga Springs. The judges cited the project as a model for how land use could be shifted away from the canals’ industrial past to residential and mixed uses.
• Erie Armada: The second winner seeks to create Erie Armada, a multi-day festival and boat race centered on breweries creating human-powered boats that could be made from items common to the industry, such as barrels and beer cans. The race would include parties at the start and end of each 15-mile race that would feature music, local food offerings and craft beverages, including beers created specifically for the armada. The first armada is planned to go between Baldwinsville and Phoenix in Central New York, but other locations are being considered for the future.
Brian Stratton, Canal Corp. director, said the canal is an important asset for the state for tourism, recreation, economic development and agriculture.
The jury commented that the proposal would support new recreation and tourism in the canal corridor and bring a younger audience to the region, while also supporting the local heritage of the canal system. New York was once a leading grower of hops, which were shipped across the nation and abroad via the Erie Canal. The Erie Armada team, led by Parks & Trails New York, event-planning firm Area4 based in New York City and advisor Joe Gustainis of Caledonia, will receive $500,000 to implement their proposal.
New York is home to 400 breweries, up from 95 just six years ago, as well as for the growing number of wineries, distilleries and cideries in the state.
“The canals have long been a source of inspiration and wonder,” said Brian U. Stratton, New York State Canal Corporation director. “The projects that were announced today are poised to make a real difference in how people use and interact with our canals.”
The state announced the Reimagine competition last year. It sought unique ideas to continue to transform the New York State Canal System into an engine of economic activity and a magnet for tourism and recreation.
“With the winners of the Reimagine the Canals competition now selected, we can continue to tap into one of New York’s most underutilized assets and help this statewide resource reach its full potential,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement. “There is no doubt these winning ideas will continue to inspire new, creative ideas that will invigorate the canals and draw visitors to one of our most iconic assets for years to come.”
In all, the competition drew 145 entries from nine states and seven nations, with an international panel of judges—including some of the world’s leading canal experts—narrowing the field to seven finalists.
The competition was held as New York celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Barge Canal—now known as the New York State Canal System—which includes the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Champlain and Oswego canals. The state also continues to mark the bicentennial of the Erie Canal, construction on which began 201 years ago. Next year, will mark the 200th anniversary of the first boat trip taken on the Erie Canal, from Rome to Utica.
John Kast, an Albion fruit and vegetable farmer, was featured in a video promoting using the canal to help irrigate farms. That project was a finalist but wasn’t picked for financing.
Other finalists included:
• Go the Distance: this initiative will look to develop overnight accommodations for recreational users of the canal system. The team includes the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor from Waterford, NY; Gray Slate Partners from Troy, NY; 2K Design from Clifton Park, NY and Dorgan Architecture & Planning from Storrs, Conn.
• Canal Winterlocks: seeks to develop winter-time uses for the Erie Canal, potentially including skating, hockey, winter festivals and cross-country skiing. The team includes Clare Lyster Urbanism and Architecture and John Ronan Architects, both from Chicago and Urban Engineers from Philadelphia.
• Intra-Works: installations of art and sculpture to forge a cultural identity that links up the Canal System. The team includes the architecture and planning firms Collective Studio from New York City and WRT and Interface, both from Philadelphia.
• Western New York Irrigation: this plan will build off the canal’s water infrastructure to expand its irrigation capabilities. The team includes SUNY ESF Professor Stephen Shaw, C&S Companies of Syracuse and the Cornell Cooperative Extension.
• Upstate Archipelago: this team is developing designs for resilient water landscapes that also provide public recreation space and wildlife habitat. The team includes Cornell Design, Ithaca; Cornell Cooperative Extension and H+N+S, a landscape architecture firm based in the Netherlands.
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By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2018 at 3:05 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Emery Vick, an Albion kindergartner, paints a pumpkin today as part of the Albion FFA Fall Festival. About 500 elementary students have been part of the festival the past two days.
Students were able to paint a pumpkin that will be theirs to bring home. Some of the pumpkins were grown at the Albion FFA Land Lab while others were donated by Panek Farms.
Nesbitt Farms also donated apples and cider and Mayer Brothers contributed donuts.
Janet Husung, a long-term sub as a kindergarten teacher, takes a photo of her class in front of a combine that was brought to the school by Kenny Haylett. FFA members Alex Rustay and Mitchell Knaak are up high near the cab of the combine.
Wyatt Ernst, a kindergarten student, is pleased with the painting progress on his pumpkin.
FFA members Alex Rustay, Mitchell Knaak and Harrison Brown wait for the next group of students.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2018 at 1:32 pm
ALBION – Laura Kemler was teaching an art class over the summer at Forrestel Farm in Medina, when she started dabbling with tie-dye and fabric manipulation. Kemler wanted to do more than the typical tie-dyed T-shirts for the students.
She started experimenting with different fabrics. She found she enjoyed tie-dying cotton ropes, and turning them into colorful baskets.
The baskets are popular to store envelopes and stationary. Kemler makes them in a variety of colors and themes.
“It’s bringing back those iconic items that your grandma had that you love,” Kemler said.
The baskets have been so popular that Kemler turned it into a business about three years ago. This month her baskets are featured in a national magazine, the 45th anniversary issue of Old House Journal. Her baskets get praise on page 11 of the October issue. The magazine did a spread on “clever” American-made items used for storage.
Kemler said the unexpected attention has given the business a boost. She had been looking to expand anyway. She is currently in the Microenterprise Assistance Program through the Orleans Economic Development Agency, researching how to best expand her business. She is looking to buy more supplies in bulk and automate some of the work.
She hopes to move the operation out of her home to a commercial site. She would love to hire single mothers to help make the baskets, and perhaps other products. She would cater to the schedule of a single mom.
Kemler named her business, Laura Loxley, because she likes the English-sounding name of Loxley. She sells most of her baskets for $10 to $100 through Etsy.
LYNDONVILLE – A citizens’ group opposed the past four years to Lighthouse Wind says the project is not wanted in the towns of Yates and Somerset.
Apex Clean Energy on Tuesday presented the locations for the turbines, which includes eight in Yates and 39 in Somerset. Apex is working on its application to the state.
“From Day One, Apex has ignored the will of the people of Somerset and Yates and their opposition to this project,” said Pam Atwater, president of Save Ontario Shores.
SOS issued a news release this morning in response to a Tuesday evening forum by Apex about the project.
“There was no real exchange of ideas and no public opportunity to ask spontaneous questions,” Atwater said. “Questions in writing were screened by a moderator, a clear attempt to silence the legions of local residents who oppose this ill-sited project.”
Atwater pointed to multiple surveys which have found an overwhelming number of residents opposed to the project; town boards in Yates and Somerset passed resolutions in opposition; legislatures in Niagara, Orleans and Erie counties are on record opposing Apex and various national, statewide and regional bird groups, including the highly respected American Bird Conservancy, have also raised questions about the siting of the project.
In advance of the meeting, Apex sent three mailers to local residents, which included outdated studies, omitted relevant information and discussed generalities that do not address opponents’ specific questions and concerns, Atwater said.
“Our expectations for the information shared at the forum were extremely low and Apex didn’t disappoint,” Atwater said. “In the media, Apex has been rudely dismissive of our concerns and characterized us as misinformed. People are very knowledgeable about what this project would mean to our community. Just look at the New York State Department of Public Service website and you’ll see an overwhelming number of substantive comments expressing opposition to this project.
“Apex is attempting to silence majority opposition, so we took our message outside the forum with an ‘Apex Go Home’ rally, a passionate, respectful, old fashioned First Amendment gathering,” Atwater said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2018 at 7:54 am
‘This is a fantastic vehicle to make this a high value area to live and work.’ Paul Williamson, Apex project manager
LYNDONVILLE – Apex Clean Energy presented the proposed layout of a turbine project that has been about four years in the works. The project would have fewer turbines than initially presented. The turbines would be the latest model and would generate more power, 4.2 megawatts, while emitting less noise, Apex officials said.
The 47 turbines would generate 197.4 megawatts. Apex is proposing that eight turbines be in Yates while 39 are planned for Somerset. The turbines would have a hub height of 345 feet and a maximum tip height of 591 feet. Apex wants to build the latest model, a Vista V150 (4.2).
Paul Williamson, project manager for Apex, told a crowd of about 150 people at the Lyndonville school auditorium, that the project would be a major investment in the community, reducing taxes, diversifying employment opportunities and helping to strengthen some of the local farms.
“This is a fantastic vehicle to help make this a high-value area to live and work,” he said.
Courtesy of Save Ontario Shores: Many supporters of Save Ontario Shores stood in the parking lot by the school with signs opposing wind turbines near Lake Ontario in the two towns.
The company is nearing completion of its application to the state. It is working through 41 environmental studies on the project. The application is expected to be submitted to the state by February-April, Apex officials said, with the state then reviewing the application as part of the new Article 10 process for projects with more than 25 megawatts.
The state’s power to approve the project continues to rile the two towns, who oppose the loss of local control in siting projects. A seven-member Siting Board, with two local representatives, will review the project and determine if its moves forward.
Williamson said the turbines would be a minimum 1,800 feet away from houses of non-participating landowners with Apex leases and 1,500 from participating lease owners.
That is closer that than the setbacks in the Yates and Somerset town laws, which have banned turbines from within 3 miles of the Lake Ontario shoreline. The recently passed Yates law also increases the minimum setbacks to a half-mile (2,640 feet) or 6 times the turbine height, whichever is greater.
Williamson said Apex proposed setbacks of about a 1/3 mile fall within what is acceptable for projects around the state.
This map shows five of the turbines proposed for Yates that would west of Route 63, north of Route 18 and south of Lakeshore Road.
These three are just east of County Line Road near the Somerset border. Two of the large landowners in Yates opted against joining the project.
Williamson, the Apex project manager, said Lighthouse Wind offers many benefits to the community, including an estimated $1.5 million annually in revenue to the local governments. Williamson has managed Apex projects in Maine and other areas of the northeast.
He was joined by a panel of Apex officials who presented data on wildlife impacts, sound, turbine construction and the Article 10 process.
Tracy Butler, director of civil engineering for Apex, said Apex will have to upgrade some existing roads, build new access roads and dig trenches for underground cables. The transportation plan for bringing in the turbine components will be part of the final application. Butler said the company will have to restore any damaged land.
The turbines will initially disturb an acre of land for each landowner. But when the turbines is constructed, each one will occupy a 1/4 acre. The concrete foundations are about 1,000 cubic yards. The foundation is larger underground in an upside-down mushroom shape, he said.
If the project is approved, it would take about 9 to 12 months to construct with about 200 to 300 construction workers involved in earthworks, infrastructure and building the turbines, Butler said.
Dave Philipps, vice president of environmental-related activities for Apex, said the company has done extensive studies on the presence of local wildlife and its efforts to mitigate any impacts on the animals. Apex has turbines in coastal areas and the projects have coexisted with bats, birds and wildlife, he said.
Philipps said the turbines can be slowed down or even turned off if it’s a sensitive time for birds.
“We strive for low-risk, low-impact projects,” he said. “Essentially the environment functions as it did before there were turbines. Our goal is not to result in any unstable populations of wildlife.”
Robert O’Neal, managing principal at Epsilon Associates, has worked 30 years assessing noise impacts including 14 years with wind projects. He said the turbines would have a maximum decibel of 45 to the home of a non-participating landowner and 55 dBA for a participating homeowner. He noted the HVAC system in the school auditorium was about 48 to 52 dBAs.
The PowerPoint presentation, a transcript and video of the meeting will be on the Lighthouse Wind website, as well as responses to questions from the crowd. Apex said it will respond to all questions by Nov. 2.
Williamson also said there will be more public information meetings as well as visual simulations of the turbines.
He welcomed residents to check the Lighthouse’s website at www.lighthousewind.com, or call Apex staff in Barker at (716) 562-4262 or stop by the office at 8687 Main St. in Barker.
Duane Langendorfer of Somerset, left, looks over the map of proposed turbines with Kevin Bittner. Langendorfer said he would have three of the nearly 600-foot-high turbines on his property.
ALBION – Albion’s Claire Squicciarini works by a Newfane defender in the fog in Albion’s 3-1 win tonight. Click here for Local Sports for more photos and highlights from the game and other local high school sports results today.
Provided photo: (Left to right): Freshmen Zaric Boyce, Joe Cecchini and Zachary Fike work with alpaca fiber.
Press Release, Medina Central School
MEDINA – Medina High School’s Agriculture Exploration class has taken on a cool project by making dryer balls out of alpaca fiber.
An alpaca is a species of South American camelid and is very similar to a llama. The school district’s farm has several of the animals and Agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, Todd Eick, thought it would be a great project for his students to make all-natural dryer balls.
The balls are a friendly alternative to chemicals on fabric softeners and dryer sheets that reduce static and wrinkles.
“Most of the students in the Ag Exploration class are in 8th and 9th grade and have been spending class time skirting alpaca fibers,” he says.
Skirting means cleaning out vegetation from the fibers.
“We make the dryer balls out of the skirted material and the waste that is picked out is either turned into mesh balls for bird nest makers or put into our compost bin,” Eick said. “It is a zero waste project.”
New quarantine will restrict movement of goods brought into NY from 4 states
Press Release, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
Photo by Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is implementing new actions to protect New York, and its surrounding states, from the establishment of the invasive spotted lanternfly.
The Department, working in collaboration with the State Department of Environmental Conservation, issued a quarantine that will restrict the movement of certain goods brought into New York from Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, states impacted by the spotted lanternfly. The first SLF findings were reported earlier this month in New York State in Yates and Albany counties.
“The spotted lanternfly is a major concern for us when it comes to our agricultural crops and our forest land, so we can’t take any chances that this invasive species will become established here in New York State,” said State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball. “The goal of the quarantine we have implemented is to help reduce the opportunities these pests may have in hitching a ride on firewood, plants and other common outdoor items and entering our state in the first place.”
SLF, which is known to do significant damage to agricultural crops as well as plant nurseries and the forest products industries, was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014. Established populations of SLF have since been found in New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia.
Two cases of a single reported bug have been confirmed in New York. Given the proximity to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey infestations, NYS is at high risk for infestation. While these insects can jump and fly short distances, they spread primarily through human activity. SLF lay their eggs on any number of surfaces such as vehicles, stone, rusty metal, outdoor furniture and firewood. They can hitch rides on any outdoor item and be easily transported into and throughout New York.
“The newly designated exterior quarantine is part of the State’s aggressive effort to protect our natural resources from the destructive, invasive pest spotted lanternfly,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “If this insect becomes established in New York it would threaten our agricultural and tourism industries, including outdoor recreational activities. DEC will continue to work with our state and federal partners to prevent the introduction of this pest into New York State and do what we can to help educate and prepare communities for spotted lanternfly.”
SLF is a destructive pest that feeds on more than 70 plant species including tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), maples, apple trees, grapevine, and hops. SLF feedings can stress plants, making them vulnerable to disease and attacks from other insects, and cause significant damage to New York’s agricultural industry. SLF also excretes large amounts of sticky “honeydew,” which attracts sooty molds that interfere with plant photosynthesis, negatively affecting the growth and fruit yield of plants. SLF also has the potential to significantly hinder quality of life due to the honeydew and the swarms of insects it attracts.
To help slow the spread of SLF into New York, the quarantine requires certificates of inspection issued from the impacted states on the following regulated articles entering New York State:
• Any living life stage of the SLF.
• Brush, debris, bark, or yard waste.
• Landscaping, remodeling, or construction waste.
• Logs, stumps, or any tree parts.
• Firewood of any species.
• Packing materials, such as wood crates or boxes.
• All plants and plant parts, including but not limited to nursery stock, green lumber, fruit and produce and other material living, dead, cut, fallen (including stumps), roots, branches, mulch, and composted and uncomposted chips.
• Outdoor household articles, including, but not limited to, recreational vehicles, lawn tractors and mowers, mower decks, grills, grill and furniture covers, tarps, mobile homes, tile, stone, deck boards, mobile fire pits, and any equipment associated with these items, and trucks or vehicles not stored indoors.
• Any other article, commodity, item, or product that has or that is reasonably believed to be infested with or harboring SLF.
New York’s order requires travelers transporting any of the above items to have documentation listing the origin and destination of shipments. It also prohibits unnecessarily stops while traveling through the quarantine area. The State Department of Agriculture and Markets will operate compliance checks at strategic locations around the State to enforce the regulations.
The State’s quarantine order was developed in consultation with representatives from the forest products industry, including manufacturers and harvesters, and nurseries/landscapers, orchard and vineyard owners, and others potentially impacted by the restriction. New York also collaborated with other states where quarantines have been enacted to slow the SLF’s spread.
Earlier this month, the Department of Agriculture and Markets and DEC confirmed that SLF was found in Albany and Yates counties. A single adult insect was discovered in a vehicle in the Capital Region and a single adult insect was reported on a private Keuka Lake property in Penn Yan, Yates County.
Following both reported cases, the Department and DEC immediately began extensive surveys throughout the area. The public is encouraged to continue to report any potential sightings of SLF and to send a photo to spottedlanternfly@dec.ny.gov. Please note the location of where the insect was found, egg masses, and/or infestation signs. The public is also encouraged to inspect outdoor items such as vehicles, furniture, and firewood for egg masses. Anyone that visits the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia infested areas should thoroughly inspect their vehicle, luggage and gear for SLF and egg masses before leaving and scrape off all egg masses.
A Smartphone application is also available to help citizens and conservation professionals quickly and easily report new invasive species sightings directly to New York’s invasive species database from their phones. For more information, visit New York’s invasive species database.
The Department, DEC, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the US Department of Agriculture will continue to survey throughout the Capital District and the Finger Lakes focusing on travel corridors and high-risk areas. Extensive surveys will continue to be conducted in high-risk areas throughout the state as well as inspections of nursery stock, stone shipments, commercial transports, etc., from Pennsylvania. Education to the public as well as industry personnel will also continue. For more information on spotted lanternfly, visit DEC’s website.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 October 2018 at 1:17 pm
ALBION – The nine-member Albion Board of Education was unanimous on Monday in stating its support for a school resource officer to work in the district. The BOE said the details need to be worked out with Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni and the Albion Village Board.
“We’re all in agreement that this is a positive thing for the district,” Brown said after polling board members during Monday’s meeting.
The Village Board last week said it would support having an Albion police officer work in the schools. Chief Nenni said it would cost about $81,250 in salary and benefits to add the officer. In addition to helping make the schools more secure and build relationships with students and staff, Nenni said adding the resource officer would also help the department with its staffing during the summer.
The BOE wants to pin down the costs to the district – how much of $81,250 would the school district be expected to pay? The school year is 180 days and the officer’s full-time workload wouldn’t be fully devoted to the district during a calendar year.
The BOE also wants to know the hiring procedure for the officer, and if a backup resource officer would be available if the person assigned to the school isn’t on duty.
Nenni and school officials met last month to discuss the position. The Police Department used to have an officer assigned to the district until about a decade ago.
The police chief said an officer could be trained and ready to start with the district by Jan. 1.
Medina Central School pays the Village of Medina $60,000 to have an officer work at the district during the school year, while Lyndonville and Kendall this year are each paying the county $100,000 to have a deputy from the Sheriff’s Office work as school resource officer.
Since the Orleans Hub reported last Wednesday that the district and village were discussing the school resource officer, Brown said she has heard mostly positive comments from the community, but she told board members not everyone wants a police presence at the school district.
“The feedback is not all positive and I’ll just leave it at that,” she said.
Provided photo: State Sen. Robert Ortt and 26 fellow veterans travelled on Friday to Washington, D.C. to visit memorials and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Ortt and the 2018 WNY Warriors Flight participants stand on the steps of the Arlington National Cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater.
Press Release, State Sen. Robert Ortt
State Sen. Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) hosted 26 veterans on a flight to Washington, D.C. on Friday to visit the various memorials and pay respects to the men and women who have perished in service to our nation.
Veterans from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Operation Enduring Freedom visited several monuments including the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Vets Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
“The purpose of this flight came from a desire to honor our veterans and give them the opportunity to visit the monuments memorializing their service,” said Ortt. “This trip was also a way to offer to some of those veterans who hadn’t been able to previously travel to Washington, D.C. a chance visit these memorials and pay respects to the friends they lost.”
Thanks to Walmart, the trip came at no cost to any of the veterans or guardian volunteers who accompanied them on the trip.
Along with visiting the memorials, the group also had the opportunity to place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Dedicated to the U.S. service members who have perished without their remains being identified, the wreath laying was an opportunity few have the chance to experience.
“This wreath laying was an experience that I will keep with me the rest of my life,” said Ortt. “I hope that every American has the opportunity to witness this solemn ceremony so that they may understand the real cost of our freedoms.”
Those interested in joining Sen. Ortt for the WNY Warriors Flight next year can call the office at 716-434-0680 and ask to be placed on the contact list.
Provided photo: Albion native Katie Navarra recently won two writing awards for article in a magazine about the horse industry and lifestyle.
MECHANICVILLE – Equestrian journalist Kathryn “Katie” Navarra and her award-winning portrayals of East Coast families choosing American Western lifestyles are rewriting expectations about regions, riders and rodeos.
Two articles published in Western Horseman magazine, “Green Mountain Grown,” published in April 2018, and “Where the Pavement Ends,” published in July 2017, have both earned Navarra first-place recognition as a journalist from judges who praise her work as “masterful,” “informative,” and “reflecting skilled interviewing.” Navarra is a 1999 Albion graduate and daughter of Jim and Barb Navarra of Albion. She now lives in the Albany area.
“Green Mountain Grown,” about a multi-generation Vermont family whose 900 horses and weekly summer rodeos have made them the largest ranch east of the Mississippi, placed first in Human Interest at the AAEA-Ag Communicators Network Awards.
“Where the Pavement Ends” profiled a northeast family’s rodeo and stock company, its nationally-renowned livestock, and series of East Coast and twice-weekly summer rodeos, placed first among Farm/Ranch/Producer Profiles in the Livestock Publications Council Awards and third in the Freelance category of the American Horse Publications (AHP) Conference and Excellence in Media Awards, where Navarra also earned Honorable Mention in Single-Instructional Article for “The Creaky Performance Horse,” published in 2017 in The Horse.
In June, Navarra – who sits on the AHP board, chairs AHP membership development committee and contributes to the AHP marketing committee – completed the Empire State Association for Association Executives (ESSAE) Leadership Academy (ALA).
Navarra is a professional writer and photographer working in the equine industry since 2001. For more on her work, click here.
Kyle Preston’s photo of “Winter’s Sunset” in Brockport won first place in the Along the Trail category in the annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest. Winning images will be featured in 2019 calendar. The winning shots didn’t include any sites in Orleans County.
Press Release, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
WATERFORD – Twelve images that capture the beauty and character of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor have been selected as winners of the 13th Annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest. Winning images will be featured in the 2019 Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor calendar, which will be available for free at libraries and visitor centers beginning in December.
Judges selected first, second and third place photographs in four contest categories from nearly 300 entries. In addition, twelve photographs received an honorable mention. Winning photos may be viewed at www.eriecanalway.org/gallery.
Winning images span the entire length of the canal system from Hudson Falls on the Champlain Canal to Tonawanda at the western gateway to the Erie Canal.
“These outstanding images offer a snapshot of what makes this 500-mile ribbon of waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes a national treasure,” said Bob Radliff, Erie Canalway Executive Director. “We hope they inspire people to protect and celebrate our unparalleled canal heritage.”
The public is invited to pick up a free calendar at libraries and visitor centers beginning in December. Locations will be posted in November at: https://eriecanalway.org/get-involved/photo-contest. Funding support for the calendar comes from the New York State Canal Corporation and the National Park Service.
2019 Erie Canalway Photo Contest Winners
Classic Canal
1st Place, Mirror: Past and Present (Clay) by Suzanne Grosz, Webster, NY
2nd Place, Lyndon Road Footpath (Fairport) by Tracy Lyn Lause, Fairport, NY
3rd Place, Best Friends (Newark) by Mary E. Smith, Newark, NY
Canal Communities
1st Place, Fairport at Dawn (Fairport) by Tom Kredo, Rochester, NY
2nd Place, Sunset View of Tonawanda (Tonawanda) by Pierre Williot, Buffalo, NY
3rd Place, Morning Light (Lockport) by Robert Klick, Amherst, NY
Along the Trail
1st Place, Winter’s Sunset (Brockport) by Kyle Preston, Brockport, NY
2nd Place, Paddling the Waterford Locks (Waterford) by Stefanie Obkirchner, Amsterdam, NY
3rd Place, Richmond Aqueduct (Montezuma) by James Zeger, Sodus, NY
On the Water
1st Place, Westward Bound (Lockport) by Lee Williams, Lockport, NY
2nd Place, Sunset at the Marina (Ilion) by Cliff Oram, Ilion, NY
3rd Place, Misty Sunrise (Northumberland) by Susan Meyer, Schuylerville, NY
