File photo by Tom Rivers: The lift bridge in Medina is pictured in the background of this photo that shows The Big Apple, a sculpture by Richard Bannister.
Press Release, NY Canal Corporation
ALBANY—The New York State Canal Corporation announced today the lift bridge in Medina will be closed to all vehicular traffic on Route 63 from July 16 to Aug. 4 as repairs are made to the bridge’s lifting system.
Crews will be replacing the counterweight cables to the bridge, which carries traffic over the Erie Canal in the Orleans County village.
The pedestrian walkways will remain open during these repairs, except for a brief time after the bridge is first placed in the raised position. The pedestrian walkways will not be handicap accessible during the scheduled work period.
During the project, a signed detour for vehicles will be posted utilizing Route 31E (West Center Street and State Street), Route 271 (North Main Street) and Route 104 (Ridge Road).
Motorists using the detour routes are encouraged to plan their trips accordingly and leave extra time for travel
This work will not affect the Erie Canalway Trail or navigation on the Canal System. While a barge will slightly encroach into the channel, the normal overhead clearance will not be affected. Mariners should reduce speed, stop all forward motion, and proceed at a “No Wake” speed when traversing this area.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 June 2018 at 3:19 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Andrew Grillo leads a tennis camp this morning at the Albion High School tennis courts. Grillo is leading the camp each weekday this week from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
The camp and the summer parks program at Bullard Park are free to children in the Albion school district. Children are welcome to stop by and get registered. The Village of Albion Recreation Department runs the camps and summer parks program from Mondays through Fridays.
Hailey Neuman of Albion tosses the ball in the air and gets ready to serve it.
Grillo is being assisted at the camp by Owen Foos (right), one of the park supervisors.
Nolan Franzese of Albion hits the ball back over the net.
The parks program will also offer the following upcoming camps: wrestling for grades 6-12 from July 2-6; volleyball for grades 6-12 from July 2-6; baseball for grades 4-8 from July 9-13; and tennis for grades 5-12 from July 16-20.
ALBION – Albion Police Officer Robert Wagner and the department’s K9, Rex, came to Bullard Park on Monday for the Village of Albion’s Summer Park Program.
Wagner and Rex were a huge hit for the more than 80 children who were in attendance at the park. Following a demonstration from the K9 team, the children engaged in a cross country fun run with in the park.
The parks program is open Monday through Friday at Bullard Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
CHILDS – The Cobblestone Museum will be hosting two events this weekend at the museum, a National Historic Landmark at 14389 Ridge Rd.
The Historic Trades Fair will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and features many heritage artists plying their 19th century trades.
There will be blacksmithing, printing, spinning, butter churning, tatting, basket weaving, plein air painting, woodworking, Civil War re-enactors, fiddlers and an antique clock repair and maintenance expert.
The Cobblestone Society then on Sunday will welcome the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church and the Gaines Congregational United Church of Christ for the annual patriotic service, which starts at 11 a.m. at the Cobblestone Church. The church was built in 1834 and is the oldest cobblestone church in North America.
There were several American flags out last July for the Patriotic Service at the Cobblestone Church.
Soloists Maarit Vaga and Matilda Erakare will be singing and leading several patriotic songs. Born in Tampere, Finland, Vaga studied at the Juilliard School of Music under the tutelage of Maestro Vincent La Selva, director of the New York Grand Opera at Carnegie Hall. Vaga has appeared in several operas, including Madame Butterfly, Sister Angelica, La Boheme, and Rigoletto. Vaga’s performances and concerts earned her the 2002-2003 Finlandia Foundation’s Performer of the Year award.
Her daughter Matilda Erakare was born in Everett, WA and is the youngest in a family of musicians. She started piano lessons at 4 and soon added cello lessons, first with Jonathan Jaeger and then at the Eastman Community School of Music with Diego Garcia. In addition to music lessons, Matilda honed her skills as a dancer-singer-actor or “triple threat” in Broadway parlance, and has appeared in numerous Albion High School musicals. When not playing a leading role on stage, she participated in the pit orchestra and was a member of the Albion Purple Eagle’s Marching Band Drum Corps, playing the quads.
She frequently performs with her guitarist father, Jan-Mikael Erakare, at various events around western NY. Matilda will be finishing Genesee Community College this fall and is planning on continuing her studies in photography.
This free service is open to the public and will include patriotic readings which will be both historic and uplifting, as promised by Lay Leader Darrell Dyke of the Pullman Memorial Church. A free-will offering will be collected to benefit the Cobblestone Society. Parking is located behind the church.
Provided photos: Mary Ann Pettibon, Oak Orchard Health chief executive officer, is pictured with Mike Andriatch, Vice President for Advancement for The College at Brockport during a reception for Pettibon on June 19 at the college.
BROCKPORT – The Board of Directors of Oak Orchard Health hosted the community at a welcome reception last week in honor of its new CEO, Mary Ann Pettibon. The event took place at the College at Brockport.
The reception allowed members of local, state and federal government, as well as business owners, other health care professionals, representatives from the college and Brockport Central School, and other community members to meet Ms. Pettibon and learn more about her and about Oak Orchard Health.
Karen Watt of Albion, chairwoman of the board, delivered opening remarks and educated the guests on the complex process of finding and hiring the right person to be the CEO of a Federally Qualified Health Center like Oak Orchard. Besides the standard hiring process, CEO candidates must pass federal requirements as well. Ms. Pettibon comes to Oak Orchard with outstanding qualifications, and the Board of Directors is delighted to have her as the new CEO.
Retiring CEO Jim Cummings introduced Ms. Pettibon to the guests, mentioning what a wonderful transition period they have had working together the last month and a half. He officially retires at the end of June.
Pettibon kept her remarks brief but expressed her delight at being chosen to lead the organization. “I am energized by Oak Orchard’s passionate Board of Directors and their experienced staff, and I look forward to moving the organization ahead to the next level.”
Oak Orchard Board Chair Karen Watt with guest, Lisa Franclemont, who is coordinator of Cancer Services of Genesee and Orleans.
Pettibon comes to Oak Orchard with an Executive MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, Katz School of Business, and almost 20 years of health care administration experience in Ohio and Pennsylvania – including roles as a CEO and COO in Federally Qualified Health Centers in Ohio.
Not only well versed in the management and operations of a multi-million dollar health care facility, Pettibon has also authored grants in which she secured almost $2 million in funding for her organization. Her experience includes primary medical care, dental care, and behavioral health care along with substance abuse and pharmacy operations.
Pettibon is drawn to health care in the rural setting because she knows how patients in the rural areas struggle with access to quality medical care.
“Caring for the whole person is critical,” she said. “We have to offer integrated, coordinated care, including transportation, assistance with housing, health education … and continue to work toward breaking down barriers to quality health care that our rural population faces.”
Oak Orchard Health is one of 1,250 Federally Qualified Health Centers in the country. These centers provide primary health care to over 30 million people.
At Oak Orchard Health, the organization saw more than 21,000 people with just under 66,000 total visits in 2017 to the Oak Orchard sites in Warsaw, Hornell, Albion, Lyndonville and Brockport, as well as the mobile dental unit that sees children in Orleans County schools. Oak Orchard staff also go to farm worker living sites for important screenings and inoculations, Watt said.
BATAVIA – The work of a team of professionals from both Genesee Community College’s Admissions and Enrollment Services offices and Forest Productions and Photography, Inc. of Buffalo, was recently recognized by two well-known organizations for several recruitment initiatives.
The College’s 360 Degree Virtual Tour Video received a bronze Telly Award in the Craft Virtual Reality/360 Online Category, and also a “gold” Paragon Award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR). Click here to view GCC’s award-winning 360 Virtual Tour video.
Additionally, a series of GCC admissions materials won two “silver” placements from NCMPR’s Paragon Awards.
Developing the unique virtual tour of GCC involved a multi-talented team to create the nearly 10-minute video that allows viewers to actively engage and control their campus tour. Narrated by Val Bello, GCC’s associate professor of Communication and Media Arts (and also a DJ at MIX96 radio station in Buffalo), the tour covers all major facets of student life-from the many academic programs to student clubs, College Village to the Child Care Center, athletic teams to Campus Centers, and much more. The tour also works interactively on all types and sizes of digital platforms.
The GCC team that created the award-winning 360 virtual tour was led by Rebecca Green, recruitment communications specialist who served as GCC’s in-house producer by coordinating the many facets of the incredibly complex project which took about a year to complete. She worked closely with Michael and Christina Mandolfo of Forest Productions, who produced and directed all of the script writing, photography, video, editing and production. Overseeing the project were Tanya Lane-Martin, now GCC’s associate dean of Student Support Services but was the dean of Admissions during the project, and Dr. Virginia (Ginny) Taylor, who was the vice president for Student and Enrollment Services during the project. The GCC admissions staff also provide essential support on the project, specifically Tom Kinsey, reporting analyst, Theresa Gorecki, Career Services specialist, and Kelly Stone, clerk-typist.
“We have worked with Forest Productions for many years and on many projects. It was exciting to collaborate with them again for our online virtual tour,” Tanya Lane-Martin said. “The 360 degree virtual view of our campus was innovative and masterfully executed. We appreciate their artistic and creative vision that now illustrates our campus so beautifully. Additionally, we are very grateful to a host of students and faculty members who rallied behind this massive project and helped make it happen.”
Established in 1979, the Telly Awards are internationally known as the premier prize-honoring video and television platform across all screens. This is the second Telly Award that Forest Productions received on behalf of projects produced for GCC. The first award was for a Financial Aid video produced in 2014.
The NCMPR formed the Paragon Awards to recognize outstanding achievement in design and communication at community and technical colleges. It is the only national competition that honors excellence exclusively among marketing and public relations professionals at two-year colleges. This year, the Paragon Awards included 53 categories and the competition drew 1,943 entries from 243 colleges across the United States.
The winning GCC projects promoted the Fall 2017 Open Houses. With Forest Productions directing the photography and art direction, a series of fun, colorful postcards featured specially created cookies decorated with headlines and graphics “A Taste of GCC,” “You’re one smart cookie,” and “We’re the sweetest campus around.” These were developed and designed by Rebecca Green. Green also created a flyer series that included a dynamic new illustration of the updated GCC cougar mascot.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressmen Chris Collins (NY-27) applauded the House passage of a package of bills that take action to fight the opioid epidemic, including the passage of H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act.
The SUPPORT Act includes dozens of bills that passed the House over the past two weeks, in addition to the base text which includes provisions that previously passed the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees.
“Throughout the past two weeks, the House has been devoted to the thousands of Americans struggling with addiction, their families, and our communities in our work to end this deadly crisis,” said Collins. “Serving on the Energy and Commerce Committee, we have put an enormous amount of time and effort into studying addiction, listening to struggling families, reviewing the supply chain, and immersing ourselves into the communities that have been ravaged by this crisis. It was a heart-wrenching process, but we came up with common-sense, bipartisan solutions that will save lives.”
The opioid epidemic is claiming more than 115 lives each day, destroying families in communities across the nation. As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Collins helped craft a legislative package that would address the many issues that have led to this crisis and would implement solutions to end this epidemic.
Starting in October 2017, the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee pursued an aggressive timeline to produce this legislation prior to Memorial Day. In May, 57 bills were advanced to the House of Representatives which have passed the House throughout the past two weeks. Collins worked with colleagues across-the-aisle to co-author several pieces of legislation.
Collins joined fellow New Yorker, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries in introducing the Synthetic Drug Awareness Act of 2017 that would require the Surgeon General to report to Congress the public health effects of the rise of synthetic drug use by 12- to 18-year-olds. Currently, Congress does not have sufficient information to craft the unique types of public health and law enforcement approaches that could save our nation’s children from these dangerous substances.
Collins also introduced the Eliminating Opioid Related Infectious Diseases Act of 2018 with Congressman Leonard Lance, Congressman Joseph Kennedy, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Congressman Joe Barton, and Congresswoman Doris Matsui that focuses specifically on how the opioid epidemic has contributed to an increase in infectious diseases like Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS. Increased monitoring and education will lead to a better understanding of the impacts that this crisis is having on public health.
Building on the efforts of the Medicaid DRUG Improvement Act, Collins introduced an amendment with Congressman Scott Peters and Congressman Peter Welch that would require states to identify and address inappropriate prescribing and billing practices under Medicaid. States are currently authorized to implement prescription drug monitoring activities through their prescription drug monitoring programs and claims data, but not all states have adopted such activities.
In addition to working with the Energy and Commerce Committee, Collins worked with the Committee on Ways and Means and Congressman Tom MacArthur on introducing the Stop Excessive Narcotics in Our Retirement (SENIOR) Communities Protection Act. The SENIOR Communities Protection Act allows Medicare Advantage Part D plans to suspend payments to a provider or supplier pending an investigation of a credible allegation of fraud or abuse, as determined by the Inspector General. This legislation will help in preventing future “pill mills” from occurring.
Finally, Collins introduced legislation with Congressman Eric Paulson, Congressman Ron Kind, and Congressman Connor Lamb that would require Medicare to send an annual notice to Part D patients about the adverse effects associated with prolonged opioid use. By improving awareness and education, the Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees (CHOICE) Act will help patients be more inclined to watch for the warning signs of addiction and be more informed to talk with their doctors on their options for pain management.
Collins added: “In every community across our nation we have brokenhearted families, which is why we need immediate action. I’m thankful for President Trump’s dedication to this issue and urge the Senate to get these important bills on his desk.”
For more information on legislation to combat the opioid crisis, click here.
MEDINA – Medina’s Class of 1998 held its 20th reunion on Saturday at the Sacred Heart Club in Medina.
Front Row (L to R): Nick Lacy, Chris Grimm, Tony Tiranno, Christian Hale, Matt Haak, Nathan Pettit, Katie Granchelli, Lyndsey Macmillan (Wagner), Kelly Moriarty, LeanneOlshavsky (Hermann), Mollie McDonough, Sandra Roach (Patterson), Stephanie Thomas (Watts), Melissa Streiff (Lamar), Stephen Houseman, Eric Moule.
Middle Row: Ernest Ribbeck, Colleen Ingersoll (McGrane), Elizabeth Aszkler (Keppler), Michael Kinne, Jeff Klatt, Dale Cleaveland, Tim Winans, David Fuller, Joe Chambers, Jeffrey Elsenheimer, Shannon Jackson (Scalise), Guinevere Panek (Smith), Jessica Babcock (Smith), Jamie Michaels (Johnson), Nick Leszczynski, Mike Powlowski, Robert Ribbeck.
Top Row: Mary Dieter, Brent Barcena, David Carpenter, Jarred Saj, Brandon Myers, Joseph Sands, Kevin Donovan, Courtney Southworth Dzialo, Meghan Fuller (Schiffer), Amy Barcus, Michael Culmo, Anne Joynt, Jennifer Forrest (Root), Tiffany Nesbitt (Hartway), Mike Walter.
Also in attendance but missing from picture: Mike Gray, Jamie Duffina, Amy Fuller and Matthew Caldwell.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 June 2018 at 4:26 pm
Hub readers offered 20 percent discount to compete in the race
Courtesy of Metro 10
ALBION – The designs for the medal and shirts for the Metro 10 have been unveiled. The fourth annual race will be Aug. 18 with the runners starting either a 5- or 10-mile race at 8 a.m. The runners finish at Bullard Park.
New this year will be a 10-mile cycling race that begins at 7 a.m. and will follow a similar course as the runners. There are some differences in the racing routes. The people on bikes won’t go through the apple orchard at Watt Farms or go on the towpath.
Thom Jennings, the race director, also is offering readers of the Orleans Hub a 20 percent discount that is valid until Aug. 1. When participants sign up, enter the coupon code “THEHUB” for the discount. Click here to register.
The Metro 10 race pits two unique running communities against each other in a friendly competition where every runner’s time counts. Participants choose the city closest to their hearts.
The design for the Rochester team is a red shirt with 585 in bold. Participants who register by July 20 are guaranteed to have their names in the mosaic.
The Buffalo team has a blue shirt with 716 in bold.
Rochester has one the first three Metro 10 cups, although Buffalo is closing the gap. Rochester had a big advantage in participants the first two years, but it was nearly even last year with 201 runners for Rochester and 199 for Buffalo.
Participants in the race compete for either Buffalo or Rochester. They run either 10- or 5-mile races. (The cyclists will go 10 miles.) They earn points for the city if they finish, and some runners earn added points if they finish high in their age groups. There is also a “tenacity” bonus for the final finisher of the race.
After the race there is a post-race celebration at Bullard Park with live music that is open to the community.
Last year there were 400 runners. That was the maximum for the event in 2017. Metro 10 has been growing about 30 percent annually since its first year.
ALBION – Today, Senator Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) joined the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office for the reveal of the office’s new traffic trailers. The purchase of this new equipment was made possible due to money Sen. Ortt secured in New York State public protection funds.
The new trailers will be utilized on popular roads to help raise drivers’ awareness of the speed limit and decrease automobile accidents.
“Many of the law enforcement offices across our state, especially the ones in rural New York, struggle with the rising cost of new technology and new equipment,” said Sen. Rob Ortt. “That is why it’s crucial our state continues to do its part in assisting these localities with the increasing cost of safety. I am proud to have helped secure these funds for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, so that they may ensure a safer and better quality of life for the residents and law enforcement officers of Orleans County alike.”
“Thank you to Senator Ortt for awarding Orleans County Sheriff’s Office an important public protection grant,” said Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower. “These funds have allowed us to purchase traffic speed trailers the past two years, and we are now able to deploy the trailers to locations requested by our constituents who have speeding concerns throughout our county.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 June 2018 at 12:28 pm
ALBION – A jury reached a verdict late this morning in a case against a Medina man facing sexual assault and rape charges.
Gerardo Quiros, 31, of Medina was found guilty of many of the charges. He allegedly held a woman against her will for several weeks, while physically and sexually assaulting her.
The trial started last Monday with closing statements on Thursday. However, the jury didn’t reach a verdict on Thursday or Friday. Jurors resumed deliberations this morning at 9:30 and at about 11:30 the verdict was announced.
Quiros was found guilty of four counts of first-degree rape, three counts of criminal sexual act in the first degree, two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, one count of third-degree assault, one count of endangering the welfare of a child, one count of criminal mischief in the fourth degree, and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana.
He was found not guilty of four counts of criminal sexual act in the first degree, and one count each of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third and fifth degrees.
He is scheduled to be sentenced at 2 p.m. on Sept. 17.
BATAVIA – Genesee Community College is proud to announce the appointment of Judith M. Littlejohn to the State University of New York Faculty Advisory Council on Teaching and Technology (FACT2). SUNY FACT2 is a collaborative advisory body to the Interim SUNY Provost, Grace Wang, Ph.D.
Littlejohn, GCC’s instructional designer, will begin her three-year term on the FACT2 Council in July and will represent the community college perspectives in advising the SUNY Provost office. The purpose of the FACT2 Council is to:
• Improve the learning environment and expertise of faculty and instructional support staff;
• Enhance the teaching and learning process through the use of technologies;
• Increase networking, collaboration and sharing of best practices; and
• Advocate for appropriately equipped and designed learning spaces.
“The entire leadership team at GCC is very proud to have Judie representing community colleges on the FACT2 Council,” said Dr. Craig R. Lamb, GCC’s dean for distributed learning. “Throughout her service to the College, she has continually shown a deep interest and dedication to staying abreast of new developments within teaching and learning technology. She also helps ensure our institution as well as the SUNY system overall maintains the highest quality in the online teaching and learning environment.”
Littlejohn’s career at GCC began as a testing center associate in 2000. She quickly advanced to the department of online learning where she worked for 10 years developing online curriculum, coordinating online learning functions and acted as an advocate for inclusion of opportunities for diverse student populations. In 2015, Littlejohn became an Instructional Designer.
Honored for “Outstanding Peer Support” by participants in the Emerging Technologies Massive Open Online Course (#EmTechMOOC) in 2018, Littlejohn has also been the recipient of the SUNY FACT2 Award for Excellence in Instruction at Community Colleges in 2016, and a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service in 2014.
She earned two A.A.S. degrees in Instructional Model Making and Commercial Art – Graphic Design from GCC in 1993, a B.S. in History in 2010, and her M.A. in American History and World History in 2013, both from SUNY College at Brockport. She also holds a Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design from the University of Wisconsin Stout, which she earned in 2015. Littlejohn resides in Elba, NY with her husband, Martin and daughter, Amanda Littlejohn. Judith Littlejohn, her daughter Amanda, and daughter Laura (Littlejohn) Hare of Lockport are all GCC graduates.
The announcement of Littlejohn’s FACT2 appointment kicks off a new series of GCC news and information entitled “Recognition Matters,” which will highlight the ongoing accomplishments of the College’s faculty, staff and students. The new program intentionally plays on the dual meaning of the word “matters.” College officials are excited to feature the wide body of employees whose daily dedication to their jobs continues to foster the institution’s “beyond expectations” brand identity.
BARRE – Orleans County Sheriff Randall Bower announced that the Barre Town Park will host a Child Car Seat Check Point Event from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday during Barre’s Bicentennial Celebration.
According to data, vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ranging from 1 to 13 years of age. Preventative measures, such as proper installation of car seats, boosters and seat belts can lower many deaths and injuries. Informing and instructing parents and caregivers on child safety and proper installation of car seats is critical to saving young lives, Bower said.
The Sheriff’s Office will have certified child passenger safety technicians available to inspect car/booster seats to assure that children are in the correct seat for their size and age. If you have any questions, please contact Sgt. Kevin Colonna at 585-589-5527 or Kevin.Colonna@orleanscountyny.gov.
The Barre Town Park is located at 4594 Oak Orchard Rd.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 June 2018 at 10:39 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: Organizers of Rock the Park 5 promoted the Aug. 4 event during the Strawberry Festival Parade on June 9. Ron Alberton, right, is president of the Albion Lions Club, which helps to organize Rock the Park. Dylan DeSmit, front, and Zack Burgess also help help plan Rock the Park and are members of the band, Zero, which will be performing on Aug. 4.
ALBION – Organizers are looking forward to Rock the Park 5 on Aug. 4, when five bands, including headline 7th Heaven, play at Bullard Park.
The event, in its fifth year, has been expanded to include acoustic acts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The bands follow from 3 to 10p.m. The music festival opens at 9 a.m. with craft and artisan vendors. There will also be food vendors.
The Albion Lions Club is the leader in organizing the festival, with proceeds going to Bullard Park, specifically to put sides on an amphitheater that is headed to the park.
Organizers expect 500 to 1,000 people for the concerts.
The lineup of acoustic acts includes Dylan DeSmit, PD3, Lonesome Road, Burial Harbor, Chris Moore, Joel Russlett, Jon Strobele and Al Capurso.
The bands performing on Aug. 4 include Rock Soulgers, Zero, Shotgun Pauly and Eagle Creek with 7th Heaven taking the stage at 8 p.m.
Alex DeSmit, a drummer for the band Delano Steele, pounds the skins during the Strawberry Festival Parade.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 June 2018 at 5:36 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: This photo shows some of the wind turbines in the Town of Sheldon in Wyoming County which are about 400 feet high from the top of the blade.
BARRE – The Town of Barre is seeking resident’s input on a proposed wind energy project from Apex Clean Energy.
The proposed Heritage Wind would have up to 47 utility-scale turbines. This project is currently being reviewed under “Article 10,” a review process led by the New York State Public Service Commission for large electricity generation facilities, Barre officials state on the survey.
“Unlike other projects, the Town Board has no authority to approve or disapprove the Heritage Wind project, because it falls under the Article 10 process,” the Town says on the survey. “That decision-making power lies solely with the Public Service Commission ‘Siting Board’ composed of State officials and appointed community members. The Article 10 process also coordinates the environmental impact analysis – leaving the Town with little direct control over the environmental review process, unlike the familiar procedure of State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR).”
Residents are asked to complete the survey by July 27. The survey can be picked up and dropped off at the Barre Town Hall, 14317 West Barre Rd. or completed online by clicking here.
Although Barre doesn’t have any official vote in the project, town officials can contribute to the Article 10 evaluation “by identifying unique or vulnerable environmental resources that require special attention in our community. The Town can also request additional information or improvements to the studies planned by the wind developer to address our most pressing concerns.”
A community forum will be held at the Town Hall at 6 p.m. on July 18.
Some of the questions on the survey include:
• What is your attitude towards the Heritage Wind project in Barre? – supportive, neutral, opposed or needs more information.
• Identify locally valuable resources that may be impacted while constructing or operating wind turbines. Please be specific by including location, name (if applicable) and reason(s).
• Which of the following concerns could be significant in the Town of Barre and require a careful evaluation of potential local impacts?
This question asks to rank the level of the importance – minimal concern, less important, top priority or no opinion/don’t know – for the following: noise from wind turbines, change in rural character, change in views from height of turbines, shadow flicker, loss of agricultural resources or farming inconvenience, negative impact on property value, roadway deterioration, setbacks from property lines and buildings, possibility of health effects due to living near turbines, public safety (due to fire, blade/ice throw, tower collapse, etc.), wildlife impacts (loss of bird and bats, etc.), impacts to TV, cell phone or radio reception, complaint procedure – how the developer will respond and resolve issues, decommissioning and the eventual removal of turbines, and other (please specify).
The last question asks the respondents to share any additional comments.
For more on the proposed project, click here to be directed to to the Heritage Wind website.
BATAVIA – Genesee Community College is proud to announce the appointment of Judith M. Littlejohn to the State University of New York Faculty Advisory Council on Teaching and Technology (FACT2). SUNY FACT2 is a collaborative advisory body to the Interim SUNY Provost, Grace Wang, Ph.D.
