Press Release, Albion Police Chief Roland D. Nenni III

ALBION – The Albion Police Department will be participating in the “Buckle Up New York Campaign” from May 21 to June 3. The Police Department was awarded a $5,984 grant from the New York State Governors Traffic Safety Committee to participate in this statewide initiative.

The Albion Police Department will have extra police officers on duty during this 14-day enforcement wave. These officers will be conducting road checks and patrolling throughout the village to ensure seatbelt compliance.

The main factors that cause fatalities in motor vehicle accidents continues to be speeding, not wearing seatbelts and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The safety of our streets continues to be one of the number one goals of the Albion Police Department. We will continue to strive to make our community safe.

Over the past several years year the Albion Police Department has worked hard to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians. Using details such as pedestrian crosswalk operations, DWI check points and other focused patrols, we have taken several dangerous motorists off our roadways and also prevented countless injuries and deaths through our seat belt enforcement efforts.

The Albion Police Department is proud to have won the Automobile Association of America’s Community Traffic Safety Platinum Award for the past three consecutive years. This award shows the commitment and dedication the officers of the Albion Police Department have for the safety of our motorists and pedestrians.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The top three poster creators for the Albion Strawberry Festival are pictured today after they were recognized at the Albion Rotary Club meeting. Pictured from left include: Janelis Mateo, second place; Rebekah Thompson, first place; and Kaleigh Albanese, third place.

All three are seniors. There were about 40 entries from Albion students in the contest.

This year’s festival will be June 8-9 with the theme celebrating cobblestones. Thompson’s artwork will be used on posters and other promotional materials for the festival, which is now in its 32^nd year.

Provided photo – Pictured from left include: Josh Allen (Lyndonville), Joe Biaselli (Medina), Dr. Clark Godshall, Byron Gow (Newfane) and Haley Kelkenberg (Lockport).

Not only does District Superintendent Dr. Clark Godshall run the Orleans/Niagara BOCES and consult with 13 school districts, he occasionally goes back to his roots and teaches a lesson or two.

Recently he stopped into Tracey Dahlhaus’ Landscaping and Design program to teach the students how to change the oil in a riding lawnmower. He first talked in front of the class and asked his student assistant, Haley Kelkenberg, to take notes as he questioned the class on what tools and items they would need to accomplish the task.

Once they determined their course of action, they headed out to the shop where they changed the oil with Dr. Godshall taking the lead on the process.

“I really enjoyed working with the students,” said Dr. Godshall.

Mrs. Dahlhaus says the students really enjoyed their guest teacher. “They had a great time and would definitely like to have him back for another lesson.”

Press Release, Orleans Economic Development Agency

ALBION – The Orleans County Economic Development Agency secured $200,000 in GAIN (Growing the Agriculture Industry Now) loan proceeds for LynOaken Farms of Lyndonville through the agency’s Orleans Land Restoration Corporation.

LynOaken Farms will use the funds to update a packing line through the purchase of machinery and equipment, allowing the company to meet upcoming USDA, FDA and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) requirements, increasing efficiencies and adding new markets and product streams.

“We’re thrilled to be making this investment in local agriculture and for the assistance from the Orleans County Economic Development Agency,” said Wendy Oakes Wilson, general manager of LynOaken. “It will enable us to grow and expand our markets for years to come.”

The overall project includes the construction of a pole barn to house the new packing line and refrigerated finished storage, an internal build out of office administrative space and a pallet racking system at the Ridge Road location in Medina.

“The expansion of LynOaken is an outstanding example of an Orleans County farm business that has successfully grown, over the past 99 years, and diversified to actively compete in the marketplace,” said Jim Whipple, chief executive officer of the EDA. “Our agency was eager to support this newest expansion project through OLRC and the GAIN program.”

Apple growers in Orleans County since 1919, LynOaken Farms is a 250-plus acre diversified family farm operation that has consistently expanded to adapt and meet changes in the industry. They currently operate with 27 full-time, year around, employees supported by 50-60 seasonal employees; additional employment is projected over the next 3 years. The orchard operation began on Platten Road in Lyndonville and now includes a sales, u-pick, packing and storage operation on Ridge Road in Medina, New York.

ALBION – Four people have been charged for selling drugs that law enforcement officials believe are responsible for the recent spike of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses in Orleans County.

Giovanni M. Serrano

The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force has identified a group of individuals and locations  in the City of Rochester, where quantities of the lethal drug fentanyl, also known as “gray death,” have been sold to many people from Orleans County, the Task Force said this afternoon.

In the investigation, the Task Force worked with the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (G.R.A.N.E.T)., the Rochester Police Department Tactical Unit, ICE/Homeland Security investigations and the Albion Police Department. The agencies executed three search warrants in the City of Rochester and arrested four people on numerous drug charges. One of the individuals was a 15-year-old boy.

Carlos Serrano

Police executed search warrants at 46 Conkey Ave., 79 Avenue B. and 45 Radio St., all in the city of Rochester, and seized 37 grams of fentanyl, 6 grams of heroin, marijuana, over $7,000 in cash, scales, packaging and other drug paraphernalia.

Police arrested:

• Giovanni M. Serrano, 19, was charged with 13 counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree (class B felonies). Serrano is currently on probation for a violent felony regarding a weapons charge in Monroe County, according to a news release from the Task Force.

• Carlos Serrano, 21, was charged with 3 counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree.

Nelvin Raul Martinez

• Nelvin Raul Martinez, 18, was charged with 3 counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree.

• A 15-year-old juvenile was charged with one count of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree (class B felony).

Giovanni M. Serrano, Carlos Serrano and Nelvin Raul Martinez were arraigned in Gaines Town Court  by Justice Bruce Schmidt. Giovanni M. Serrano was committed to the Orleans County Jail on $250,000 cash bail or $500,000 bond. Carlos Serrano and Nelvin Raul Martinez were also committed to the County Jail on $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond. All  three are to appear in Albion Town Court at 9 a.m. on May 21.

“Orleans County law enforcement is committed to tracking down the source of these dangerous drugs no matter where, and arrest the individuals who are responsible for plaguing our communities with these dangerous drugs,” said Joe Sacco, supervising investigator for the Task Force.

Joyce LaLonde has autoimmune condition that made her hair fall out

Photos courtesy of Joyce LaLonde: Joyce LaLonde hasn’t shied away from going bald. When she started to lose her hair, some people encouraged her to get a wig. “Societal standards of beauty are incredibly off base in many ways, and the significance of hair is one of those ways,” she writes in SELF magazine.

Joyce LaLonde has been Rapunzel during Halloween, with her flowing mane of red hair a highlight of the costume. For much of her childhood and in college, LaLonde’s red hair was a big part of her identity.

Now the Albion native, 22, is bald after losing her hair. She has alopecia, an autoimmune condition that causes hair to fall out. She started to notice the hair loss a year ago.

LaLonde graduated from Syracuse University in May 2017. She and her friends celebrated that milestone by going on a trip to Central America. On that trip she noticed a bald spot on her head. In the next three months, more bald spots appeared as her hair became thin. Finally, in August she shaved her head.

LaLonde posted a selfie on social media, letting people know she had alopecia. She said she was determined to rock the bald look. More than 1,000 people liked her post and gave her strong affirmation.

She had a hashtag about alopecia on her post, and that is how SELF found her and reached out to her.

Almost a year after her hair started to fall out, LaLonde isn’t optimistic it will come back. She has changed her diet, exercised more and made other changes for her health. In some cases, those changes have made a difference for people with alopecia.

Many people who see her assume she has cancer or some other disease. In reality, LaLonde said she may be the healthiest she’s ever been, she just doesn’t have any hair.

Joyce’s long strawberry blonde hair was a big part of her identity growing up.

This week she is one of seven women with alopecia featured by SELF magazine. Lalonde is the first of seven women profiled in the magazine.

She says society is very beauty focused and attaches too much significance to hair. She acknowledges going bald is difficult.

“I cried in the process of losing my hair,” she said.

However, when she shaved her head, “it was liberating.”

For some people with alopecia, going bald is like grieving the loss of a limb, she said.

LaLonde works at Syracuse University as a student communications specialist. She earned her bachelor’s degree there in public relations and policy studies.

Doctors don’t know why she developed alopecia. Not knowing the cause makes it difficult to treat.

LaLonde is the daughter of Steve and the late Dr. Kathy LaLonde. Dr. LaLonde also went bald, and would succumb to cancer at age 54. Joyce said she is grateful her baldness isn’t from a serious disease.

“I feel very fortunate,” she said.

And her friends and family “have all been incredible.”

LaLonde had never heard of alopecia until a year ago. Some kids get it in elementary and middle school.

“I have it easy, really,” she writes in SELF. “I made it to 22 with a head full of Rapunzel hair. I had hair through middle school.”

To see the article in SELF, click here.

ALBION – A popular event is coming to Bullard Park in Albion at 9 a.m. on June 16. For the first time in Orleans County, there will be a Color Fun Run.

Albion’s Class of 2019 is organizing the event, where participants can run loops at the park while getting sprayed with colored corn starch that easily washes off.

Participants can walk or run 3 miles, or much less.

“The goal is to get as much color as you want,” said Kate Krieger, the class vice president.

The races are popular at Darien Lake and at bigger venues in cities.

“Everywhere they do this is at least 40 minutes away,” said Hannah VanEpps, one of the class officers.

McKenna Boyer, the class president, did a Color Run when she was in middle school. That event was at Monroe Community College. Class Advisor Valerie Pettit also did one with a group of teachers at Darien Lake.

The Class of 2019 has been looking for fundraisers that would offer great bonding moments, and also generate revenue to reduce the costs of the prom next year. Prom tickets are usually $50 to $60. The Class of 2019 is hoping to cut those costs in half next year for the prom.

The Color Run is open to everyone, including people outside of Albion.

Boyer said it will be a festive atmosphere with a DJ, and the freshmen and sophomore classes selling refreshments.

The Color Run includes a race bib, color packet and T-shirt. Click here for more information about registration. The Albion Running Club is helping to organize the event on June 16.

Kate Krieger, Hannah VanEpps, Mckenna Boyer and Yadi Rosario said the Color Run provides a great opportunity for photographs.

HOLLEY – Six candidates have turned in petitions to run for the Holley Village Board in the June 19 election.

Mayor Brian Sorochty is seeking another two-year term as mayor. He is being challenged by Shawn O’Mara, who works as a police officer with the Gates Police Department.

Two current village trustees – Conni Nenni and Kevin Lynch, the deputy mayor – are also seeking re-election. They are challenged by Alexa Downey and Robyn Schubmehl.

Candidates need to turn in petitions signed by at least 50 village residents who are eligible voters. There is a deadline of Friday for additional candidates, although no one else has picked up a petition.

Holley is the only village in Orleans County that holds its election in June. The others – Albion, Lyndonville and Medina – have elections in March.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – A huge congratulations to the 16 students who graduated from the Orleans/Niagara BOCES Practical Nursing Program. Successful completion of the program entitles the graduates to apply to take the New York State Licensing Exam.

Mary-Lyn Adkins, Brittany Bennett, Shannah Bosley, Keiona Cannon, Brittany Falcone, Hanna Kinkaid, Amy Lagace,  Renee Leonarczyk, Alexandra Mante, Sarah Matthews, Kassidy McFall, Patricia Rinehart, Robert Seyler, Gabrielle Smith, Kelli Tubinis, Sonja Vasiliou were recognized at a ceremony and received their nursing pins to commemorate their journey to become a nurse.

Karen Kwandrans, Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ Health Occupations coordinator, said she is very proud of the graduates and the program.

“We recently received word that we were ranked the number six program out of 61 by Annual PracticalNursing.org!”

The Practical Nursing Program is currently testing for the next class beginning July 2018. Go to www.onboces.org for more information.

Cindy Perry, right, director of education, wellness and marketing for Orleans Community Health’s Community Partners, introduces cancer survivor Carol D’Agostino of Kendall in the dark at For Women Only after power in the Lyndonville area went out Tuesday night.

By Ginny Kropf, correspondent

LYNDONVILLE – The 22nd annual For Women Only was a night to celebrate and educate women, said Cindy Perry, director of education, wellness and marketing at Orleans Community Health’s Community Partners.

It also presented a bit of a challenge when half way through the evening, the power in the Lyndonville area went out, and the only light available was from the ladies’ cell phones.

The event not only celebrates cancer survivors, but provides an evening of entertainment while stressing the importance of early detection. Perry said that money donated to the event stays right in Orleans County to help underinsured, those with no insurance or those who just fall through the cracks.

Many of the nearly 200 women in the room have attended every one, while for others, like Kellie Hurrell of Medina, it was the first one.

Hurrell is only two years from breast cancer detection. After moving to Massachusetts for 10 years, she moved back to Medina in 2013 and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016.

“I’m so blessed it happened while I lived here,” she said.

She said she thought For Women Only was a wonderful event for women.

Lisa Franclemont, coordinator of Cancer Services Program of Genesee and Orleans counties, said she just loves the concept of For Women Only.

“It’s not just for survivors, but all women,” Franclemont said. “We are all touched by cancer. Nearly everyone is either currently in the fight or a survivor, or we know someone who is.”

Women had an opportunity to visit several vendors’ booths, including wine tasting.

Artist Carol Culhane of Gaines designed this Tree of Life, which was displayed at For Women Only Tuesday night at White Birch Country Club. Culhane placed a dot on the tree for any woman who wanted to honor or memorialize a loved one affected by cancer.

Local artist Carol Culhane designed a Tree of Life, on which she painted a dot for any woman who wanted to honor or memorialize anyone affected with cancer. The painting will be donated to Medina Memorial Hospital.

Guest speaker was Chelsea Young, who talked about “Simple Steps to a Healthier Home,” and the positive impact on one’s health by changing to essential oils and natural products. Nearly all cleaning and beauty products contain toxic chemicals, many of which are not regulated or tested long term, she said.

Chelsea Young, guest speaker at Orleans Community Health’s For Women Only, talked about “Simple Steps to a Healthier Home,” urging women to read the labels on products they buy and consider changing to natural ones.

She urged women to read the labels when purchasing any of these products. She said the American Lung Association lists cleaning supplies and household chemicals among the top indoor air pollutants. Young said 133 different carcinogens have been detected in products we use every day, and candles and air fresheners are on the top 10 list.

She grew up in what she called an “unhealthy home,” where everyone had health problems. Her father was diabetic, her mother had chronic infections and she had to have regular allergy shots.

“The day we made the decision to try essential oils and natural products was the day we began to take our lives back,” Young said.

Two cancer survivors shared the story of their journey from being diagnosed with breast cancer to their successful surgeries.

Carol D’Agostino, principal of Kendall High School, said she doesn’t like to talk about herself, but felt it was important to step outside her comfort zone to help others going through the same thing. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer 25 years ago when she was only 32 years old.

As in many cases, cancer doesn’t strike when it is convenient. D’Agostino was an adult in college, trying to finish her degree. She found the lump when her arms were aching after a day of Christmas shopping.

She met with doctors and settled on a course of action. She was scheduled to start teaching in September and she was determined to meet that goal.

“The hardest part was that nagging queasiness in my head – would I ever see my grandchildren,” she said.

The surgery was successful, but then on January 2, 2017, her cancer journey began anew when she was again diagnosed with breast cancer.

“That’s the reason to have a mammogram every year, so you can catch the cancer early,” D’Agostino said.

This second diagnosis came as she and her husband, with their family, were preparing to go on a cruise in April to celebrate her 40th anniversary.

“I didn’t want to give cancer control over my life,” she said, determined not to cancel their cruise.

Her surgery was scheduled Feb. 14 and she opted to have a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery at the same time – a procedure which took eight hours.

“My outcome was positive because I had regular mammograms and they found the cancer early,” D’Agostino said.

A group of women called the Lawn Chair Ladies from Kendall entertained at the 22nd annual For Women Only Tuesday night at White Birch Golf Club in Lyndonville.

Marie Preston of Kent shared a much different journey, being a cancer survivor for two years.

Her story began with her adoption by foster parents and growing up in the town of Greece. She married her husband Jim and in 2011 had a job as manager for an RV park at a country club.

They had started a landscaping business and planned to move to Myrtle Beach, when in September he was not feeling well. He went to work, but collapsed at his desk. He was diagnosed with colitis and died in the night.

“My dreams, my plans, my financial support were all gone,” Preston said. “I was too young to get Social Security. I didn’t know what to do.”

A friend in Florida sent her a ticket to come down for a visit, and she was all packed to go when she discovered a lump on the right side of her breast. At 7:30 a.m. the next day, she was at the Wendy Logan Clinic, as she had to be at the airport at 3:30 p.m. After her mammogram, she was told she needed to stay for an ultrasound as they had found something in her left breast. Then she needed a biopsy.

“They told me I had better not go on this trip,” Preston said.

Then came the call nobody wants to hear, she said.

Surgery was scheduled for January 26 and she underwent a lumpectomy.

In April, she started radiation.

“While I was still recuperating, I learned I would not have a job in the spring,” Preston said. “I now had no job and was not up to par to look for a new one.”

Fortunately, a campground owner she had come in contact with at her previous job heard about her situation and offered her a job at his campground on Conesus Lake. It was a good hour’s drive, but it was a job.

“I finished radiation, started my new job and made new friends,” she said. “But I still started and ended my days crying.”

This went on for a year, and then her son James got her interested in the landscaping business.

“He told me I was not alone in my grief,” she said. “He said he had lost his dad and his business partner, also. He told me to pick myself up and dust myself off.”

She did – she decided to open a gift shop and country market to complement the landscaping business.

On Saturday, Preston’s Country Market at 14877 Ridge Rd., Kent, will celebrate its grand opening.

Dr. Mary Rykert-Wolf with Orleans Community Health in Albion, added her message about the importance of early detection.

She had two women in her life – one is her mom and the other her aunt.

“My mom had early detection and is here with me,” Wolf said. “My aunt smoked and should have had a CAT scan of her lungs, but didn’t. She collapsed in December and was dead by January. You have to take care of yourself. If you find it early, you’re good. You have to do it for your family, because when you’re dead, they’re the ones suffering.”

The evening concluded with a basket raffle.

Photo by Tom Rivers: David Sevenski (right) is president of the Medina Board of Education. The board met Tuesday to accept bids for a construction project. Sevenski supports having a student on the BOE.

MEDINA – The Board of Education will have a new ex-officio member next school year, a student leader who will offer insights on how board decision affect the student body.

Voters on Tuesday approved, 259-75, having a student on the Board of Education, without voting privileges. The student also won’t be allowed in executive session where the board discusses personnel and litigation.

The board will determine the process for appointing the student. Some districts have the student body president fill the role, and others go through an application process. The one stipulation is the student must be a senior. Medina can also have an alternate because the student will likely be busy attending other school activities.

“It’s two-sided,” said David Sevenski, the board president who supported having a student on the board. “We’ll get the benefit of their insight and they’ll get to see the interworkings of a municipal government.”

The BOE typically meets twice a month. Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent, urged the board to embrace a student perspective. He said other districts have students as ex-officio members.

“It will give students a voice,” Kruzynski said. “It has been tried throughout the state.”

Medina will have a student on a trial basis for two years, and can extend it after that.

“Our board was all for it,” Kruzynski said. “They want to hear from the students.”

MEDINA – The Board of Education approved $25,183,948 in construction bids on Tuesday evening for a slew of improvements at all three school buildings, the bus garage, and Vet’s Park. There will also be a new access road between Oak Orchard Elementary School and Clifford Wise Middle School.

The new access road will be built this summer. That bid was approved for DiFiore Construction of Rochester for $4,698,000 and includes reconstructing the junior varsity softball and baseball fields, and also rebuilding the track. The bid also includes an entrance at Vet’s Park, a new press box and bleachers.

The bids overall came in low enough that the district doesn’t need to remove any pieces of the capital project, except for one. The district was interested in having a gate made of Medina sandstone at Vet’s Park. But materials cost about $250,000 and labor would have been another $100,000.

Mark Kruzynski, the school superintendent, said the district couldn’t in “good conscience” approve that much for the gate. Some Medina sandstone will likely be used in the gate, but it will be mostly made of “cultured stone,” Kruzynski said.

District residents approved the $32,588,000 capital project on Dec. 21, 2016. The State Education Department gave final approval to the project with a building permit on Monday.

Other bids accepted on Tuesday include:

• $6,264,300 for general trades, Concept Construction in Elma;

• $1,385,248 for windows, TGR Enterprises in West Seneca;

• $1,157,000 for plumbing, Thurston Dudek LLC of Ontario, NY;

• $2,607,000 for mechanical one, Quackenbush Co. in Buffalo;

• $2,749,600 for mechanical two, Mollenberg-Betz, Inc. of Buffalo;

• $1,864,600 for mechanical three, Hoot Mechanical & Electrical of Lockport;

• $3,770,000 for electrical, Frey Electric Construction of Tonawanda;

• $688,200 for temperature controls, U & S Services of Tonawanda.

Kruzynski said it’s “very great news” that the overall costs are within budget.

The construction projects will be spread over two summers with some work during the school year.

The project will replace 50-year-old windows at Oak Orchard Elementary School, and the school campus will have air-conditioning for the first time. The district is replacing HVAC units with much more efficient systems, Kruzynski said.

Here is a breakdown of the project:

• Health, Safety and Code Compliance: The district will replace aging bus lifts, upgrade the fire alarm systems, door hardware and toilets.

The roof, ceiling panels and wall panels will all be upgraded at the swimming pool.

Windows and a generator will be replaced at Oak Orchard Elementary School. Those windows are more than a half century old.

The project expenses are broken out to an estimated $3,637,300 at the elementary school, $2,562,400 at the middle school, $892,800 at high school, $561,500 at bus garage and $7,000 at concession stand.

• HVAC: All three school buildings, as well as the bus garage, will have HVAC totally overhauled with $4,728,200 planned for the high school, $4,115,200 at the middle school, $4,103,000 at the elementary school and $649,900 for the bus garage.

The district also will add air-conditioning for the high, middle and elementary schools at $285,600 per building or $856,800 total. The HVAC and air conditioning projects will be funded 98 percent by the state. The boilers are all about 25 years old and are nearing the end of the their useful lives. If the district tried to fix a boiler or install air-conditioning outside of a capital project, Medina would have to pay 100 percent of the costs.

• Information Technology: The district wants to move the network operations center from the basement of the district office to Oak Orchard Elementary School. The project will also add fiber optics to handle future needs as Medina moves to more electronic devices and on-line testing.

• Academics/Programs at High School: The project will include upgraded science rooms, renovations in library (by knocking out a wall and expanding to a next-door computer lab), replacing windows and renovating toilet facilities.

A pole barn will also be built for storage for marching band equipment (so no longer have to rent at Olde Pickle Factory).

The gym bleachers will be renovated, and JV softball and baseball fields will be upgraded. There also will be renovations in Ag Classroom and greenhouse.

• Academics/Programs at Middle School: The project includes renovations to the auditorium with stage floor, carpet, houselighting, some lighting and sound, and also some toilet renovations.

• Academics/Programs at Elementary School: The project includes auditorium renovations – carpet, seating, general, and improvements to toilets, new drinking fountains, classroom storage units with sinks, upgrades to the playground, and provisions to abate hazardous materials if any are found inside walls during the construction project.

• Site work for track: The track has already been resurfaced once and patched several times and the state won’t pay for another resurfacing but will aid a reconstruction of the site. The rebuilt track will have six lanes, event area, a scoreboard, and fencing and paving.

• Site work for road from elementary to middle school: A campus road will be constructed between Oak Orchard Elementary and Wise Middle School for bus traffic. The road will be heavy duty for buses.

The project includes demolition, removal and grading, as well as new sidewalks, stormwater management, parking and road lighting, removal of playground and construction of a new one for younger elementary-age students, and restored landscaping.

A new parking lot with room for 70-75 vehicles also will be added.

The $32,588,000 approved for the project includes legal, architectural and engineering costs, which weren’t included in the bids approved on Tuesday.

Dairies, facing historically low milk prices, are critical to rural economy

Press Release, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, on Tuesday called on U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to authorize $300 million in emergency relief funding for dairy farmers immediately.

Dairy farmers across New York are suffering from historically low dairy prices and are forced to shoulder an increasing amount of debt in order to continue operating their farms. The USDA has the authority to provide direct financial assistance to struggling agricultural industries. This authority has been used most recently in 2016 and 2018 to support and protect cotton farmers. Gillibrand called on the USDA to utilize this authority once more for dairy farmers in New York and across the country.

“Dairy farms are at the heart of New York’s rural economy, but milk prices are so low that more than 1,200 dairy farms have shut down in just the last decade, and many more are on the brink of failing. This is a crisis right in our own backyard,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I’m calling on the USDA to immediately provide financial assistance to our dairy producers. I want this emergency funding to go directly to the farmers who need it, so they can keep producing milk without going bankrupt. The USDA should do the right thing and give our dairy farmers the help they need now.”

Dairy farmers could receive $8,000 on average if the USDA complies with Gillibrand’s request. This funding would be paid directly to farmers as part of their milk check. New York is the third-largest dairy producing state, with more than 4,400 dairies producing nearly 15 billion pounds of milk each year. These farms are the bedrock of the agricultural economy and rural communities throughout the state. Every dollar of on-farm milk sale generates $2.29 in the local economy, and for every full-time worker on a dairy farm, another 1.5 jobs are created in other parts of the food industry.

Provided photos

ROCHESTER – Brendan LeBaron, an Albion eighth-grader, is pictured with Spikes, the Rochester Red Wings mascot. Brendan, 14, threw out the first pitch at tonight’s game at Frontier Field.

Brendan made the ceremonial pitch for his grandfather, Bill Smout, who was recognized before the game as the Lifespan Volunteer of the Month. Brendan is the son of the Rev. Randy LeBaron, pastor of the Albion Free Methodist Church, and Sheryl LeBaron, an Albion elementary school teacher.

Brendan also played for the St. Mary’s Athletic Club in the Albion Midget League and has moved up to the U-14 league.