Two local licensed practical nurse programs are among the top ranked in the state, according to the latest rankings by the Annual PracticalNursing.org.
Niagara County Community College was ranked third in the state and the Orleans-Niagara BOCES was sixth out of 67 programs.
The rankings are largely based on NCLEX-PN exam first-time pass rates over the past several years. The NCLEX-PN exam is used by state boards of nursing around the country for testing proficiency and granting licensure.
NCCC earned a 98.15 overall score for third in the rankings with the Orleans-Niagara BOCES at 95.39 for sixth.
The New York State Department of Transportation has announced a travel advisory for motorists along the Lake Ontario State Parkway in Monroe County, for a ramp closure which goes into effect Thursday, May 3, until Wednesday, May 9.
NYSDOT will close the eastbound on-ramp to the Lake Ontario State Parkway at Hamlin Beach State Park to allow for concrete repairs on the bridge deck over Yanty Creek. This work is part of the ongoing Lake Ontario State Parkway Paving Project, which began in April.
Along with the ramp closure, the eastbound right lane of the Lake Ontario State Parkway will be closed at the ramp.
A detour will be posted for motorists to take Moscow Road to Route 19 to access the Lake Ontario State Parkway.
Motorists are reminded that fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. In accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver’s license.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 May 2018 at 4:51 pm
Take-back events deemed a success; year-round collection boxes available
Photo by Tom Rivers: Scott Wilson, Orleans County jail superintendent and coordinator of the National Prescription Take-Back initiative in Orleans County, said the county’s prescription drug take-back events have been a success the past six years, resulting in more than 6,000 pounds of unused prescriptions being dropped off at sites in Holley, Albion and Medina. He presented information today from recent take-back events. (The DEA no longer wants a participant count.)
ALBION – Orleans County had more prescription drugs dropped off on April 28 as part of a National Prescription Take-Back initiative than many other nearby similar-size counties.
The event on April 28 resulted in residents dropping off 644 pounds at three locations in Orleans County, with 387 pounds at the Orleans County Public Safety Building in Albion, 205 pounds at the Medina Fire Department, and 72 collected at the Holley Fire Department.
There were 8,347 pounds collected from 8 Western New York counties, including 627 from Allegany, 548 from Cattaraugus, 995 from Chautauqua, 3,186 from Erie, 530 from Genesee, 549 from Niagara, 664 from Orleans and 75 from Wyoming.
Scott Wilson, the county jail superintendent and coordinator of the take-back event in Orleans, said the events are well publicized in Orleans through the local media and advertisements by the Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition.
The take-back events are a collaborative effort with the U.S. Department of Justice – Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orleans County Health Department and the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse.
The events are an opportunity for the public to surrender unwanted and/or expired medications for safe and proper disposal. Sheriff Randy Bower said the events have dramatically reduced the risk of prescription drug diversion and abuse, taking thousands of pounds of prescription drugs out of the community.
There are collection boxes available year-round at the Public Safety Building, and Albion, Holley and Medina police departments, during regular business hours. The Public Safety Building and Medina Police Department also collect sharps.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 May 2018 at 1:47 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Mark Cye, chief executive officer for Orleans Community Health, is pictured by Medina Memorial Hospital, which is part of OCH.
MEDINA – Mark Cye is now officially the chief executive officer of Orleans Community Health. He has been serving as the interim leader since Jan. 1.
The OCH board of directors on April 24 voted to make him the CEO.
“It was a unanimous decision by the board of directors,” said Dawn Meland, president of the board. “He demonstrates professionalism and vision for OCH and was instrumental in developing the affiliation with Rochester Regional Health. Mark understands the need for our community to continue to offer quality services close to home. He is an excellent manager with a strong financial background and is highly respected by our employees as well as the medical staff.”
Last month OCH entered into an affiliation with Rochester Regional Health. Through the agreement, Orleans Community Health will contract select health care services from Rochester Regional Health and its hospital in Batavia, United Memorial Medical Center.
Orleans Community Health remains its own independent organization under the terms of this agreement.
Cye has worked 20 years in healthcare, including an earlier stint as controller for OCH from 2006 to 2008.
The weather conditions today for Orleans County and Western New York make the area vulnerable to the rapid spread of wild fires, the National Weather Service said.
A red flag warning has been issued for WNY until 8 p.m. due to the wind and low humidity.
“The potential exists for rapid development and spread of wild fires or for prescribed burns to get out of control,” the Weather Service said. “Outdoor burning is not recommended.”
A New York State Burn Ban prohibits outdoor open burning between March 16 and May 14.
A wind advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. with southwest winds from 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 mph.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also has issued an air quality health advisory today from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. for Orleans and several WNY counties.
Air quality levels in outdoor air are predicted to be greater than an air quality index value of 100 for ozone, the DEC said.
When pollution levels are elevated, the New York State Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects. People who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include the very young and those with pre-existing respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease.
E-Z Shop in Lyndonville sold the ticket last month
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent
LYNDONVILLE – John and Barb Champlin thought it was pretty exciting when a $65,000 Take 5 ticket was sold in January at their convenience store, the E-Z Shop in Lyndonville.
But that didn’t compare with their excitement to learn a $1 million scratch-off had been sold there in April.
“We’ve owned Champs in Ridgeway for 20 years and the E-Z Shop for 17, and never have we had a really big winner,” Barb Champlin said. “Now we’ve had two in three months. It is quite exciting.”
The Take 5 ticket in January was won by Ron Coon of the Lyndonville/Barker area, according to Champlin.
The $1 million winner has yet to be identified. The chances of winning the $1 million prize are 1 in 2,039,400, according to NY Lottery. The winning scratch-off ticket cost $10 in the Winner Cashword.
Champlin said the lucky tickets have upped sales of lottery tickets at the E-Z Shop by 10 to 15 percent.
She also said the store receives a percentage of wins on Power Ball and Mega drawings, but not on lottery tickets.
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Jack Wheatley of Medina is one of 10,000 in New York state who is awaiting a kidney transplant. Here he is shown with his nurses, Abigail Roberts and Dorothy Nolan, both certified clinical hemodialysis technicians, and his wife Sherry, after being hooked up for dialysis, a procedure which takes 3 1/2 to 4 hours three times a week.
MEDINA – Jack Wheatley is playing a waiting game – one he hopes will end soon with a healthy kidney.
Wheatley must undergo dialysis three times a week while he waits for a donor for a kidney. Wheatley is one of 120,000 people nationwide waiting for an organ transplant.
In New York alone, more than 10,000 people are awaiting organs, according to Donate Life in New York.
Wheatley has been on dialysis for two years, according to his wife, the former Sherry Lanning of Albion.
She wishes there was a way to make more people aware of the need for organ donors.
Jack’s condition stems from having systemic lupus for the last 30 years. He has been on steroids, which beats his body up, Sherry said.
The couple’s love story began four decades ago. He was a patient at the dentist’s office where she works, and it was love at first sight.
“I fell on my desk and said, ‘Who is that guy,’ and he went home and told his mom he had met this girl,” Sherry said.
They’ve been married 38 years.
“It’s pretty hard to watch someone you love go through this and not feel good all the time,” Sherry said of her husband’s wait for an organ donor. “It’s not about being unable to go on fancy vacations. It just about being able to sit at home, holding hands and watching TV, knowing he feels good.”
Jack started his dialysis at home, but had to go to Millard Fillmore Hospital in Buffalo three days a week after developing a hernia. He is now able to have dialysis at Lake Plains Dialysis in Medina, but the procedure still takes a toll on him.
“Your body feels like it’s running a marathon, and you just crash,” Sherry said. “The next day you feel better, then it’s time to start again. It feels like having the flu all the time.”
She said if they want to go on vacation, they have to find a dialysis center close by, and then Jack’s not going to feel good afterwards.
Jack finally had to give up his job at NAPA in Albion, but still tries to work a few hours a day at NAPA in Medina.
“That just killed him to have to quit working in Albion,” Sherry said. “He doesn’t have a lot of hobbies to occupy his time like I do.”
Doctors told the Wheatleys they have to be creative about ways to find a donor and they hope someone reading this article may consider being tested.
Laurie Joslyn, director of renal services at Lake Plains Dialysis, said they have 40 patients on dialysis three times a week.
“There is an extreme need for donors,” Joslyn said. “I have six patients on the transplant list. Some of my patients have been coming for years, and one has been on the transplant list since this facility opened more than 30 years ago.”
A person can register to be an organ donor on the website www.donatelifeny.
The site also reports another person is added to the waiting list every 10 minutes, and 22 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time. One organ, eye and tissue donor can save and heal more than 75 lives.
It is reported 90 percent of Americans are in favor of being a donor, but only 30 percent know where to register.
In addition to registering at the above website, a person may also indicate on their driver’s license they wish to be an organ donor.
Someone wishing to be tested as a match for Jack may call the Wheatley’s at (585) 798-3358, or the Transplant Center at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
A person needing a kidney transplant does not have to wait for a cadaver, as a live donor can safely survive with one kidney. And there is no expense to the donor.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 May 2018 at 7:37 am
County tries to highlight wine industry, Mental Health, Armed Services, ‘Older Americans’ and Motorcycle Safety
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature presented five proclamations last week recognizing programs and assets in the county and region.
Legislator Ken DeRoller, right, presents a proclamation that recognizes April as “Wine Month.” Bryan DeGraw, owner of 810 Meadworks in Medina, accepts the proclamation with Cate Banks, director of Niagara Wine Trail. DeGraw is vice president of the Wine Trail.
Legislators said wineries attract guests from neighboring counties, and visitors from other states.
New York is the country’s third largest grape and wine producer, with 1,631 family-owned vineyards that generate 25,000 jobs and is visited by 5.29 million people, according to the proclamation.
The county also joined seven others in Western New York in declaring May 10-20 as Western New York Armed Forces Week. The proclamation encourages residents to thank active duty members, reservists, military retirees and veterans “for their dedication, sacrifices and service to Our Nation.”
County Legislator Fred Miller, left, presents the proclamation to Earl Schmidt, director of the Veterans Service Agency in Orleans County, and Nancy Traxler, a veterans service officer for the county. Schmidt and Traxler give the county two certified veterans service officers.
Legislator Don Allport, left, presents a proclamation for “Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month” in May to Matt Tracy, vice president of the Orleans County chapter of the American Bikers Aimed Toward Education.
ABATE will have a motorcycle safety rally on Sunday at the County Courthouse. Bikers will arrive about 1 p.m. with the rally at 2 p.m. The group will then go on a 50-mile police-escorted ride within the county, ending at the VFW in Medina.
Legislators praised ABATE for helping to prevent accidents through awareness programs aimed at all drivers, acting as liaison on behalf of motorcyclists with government agencies, and promoting good citizenship by encouraging members to use their right to vote.
Legislator Fred Miller reads a proclamation declaring May as “Older Americans Month.” He presented the proclamation to Melissa Blanar, director of the Office for the Aging. The local agency enriches the lives of individuals of every age by promoting home- and community-based services that support independent living; involving older adults in community planning, events, and other activities; and providing opportunities for older adults to work, volunteer, learn, lead, and mentor.
County Legislator Skip Draper, left, reads a proclamation declaring May as “Mental Health Month.” He presented the proclamation to Mark O’Brien, director of the Orleans County Mental Health Department.
Draper said mental illness will strike one in five adults and children in a given year, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion or economic status.
“Mental Health Month was developed to bring public awareness to the mental health challenges facing children, adolescents and adults, and to diminish the stigma associated with it,” the proclamation reads.
Governor also wants to extend background check waiting period from 3 to 10 days
Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation to remove guns from domestic abusers and close a loophole in state law that will ensure domestic abusers are required to surrender all firearms, not just handguns. The Governor also announced he is advancing new legislation to extend the waiting period for individuals who are not immediately approved to purchase a firearm through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System from three days to 10 days.
“In a time when gun violence continues to relentlessly torment communities across the country while our federal government refuses to act, New York must lead the charge to end this epidemic once and for all,” Governor Cuomo said. “With this legislation, we can sever the undeniable connection between domestic abuse and deadly gun violence, and continue to build upon the strongest gun laws in the nation.”
“My mother dedicated her life to helping victims of domestic violence and our family started a home to help these survivors,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. “We’ve seen firsthand the fear created when a gun is present in the home of an abuser. This new law today is a dramatic step forward eliminating the vulnerability of these women and their children. While the federal government fails to address the issue of gun violence, we continue to fight to keep guns out of the hands of those who could devastate our communities and our residents.”
Removing guns from domestic abusers
Previously, New York law narrowly prohibited the possession of firearms for individuals either convicted of a felony or a limited number of misdemeanor “serious” offenses, excluding many misdemeanor offenses that are undeniably serious. This bill (S.8121 Phillips/A10272 O’Donnell), which the Governor signed in ceremony today, expands the list of “serious” crimes that require the loss of a gun license and the surrender of all firearms to ensure no domestic abuser in New York retains the ability to possess a firearm once convicted of a disturbing crime.
In addition, this legislation will preclude any individual wanted for a felony or other serious offense from obtaining or renewing a firearm license. Under previous New York law, despite being subject to an arrest warrant, an individual was still legally eligible to obtain a firearm license even as police worked to locate and detain them. This change ensures that the law enforcement who are actively seeking to arrest a wanted individual, as well as innocent bystanders, are not needlessly endangered by a wanted individual who has been able to obtain new firearms.
Extending the waiting period
Governor Cuomo has introduced legislation to establish a 10-day waiting period for individuals who are not immediately approved to purchase a firearm through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Current federal law requires gun dealers to conduct the NICS background check on a potential purchaser prior to selling a firearm, which immediately provides the dealer with one of three possible notifications.
These notifications include “proceed”, “denied”, or “delayed”. In the case of a “delayed” response, the dealer must wait three days before the sale is eligible to go through, even though the FBI continues to investigate these individuals past the three-day timeframe. Oftentimes, by the time it has been determined that the potential purchaser was, in fact, ineligible, the individual has already been sold the firearm upon completion of the three-day waiting period. Extending the waiting period to ten days would allow sufficient time to complete the expanded background check and builds on legislative efforts to ensure that only those eligible to own a firearm are able to do so.
“The connections between domestic violence and gun violence cannot be clearer,” said Connie Neal, Executive Director of the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “We applaud Governor Cuomo and the members of the New York State Legislature who voted to take a strong stand to remove firearms from domestic violence offenders. The urgency to act was irrefutable, and New York has now made a significant step forward in preventing domestic violence homicides. Because of Governor Cuomo’s leadership, we will now have a strong safeguard in place for protecting countless New Yorkers.”
Robert Smith is working to open hotel, café and shops
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent
LYNDONVILLE – A Lyndonville native’s love for his home town is creating a buzz throughout the community.
“This is a great uplift for the village and maybe what we needed to bring back Main Street,” said Lyndonville mayor John Belson, speaking of Robert John Smith’s intent to restore a c.1899 historic block encompassing the Webber Building.
Robert Smith stands in what used to be the kitchen of the Lyn-D-Lounge on Main Street in Lyndonville, the establishment which his mother operated for years while he was growing up. Smith, a financial adviser in California, has purchased the block and is renovating it for a hotel and shops.
Smith grew up in Lyndonville, where he often helped his mom in her restaurant/bar, Barb’s Lyn-D-Lounge.
Smith graduated from Lyndonville High School, attended Niagara University to obtain a degree in transportation, travel and tourism, and then took a job with Sheraton Hotels, working in New York City, New Orleans and San Diego.
“I soon realized unless you have somebody mentoring you, it’s tough to move up the ladder,” Smith said.
He quit his job and moved to Palm Springs, Calif., where he began a new career in insurance and financial services with New York Life. After retiring from there in 2011, he went to work for Mass Mutual Financial Group.
Then at age 59, his career path took another turn.
“I had come home in August for Mom’s 84th birthday and ran into a friend from school,” Smith said. “We saw all the boarded up stores on Main Street and I thought, ‘This is the result of the big box stores’ dumbing down of America. Their race to be the cheapest has been at the expense of destroying villages like ours.”
The boarded up stores encompass a block on Main Street north of Eagle Street, where once thriving businesses included Henry Pawlak’s Penny Saver Market, Stelianou’s Candy, Bates Liquor and the Lyn-D-Lounge.
As businesses closed over the years, the block changed ownership several times, ending up in foreclosure.
Lyndonville native Robert Smith stands in front of the Main Street block which he has purchased with the intent to renovate and create a hotel, café and shops. The historic building dates back to 1899.
With an idea in his head, Smith arranged a tour of the buildings last summer and went back to California to put some numbers together. He returned at Thanksgiving, motivated by three factors: His mom doesn’t travel any more, so he would be coming home more often to see her; the opportunity to give back to the community in which he grew up; and the economics of what could be accomplished.
Smith closed on the 18,000-square-foot property March 1, and wanting to further support his home town, he hired local contractor Hansler Home Renovations to do the work.
He has pretty ambitious ideas for the block, including a café, wine tasting room, a bakery and taco shop, a small book store, barbershop, drop-off for dry cleaners and retail space for small business owners looking to get established. He would also like to see arts and crafts vendors there.
Upstairs, which used to house an opera house, Smith is planning to have a six-room hotel, something Lyndonville has never had. Right now, anyone staying at the lake has to drive at least 20 miles to find a hotel, he said.
“This would be so convenient for people coming to town for a wedding or reunion at White Birch Golf Course, or even fishermen,” Smith said.
His ultimate goal is to renovate the buildings to what they used to be, with plans to have the hotel completed by the fourth quarter of this year.
“We have been waiting years for this type of project,” Belson said. “This is an exciting time for Lyndonville, with the block from the creek to Maple Street having been declared a Historic District, and having one of our own come home and invest in his home town. Our people are fixing up their homes and we already have one of the best schools in the area.”
Smith said he expects to be home for a week to 10 days every 10 weeks to keep tabs on the building’s progress.
This corner of Main Street has been vacant in recent years. Robert Smith is working to bring economic and cultural life back to the site.
Courtesy of Medina Mustang Band, Kathy Dreyfus, publicity chairwoman
The Medina Mustang Marching Band traveled to Chicago from Thursday through Sunday to perform in competition in the Music in the Parks Festival. The photo is the 2018 Spring Band in front of “Cloud Gate,” a public sculpture and centerpiece in Millennium Park.
The festival was started in 1981 and is a day-long event for students of choral, orchestral and band ensembles held annually across the US. Music groups perform before adjudicators who rate the ensemble and then awards are issued at the end of the day.
In concert band, Medina won first place in Class A with a score of 96 and a superior rating. In Jazz, Medina took first place in Class A with a score of 96, the overall high jazz score. Alyssa Beyer was recognized as best jazz soloist.
In Parade, the band also won first place in the large band division with a score of 95. There were approximately eight groups from NY, Michigan, Virginia, Nevada, North Dakota and Illinois.
Jim Steele, Medina band director, said the kids did a great job in their performances. The chaperones are to be commended for all of their diligence in keeping everyone on track with their busy schedule.
In addition to the competition the group went to a Chicago Cubs game, The Blue Man Group, Willis Tower, the Navy pier and the Six Flags amusement park in Gurnee, Ill.
The band will perform next at the Gorham Pageant on May 11-12 followed by the Memorial Day parade.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 May 2018 at 12:55 pm
CARLTON – Brian Bartlett says he will miss a business dealing with something most people don’t give much thought to – unless their toilet stops flushing.
Bartlett last month sold Bailey’s Septic to Jim Arnold. The business was started by Bartlett’s grandfather, Paul Bailey, who originally had the business focused on drilling wells. As more public waterlines were installed in the county, replacing wells, Bailey shifted to pumping septic systems.
Bartlett, 62, has been part of the operation for 50 years, since he was a kid. Bailey’s started pumping septics in 1977 and that became the focus of the business. For a few years Bailey’s also rented out porta-potties.
Tony Sanders, the owner of Albion Bower’s Plumbing and Heating, often reached out to Bailey’s for a pump truck. Sanders had inquired in recently if Bartlett would be open to selling the business. The time wasn’t right until this spring for Bartlett.
Sanders knew the right person to take over the business. His stepfather, Jim Arnold, was in Oklahoma, working a demanding job for FedEx. Arnold and Sanders’ mother, Angel, wanted to return to the Albion area to be closer to family, including Tony’s three kids.
They moved back on April 1, with Arnold running Bailey’s the past three weeks.
“Family is why we came back,” said Arnold, a Middleport native. “The business is a bonus.”
Arnold was working at St. Gobain in Albion when he was offered a buyout in 2009. He started a new career in Oklahoma.
The transition back to Albion happened quickly, with the Arnolds selling their home within a week on the market and starting in the septic pumping business right away.
“God has blessed us,” Arnold said. “It has been so smooth.”
Arnold spent a week with Bartlett, visiting customers and pumping septic systems. The sewage is the trucked to the Albion sewer plant on Densmore Road.
“People will call me crazy but I’m enjoying it,” Arnold said about the new career. “It’s gratifying to see peoples’ faces when they can flush their toilet again. It’s the little things. I really enjoy serving the community.”
The two businesses will eventually operate out of the same building on Route 98 in Carlton, across from the former Harbor Pointe golf course. Bartlett used that site for the two vacuum trucks.
Sanders praised Bartlett for building up the septic pumping business. Most of the clients have their septic systems pumped every three to four years.
Sanders uses a site behind Crosby’s in Albion as the base for his plumbing operation. He wants to move it to the Carlton site where there is more room.
“The two businesses will work hand in hand,” Sanders said. “It’s a good marriage.”
LYNDONVILLE – Lyndonville Central School District is one of 152 school districts and Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in New York State to receive the Utica National Insurance Group’s School Safety Excellence Award for 2018 at the Titanium with Honors level.
The honor is presented annually and recognizes school districts’ safety efforts as they work to help keep students, staff and visitors safe. Lyndonville Central School District received its award at Utica National’s 38th annual school safety seminar.
Lyndonville officials accepted a certificate to commemorate the district’s safety efforts and a $500 award for use in furthering those efforts from Utica National representatives.
Utica National’s School Safety Excellence Award Program has three levels (titanium, platinum, and gold) in which schools can earn a meritorious distinction by meeting specific criteria to enhance overall safety. Through the program, schools with their own transportation, schools with contract transportation, and BOCES are evaluated. Categories covered include bullying prevention programs, playground safety and other areas, and are measured using specific, quantifiable surveys.
“Safety and health concerns continue to be a priority in our school districts,” explained Brian Saville, Resident Senior Vice President in Utica National’s Educational Institutions Unit. “Districts that go ‘above and beyond’ to provide a safe, healthy and focused culture for learning are to be applauded, and we’re pleased to count Lyndonville Central School District among them.”
Saville noted that, beyond the recognition itself, an added benefit of following the safety program is the chance to pinpoint specific threats to safety. “The time to address those threats is before a loss happens, which really helps contribute to the safety culture that districts are working toward.”
BUFFALO – The Tony Hawk Foundation and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation have officially opened applications for the “Built to Play” initiative’s skatepark grants in Western New York and Southeast Michigan. WNY counties that are eligible to apply include Allegany, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming.
As part of its recently launched Built to Play initiative, the two foundations are seeking applications to create free, high-quality, public skateparks in underserved areas of Western New York and Southeast Michigan.
The Built to Play Skatepark Program supports community groups and municipal entities seeking to create free, public skateparks that serve low-income communities. In addition to grant funding, the program also provides advisory services and advocacy training to assist groups in organizing and managing their efforts to build skateparks in their communities.
Through Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation funding, the Tony Hawk Foundation will offer matching grant funds of up to $250,000 to assist in the construction of public, non-profit skateparks, giving youth the opportunity to be active whether they’re riding on skateboards, BMX bikes, scooters or rollerblades, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation said today. The grant funding will result in the creation of up to 20 skateparks over the next several years, with up to five being constructed with this first phase of grants.
“We’re very excited about our partnership with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation,” said Tony Hawk. “Having helped create eight skateparks in the region over the past fifteen years, we believe the Built to Play Skatepark Program offers unprecedented resources for eligible communities to build new skateparks for their youth.”
As part of the Built to Play initiative, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is also working with KaBOOM!, the national non-profit dedicated to giving all kids great, safe places to play. KaBOOM!’s Play Everywhere Challenge, a design competition which encourages installations constructed to integrate play into everyday life and unexpected places, is accepting applications until May 11, 2018.
The deadline for Built to Play Skatepark grant applications is June 13, 2018. For more information and eligibility requirements, click here.
The New York State Senate on Monday passed a package of measures that strengthen laws to stop drug dealers and others who are profiting from the heroin epidemic that continues to grip the state.
The bills include stronger penalties for big-time drug dealers selling heroin, as well as for fraudulent medication prescriptions that fuel opioid addictions; measures to protect dealers from preying on children; and legislation that expands the types of dangerous controlled substances regulated by the state, among others.
State Sen. Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, voted in favor of the legislation.
“Today’s passage of heroin epidemic relief legislation further illustrates the senate’s commitment to finding a solution to a disease that has devastated families and communities across our entire state,” Ortt said in a statement on Monday. “As a former co-chair, and current member of the New York State Senate’s Heroin Task Force, I have seen first-hand the destructive impact and consequences associated with this disease, and am proud of the effort our state has put forth. Our approach must be one of balance and coordination, addressing treatment, recovery and prevention. We must also be unafraid to hold the criminals that peddle these narcotics accountable for their crimes and treat them as the murderers they are.”
The bills passed include:
• Making it Easier to Prosecute Heroin Dealers: S638, sponsored by Senator Phil Boyle (R-C-I, Bay Shore), assists in the prosecution of heroin dealers by creating a presumption that the possession of 50 or more individual packages containing heroin and/or having an aggregate value of $300 is possession with intent to sell. Currently, dealers can carry large quantities of the drug before triggering a felony charge of possession.
• Establishing New Penalties for Heroin Sales: S880, sponsored by Senator Robert Ortt (R-C-I, North Tonawanda), creates appropriate-level penalties for heroin sales, taking into account the lighter weight of heroin. Heroin weighs less than other drugs and therefore more doses of heroin are needed to trigger various existing criminal offenses.
• Creating Drug Free Zones Around Drug or Alcohol Treatment Centers: S1127, sponsored by Senator Akshar, criminalizes the sale of a controlled substance on the grounds of a drug or alcohol treatment center, or within 1,000 feet of such facilities. Statistics show that drug dealers often prey on individuals with addictions by sitting in the immediate vicinity of a drug or alcohol treatment center or methadone clinic waiting for people to come out so they can sell them drugs.
• Cracking Down on Black Market Prescription Drugs: S2814, sponsored by Senator Kemp Hannon (R, Nassau), establishes the offense of fraudulent prescription, dispensing, and procurement of non-controlled substance prescription medications and devices, and establish the offense of unlawful possession of non-controlled substance prescription medications and devices. The gaps in existing law and the growth of a black market make it self-evident that change is necessary. This bill will address the problem by increasing or establishing criminal penalties that better fit these crimes.
• Toughening Penalties for Sale of a Controlled Substance to Minors: S3845, sponsored by Senator Kathy Marchione (R-C-I-Reform, Halfmoon), helps curb rising drug abuse among high school students and other youth by making the sale of a controlled substance by an adult to a minor under the age of 14 a class A-II felony.
• Cracking Down on The Sale of Carfentanil: S623, sponsored by Senator Boyle, makes the sale of 2 milligrams or more of Carfentanil a Class A-II felony and the sale of 10 milligrams or more of Carfentanil a Class A-I felony. Carfentanil is synthetic opioid and a schedule II controlled substance, which is 100 times deadlier than fentanyl, and 10,000 times stronger than morphine.
• Criminalizing Alpha-PVP / “Flakka”: S816, sponsored by Senator Rich Funke (R-C-I, Fairport), designates Alpha-PVP, also known as “Flakka” or “Gravel” as a controlled substance. Similar to bath salts and methamphetamine, use of this designer drug has been known to cause violent behavior, with side effects including nausea, vomiting, paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, suicidal thoughts, seizures, chest pains, and increased blood pressure and heart rate.
Two other bills were recently amended and will be voted upon as soon as they are eligible:
• Outlawing Lethal Fentanyl: S933B, sponsored by Senator Thomas Croci (R, Sayville), adds new derivatives of fentanyl to the controlled substance schedule and increases criminal penalties for the sale of an opiate containing a fentanyl derivative. Fentanyl is a strong pain medication that is often combined with anesthesia to prevent surgery-related pain. However, it is increasingly being mixed with heroin and other drugs to produce a cheaper and more lethal product. The other bill, S5884A, sponsored by Senator Jacobs, adds new derivatives of fentanyl to the controlled substance schedule regulated by the state Department of Health.
In addition, the Senate passed legislation to increase prevention, treatment, and recovery as part of the multi-pronged approach to help those impacted by heroin and opioid addiction, including:
• Limiting Children’s Opioid Exposure: S5949, sponsored by Senator Akshar, helps address the increasing risk of children becoming addicted to opioids and heroin after being prescribed painkillers for medical procedures or illegally sharing extra prescriptions. The bill requires a health practitioner to receive written consent from a minor’s parent or legal guardian in order to prescribe a medical treatment containing opioids, as well as to discuss the risks of addiction and dangers of overdose associated with the medication. The bill also limits the prescription for a controlled substance containing an opioid to a seven-day duration unless there is a medical emergency that puts the child’s health or safety at risk.
• Coordination of Prescriptions Following an Overdose: S2639, sponsored by Senator Andrew Lanza (R-C-I, Staten Island), requires hospital and emergency room physicians to notify a patient’s prescriber when a patient is being treated for a controlled substance overdose. The measure enhances the effectiveness of the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) Registry when prescribing controlled substances by ensuring that vital medical information is shared among health care practitioners. The bill requires an emergency room or hospital practitioner treating a patient with an opioid overdose to consult the PMP registry and notify the patient’s prescriber of the overdose. Without such notification of the overdose, it is very possible that the prescriber/practitioner would not know that the patient had suffered an overdose of the opioid.
The Senate also called for action on four bills strengthening enforcement and addressing challenges the opioid epidemic has created that have already passed this session and await action by the Assembly and Governor to become law:
• “Laree’s Law” (S2761), sponsored by Senator Amedore, allows law enforcement officials to charge a drug dealer with homicide if a death results from the sale of heroin or an opiate-controlled substance. This legislation is intended to target mid- to high-level drug dealers who profit from heroin sales, but does not punish co-users by providing a defense for those who bought and used the opiate with the deceased. New York State’s “Good Samaritan Law,” also shields individuals from charges related to an overdose if they attempt to help the individual and report the incident in a timely manner;
• A bill preventing predatory and deceptive substance abuse treatment (S6544), sponsored by Senator Akshar, makes it a crime to offer to or accept any kickback from an individual or entity that provides substance abuse services in exchange for patient referral and admission. There has been a rise in individuals who aggressively pursue people in need of substance use disorder treatment services and, for a sometimes-extravagant fee, promise admission to treatment programs. For individuals engaging in this predatory behavior, the most desirable patients are those with robust insurance coverage, and out-of-network benefit packages. Patient brokers refer these clients to programs offering the highest rate of “return” to the patient broker, with little or no regard for the patient’s specific needs. This predatory practice capitalizes on, and exploits, families’ fears while putting patients at risk of inappropriate treatment;
• The creation of a Sober Living Task Force (S902), sponsored by Senator Croci, would identify and promote alcohol and drug free living environments across the state for persons in recovery from a chemical dependency; and
• The Drug Take Back Act (S7354), sponsored by Senator Hannon and Senator Tom O’Mara, creates a unified, statewide drug take-back program that will save government and taxpayer money and reduce medication misuse. In addition, the program would protect New York State’s water supplies by preventing drugs from being improperly disposed of by flushing or other means that result in contamination of water bodies and negatively impact aquatic life.
