By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 April 2018 at 5:40 pm
‘It’s now officially spring. It’s not spring until there’s a grass fire.’ – Byron firefighter
Photos by Tom Rivers
CLARENDON – Firefighters from several departments were dispatched about 2:30 p.m. today to a grass fire that became out of control for the property owner on Holley Byron Road, near the Glidden Road intersection.
The field was back from the road about a quarter mile.
Mud by a small creek made it impossible to get a pickup truck close to the scene.
Firefighters used brooms to stop the fire. The property owner said he went for a walk to the field to enjoy a long-awaited sunny day in the 50s. He lit a cigar and then the grass and field were on fire. He tried to stomp on the fire, but it was moving too quickly. He thanked the firefighters for hustling to get back and prevent the fire from spreading to a nearby wooded area.
Jon Salber, a Clarendon firefighter, looks for hot spots in the field.
Firefighters used this Argo all-terrain vehicle to get to the scene. They have Indian tanks on their backs with water.
Firefighters from Clarendon, Holley, Fancher-Hulberton-Murray and Byron responded to the scene. Barre and Elba were also called, but then that was cancelled, said Jon DeYoung, Clarendon fire chief.
“It’s now officially spring,” said a Byron firefighter. “It’s not spring until you have a grass fire.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 April 2018 at 5:03 pm
A customer of the EZ Shop won $1 million with the Winner Cashword lottery game.
Winning scratch-off ticket turned in on April 17
LYNDONVILLE – The owner of the EZ Shop in Lyndonville is confirming speculation in the community that the store sold a $1 million winning Lotto ticket that was turned in on April 17.
Barbara Champlin, owner of the store, said she received confirmation from New York Lottery today that the ticket was purchased at the store and turned in on Tuesday.
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 winner hasn’t been announced and a press conference hasn’t been set yet.
The EZ Shop in Lyndonville also sold a Take Five ticket worth $64,269 on Jan. 9.
With Cashword, the boxes should be scratched off to reveal 18 letters. “Scratch each letter in both Cashword games and both BONUS WORDS that corresponds to YOUR LETTERS,” NY Lottery states on its website. “Complete 3 or more words in either Cashword game using YOUR LETTERS to win prize shown in the corresponding Prize Key. Complete a BONUS WORD and win that BONUS WORD’s prize automatically.”
Photos and article courtesy of Albion Central School
ALBION – The Albion Middle School hosted a Literacy Family Night on Wednesday with 129 Middle School students and their families attending the event. The top photo shows Willen DeRuysscher stopping by the Hoag Library table with Teresa Gaylard.
Every participant received a “Literacy Passport” and visited 18 different stations set up by students and staff.
Once students visited the station, they received a sticker in their passport. The more stickers they received, the more chances they had at winning a variety of raffles. The stations were: Information Station, Hoag Library, Book Tastings, arts and crafts, Quizlet, science stations (making slime), math book activities, Amazing Race, and BBQ games.
Kelsey Froman shares details of her book with Autumn Flugel and her mother Victoria.
The Information Station was set up for students to stop by and find their Lexile score if they didn’t already know it, but most students did. The Lexile score measures a student’s reading ability. Students then chose a free book that was within their Lexile range.
The ATA (Albion Teacher Association) was on hand to give away additional books to some of the younger siblings that attended with their families.
Yana Marie Ruiz and S’Koi Sanders-Smith share one of their favorite books with Mohammad Mohi Meer.
Book Tasting stations were led by students from Mrs. Baldwin’s classes. They shared highlights of books they enjoyed reading in hopes that others would want to pick up the book and read it. Students had to research the Lexile score of the book and share a favorite passage from the book.
Meganne Moore, who helped at one of the Book Tasting tables said, “It was a lot of fun and everyone was so happy and supportive. They all loved hearing about the books.” Meganne chose a book from the Percy Jackson series written by Rick Riorden.
Mark McCauley led a book discussion from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
When asked why he chose to lead one of the Book Tasting tables, Mark McCauley said, “I’m a talker. I like to do this and share good books with others.” Mark shared his book selection The Long Haul, by Jeff Kinney. It is part of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series.
All in all, the night was a huge success. Families left with smiles and books and look forward to the next Family Literacy Night!
Garon Thompson tries his hand at pendulum painting.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 21 April 2018 at 8:04 am
“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 4, No. 16
Although Lillian Bentham remains one of the more detailed accounts from a local survivor of the Titanic sinking (click here), Orleans County has several other connections to the tragic disaster. On May 2, 1885, a baby girl was born to William and Martha Howard at North Walsham in Norfolk, England. May Elizabeth Howard was one of eight children born to the English couple, the father working as an agricultural laborer.
May Howard
At the time the Titanic was set to sail on her maiden voyage, the 27-year-old Howard planned on visiting her brother in Toronto before traveling to Albion to stay with her sister, Jane Hewitt. Her intention was to move in with the family of County Sheriff William Kenyon to work as a nanny. May secured a ticket on a smaller vessel that was set to sail in the days leading up to the Titanic voyage, but a coal strike forced her to travel aboard the unsinkable ship. She shared a room with Emily Goldsmith and her son Frank for the duration of the journey.
As May recalled her experiences on that frightful evening, she had not yet retired for the night when the ship collided with the iceberg. The ringing of bells coming from below deck piqued her curiosity and she ventured out to investigate along with countless other third-class passengers who wandered the corridors. Crewmembers explained that there was no cause for concern and encouraged the passengers to return to their room. Shortly afterwards, a “doctor” came to May’s room and encouraged her to secure her lifebelt but reassured her that everything was okay.
After panic set in, any effort to venture on deck was met with frustration as throngs of passengers rushed the stairwells. On her first attempt to reach the upper deck she tumbled down the stairs because of the impatient passengers but eventually emerged topside where crowds of strangers wandering about greeted her. Officers quickly grabbed her and shoved her to the side of the boat where crewmembers loaded the lifeboats with women and children. After the Goldsmiths and May were loaded into the tiny vessel, crewmembers launched the boat into the water.
She later recalled that there was room for at least 15 more passengers, but many believed that the on-deck rush to launch the lifeboats was simply a precaution; that passengers would return to the ship in a matter of a few hours after repairs. Emily’s husband remained on deck to make room for other women and children and was never heard from again. J. Bruce Ismay, the director of the White Star Line, was allegedly in May’s lifeboat, an action that he was heavily criticized for in the years following the catastrophe. In the final moments of the sinking, May recalled watching the ship point upwards into the sky before submerging below the frigid water without a ripple; the ocean was unbelievably calm.
Another survivor, a man destined for Albion, had a harrowing escape from death while floating in the freezing water. Joseph Duquemin was born November 24, 1887 on the Isle of Guernsey. The young man purchased a third-class ticket for 7 pounds and 11 shillings and boarded the ship with two friends, Howard Hugh Williams and Albert Denbuoy. In the story of Lillian Bentham, Albert Denbuoy is mentioned as a possible member of the 11-person party that traveled to Guernsey and it is very likely that Duquemin and Bentham were acquainted.
In the panic that ensued on deck, various accounts claim that Duquemin was on deck assisting women and children into boats, even taking off his overcoat and wrapping it around a shivering seven-year-old girl named Eva Hart. He remained on the ship, waist-deep in water, when he finally turned to Williams to tell him that he was jumping overboard. As he swam towards a nearby lifeboat, Williams was pulled under from the suction and never seen again. As Duquemin neared collapsible lifeboat D he was denied entry by the passengers who feared that he might capsize the vessel. He eventually convinced the occupants that he could handle an oar and was permitted to enter the boat. In the years following the sinking, Duquemin would suffer terrible from complications associated with the frigid water and eventually had his legs amputated.
One other man destined for Albion was not as fortunate as Joseph Duquemin. William Alexander, a native of Norfolk, England was traveling to Albion to live with his sister, Gertrude Jex, and his brothers Albert and Reginald Alexander. Although little is known about Alexander and his experiences on the voyage, his ticket was paid for by his siblings although he did not survive the sinking. Gertrude Jex lived at 23 Hamilton Street in Albion for several years before relocating to Lockport, NY. Unfortunately, the family’s suffering did not end with William’s tragic passing as two younger siblings died while fighting in France with the British Army.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 April 2018 at 8:26 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Medina police officers try to track down the shooter in a mass casualty drill today at Medina High School. Officer Christian Navas (center), Sgt. Michael Borrell (left), and Officer Corey Ambrose in back work together to find the shooter.
The police arrived in stages to simulate the response to an incident at a school. The drill focused on tactics in finding the suspect, emergency communications and mass casualty treatment and response.
Local law enforcement have several trainings to improve their response to try to minimize chaos and casualties.
A student pretending to be the shooter wears camouflage and walks past a student who was role playing that he was injured. Today was the 19th anniversary of the mass shooting at Columbine in Colorado, where 13 people were killed at a high school.
Sgt. Michael Borrell heads up the stairs looking for the suspect.
Lt. Todd Draper of the Medina Police Department urges security and law enforcement students at Orleans/Niagara BOCES to role play as if this was a real incident.
The students run to first responders when they entered the building. The students were often emotional during the simulation today.
Jake Crooks, a paramedic and firefighter with the Medina Fire Department, rushes to offer aid to students and teachers. He is followed by Officer Ricky Messmer of the Medina Police Department.
Medina police officers Cory Collins, front, and Jacob Reeves are in pursuit of the suspect. School officials from several districts in the county observed the drill.
Lt. Todd Draper, center, goes over details of the training exercise. Law enforcement drilled for about two hours.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today announced his support – for the first time – for decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, as well as plans to introduce new legislation in the United States Senate to do so.
Specifically, Leader Schumer’s legislation would remove marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act, effectively decriminalizing it at the federal level. The legislation would allow the states to continue to function as laboratories of democracy and ultimately decide how they will treat marijuana possession. The legislation, however, would not change federal authorities’ ability to prevent trafficking from states to where marijuana is legal to states where is not, nor would it curtail in any way the federal government’s ability to regulate marijuana advertising – just as it does tobacco and alcohol – so that advertisers cannot target children. Schumer has long advocated for states’ rights when it comes to medical marijuana.
Leader Schumer’s new legislation would also take small steps to help communities of color that have been disproportionally hit by the war on drugs, as well as make new investments in research to fully understand the effect of THC on both driving and public health – particularly in adolescents.
“The time has come to decriminalize marijuana,” said Leader Schumer. “My thinking – as well as the general population’s views – on the issue has evolved, and so I believe there’s no better time than the present to get this done. It’s simply the right thing to do. This legislation would let the states be the laboratories that they should be, ensure that woman and minority owned business have a fair shot in the marijuana industry, invests in critical research on THC, and ensures that advertisers can’t target children – it’s a balanced approach. ”
Specifically, Leader Schumer’s new legislation would:
• Decriminalize Marijuana: The legislation would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level by descheduling it, which means removing marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act of 1970;
• Respect States’ Rights: The legislation would maintain federal law enforcement’s authority to prevent marijuana trafficking from states that have legalized marijuana to those that have not;
• Level The Economic Playing Field: The legislation would establish dedicated funding streams for women and minority-owned marijuana businesses;
• Ensure Public Safety: The legislation would wake targeted investments in highway safety research to ensure federal agencies have the resources they need to assess the pitfalls driving under the influence of THC and develop technology to reliably measure impairment;
• Invest In Public Health: The legislation would invest in public health research to better understand the effects of THC on the brain and the efficacy of medicinal marijuana for specific ailments; and
• Protect Children: The legislation would maintain federal authority to regulate marijuana advertising in the same way it does alcohol and tobacco advertising to ensure that marijuana businesses aren’t allowed to target children in their advertisements.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 April 2018 at 10:56 am
HOLLEY – An agency that initially started as a migrant ministry in 1968 and has expanded its mission over the years will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday with a banquet and celebration at Hickory Ridge Golf Course.
The Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern is a nonprofit organization that grew out of a grassroots effort of local churches who wanted to assist farmworkers and poor residents.
The Ministry of Concern serves about 2,000 people annually in Orleans County, helping with personal care items, prescription co-pays, emergency shelter and some utility bills.
The agency runs a used furniture and appliance program, collecting items and delivering them to people in need.
The Ministry of Concern also has a youth mentoring program, Just Friends E-3 Team, that matches youth mentors (coaches) to children in need of positive adult connections.
Nyla Gaylord serves as executive director of the agency. She said many of the agency’s clients are people who work hard, but they don’t make enough money to pay all of their bills, or they can’t afford an big unplanned expense, such as a car breakdown.
“There are so many people living paycheck to paycheck,” she said. “These are the working poor. They work so hard they just can’t make it.”
The Ministry can provide some financial assistance or advocate for residents for a reasonable payment plan, Gaylord said.
“We try to look beyond the crisis,” she said.
The celebration on Saturday begins at 5 p.m. State Assemblyman Steve Hawley will share a proclamation about the agency’s 50th anniversary. John LaFalce, a retired U.S. congressman, also will attend. He was a strong supporter of the agency when he was in Congress, Gaylord said.
There will be a presentation about the agency’s history and its plan for the future.
“We’re celebrating that we’re still in existence and on an upswing,” Gaylord said. “We’re on solid ground and moving forward.”
The Ministry of Concern is known as “the agency of last resort.” It often helps people avoid shut-off notices and obtain needed housing and health insurance.
Gaylord and Jacki Mowers-Sciarabba, a full-time client advocate at the Ministry of Concern, are well connected in the community, working with other non-profits and government agencies to assist people in crisis. The job can be stressful and takes a lot of problem-solving, Gaylord said.
“The leadership at the Ministry of Concern is inspiring,” said Bob Golden, a retired Probation director who is on the committee planning the 50th anniversary celebration. “They’re like saints.”
Gaylord has a quote posted in her office by Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Gaylord said that quote sums up the impact of the Ministry of Concern and the guiding principles of the staff and supporters.
For more information on the banquet and the agency, click here.
Workers would receive 3.25% raises annually next 4 years
Press Release, State Sen. Rob Ortt
Senator Rob Ortt (R,C,I,Ref-North Tonawanda) introduced legislation on Wednesday aimed at addressing the salaries and benefits of direct care workers employed by mental hygiene not-for-profits operating under the state.
Due to the lack of competitive wages, these not-for-profits are facing a massive shortage in the field of direct support professionals. In New York, one in seven direct support professional jobs remain vacant and staffing turnover rates rose to 27 percent.
“Direct support professionals are tasked with the exceedingly difficult job of looking after some of the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said Sen. Ortt. “Not only are these workers forced to work long hours, often logging massive amounts of overtime, but they are continually underpaid for the vital services they provide. My legislation would ensure that the direct support professionals of our state are paid the fair and living wage they not only deserve, but were promised.
In 2017, New York’s direct service providers logged over 10 million hours in overtime while earning less than the minimum wage of fast-food workers in the state.
While over the last two years, these support workers have received a 3.25 percent raise in pay, there is no legislation in place to continue the states pledge to fairly compensating these professionals for their valuable work. Sen. Ortt’s legislation would continue the state’s commitment by providing a 3.25 percent increase to salaries and benefits for direct care workers for an additional four years.
“It’s about having our priorities straight,” said Sen. Ortt. “There is no reason that an individual working at a fast food restaurant should be making more than direct support professionals serving the not-for-profits do in our state. The levels of responsibility and contribution between the two professions are not even close to being comparable.”
Glenn Liebman, CEO, Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc. said, “We commend Senator Ortt for his continued commitment to support the direct care and clinical workforce in the mental hygiene field through consistent increases in salaries over the next four years. These hard working individuals provide services and supports for many of the most vulnerable New Yorkers. We have an obligation to provide these workers with a living wage as recognition for the incredible work that they do on a daily basis.”
Tom McAlvanah, Executive Director, InterAgency Council of Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Inc. said, “Hats off to Senator Ortt for his support of Direct Support Professionals! He realizes that DSP’s who support people with Intellectual and developmental disabilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week deserve a living wage, and that without these talented and dedicated staff members, a good life would not be possible for the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who depend on them. We stand with Senator Ortt in his efforts to #bFair2DirectCare!”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 April 2018 at 7:54 am
FCC Commissioner O’Rielly will join the discussion
BATAVIA – Congressman Chris Collins (R-Clarence) will host a rural broadband roundtable discussion with local elected officials this morning. The event in Batavia will feature Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O’Rielly.
The 27th Congressional District, which includes Orleans and seven other counties, is 65 percent underserved by high-speed internet, largely due to burdensome regulations on Internet service providers that deter them from expanding service to rural areas, Collins said.
The congressman said he has worked to correct discrepancies in current law to make sure companies who build the groundwork to provide everyday Americans with Internet service are able to continue expansion.
FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly recognizes the need to implement policies that help Internet service providers invest in underserved communities across New York’s 27th Congressional District, Collins said.
The roundtable will be at 10:30 this morning at the Genesee County Legislature Chambers in the Old Courthouse, 7 Main St.
Collins and O’Rielly will also stop by Niagara County Emergency Management Office today to see the emergency communications system. Collins wants to highlight how in New York some of the 9-1-1 fee paid by phone users is diverted and doesn’t go to its intended use of 9-1-1 system operations and upgrades.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 April 2018 at 7:33 am
MEDINA – The school district wants to upgrade its security cameras and has submitted a plan to the State Education Department for about $300,000 in upgrades.
The money would come from the $2,000,222 approved for Medina in November 2014 in a state-wide referendum as part of the Smart Schools Bond Act.
The Medina Board of Education on Tuesday approved sending the plan to the state for approval. The district wants to replace existing security cameras, add more cameras to the campus. The new cameras are higher resolution.
“They can ‘see’ more with a bigger range,” said Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent.
The project would include new cables and wires, and server upgrades for the cameras.
Medina is making a big push to upgrade its computer technology and make it more accessible for students.
The district is going one-to-one with computers, working towards a goal to have a laptop for every student in grades 4 through 12 in the next three years. The district is leasing Chromebook laptops and students will be assigned one.
The district piloted the program with a few classrooms about two years ago. It expanded this year for one full grade level.
The district will make the computers available to about 1,200 students in grades 4 to 12, Kruzynski said. If students don’t have WiFi or Internet access at their homes, the laptops will have a wireless adaptor that will allow for access, he said.
Provided photo: (From left) Teacher Sue Lindke, Elaina Smith (Lyndonville), Brianna Sawyer (Albion) and teacher Anne Carnahan are shown at a recent event at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center. Smith won first in the fantasy competition and Sawyer served as her model.
Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES
MEDINA – Students in Anne Carnahan’s and Sue Lindke’s Cosmetology Program at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center put on a very impressive runway show recently.
The students in both the classes were tasked with two looks – the juniors had to create an evening hairstyle and the seniors had the opportunity to let their imaginations run wild with a fantasy look, including hair and makeup.
Local hairstylists judged the competition and then the students with their models walked down the runway to the appreciation of their family, friends and schoolmates who were in attendance.
The winners are:
Fantasy Category
1st Place – Stylist Elaina Smith (Lyndonville) and her model Brianna Sawyer (Albion) with their zombie mermaid theme.
2nd Place – Stylist Angela Wachob (Lyndonville) with her model Carter Fritton (Royalton Hartland) with their space elves theme.
3rd Place – Stylist Heaven Flood (Lyndonville) and her model Kaylie Skellon (Albion).
Evening Category
1st Place – Stylist Lexus Waite (Royalton-Hartland) and her model Tzyviah Ward-Bratton (Lockport).
2nd Place – Stylist Karina Gotay (Lockport) and model Tatjaana Bachiller (Lockport).
3rd Place – Stylist Allison Lemke (Medina) and model Alexia McDonald (Lockport).
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, and State Sen. Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, both are faulting Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s decision to restore voting rights to individuals on parole.
The governor said the action will allow 35,000 people to vote who are currently on parole.
“It is unconscionable to deny voting rights to New Yorkers who have paid their debt and have re-entered society,” Cuomo said on Wednesday. “This reform will reduce disenfranchisement and will help restore justice and fairness to our democratic process. Withholding or delaying voting rights diminishes our democracy.”
Assemblyman Hawley issued this statement today:
“The governor is so desperate to appeal to the radical left as his election approaches that he has now granted conditional pardons to roughly 35,000 convicts on parole, a shameful move that flies in the face of every law-abiding citizen who has done the right thing and followed the law.
“Despite the governor’s radical interpretation, paying your debt to society and earning back the ability to exercise our most cherished right, voting, should not be granted until a felon is completely off parole and has been rehabilitated.
“It is obvious Gov. Cuomo will go to great lengths to win an election but I never thought it would involve pandering to rapists, murderers and arsonists. This governor seems to be fonder of helping inmates and convicted felons instead of hardworking, law-abiding citizens.”
Sen. Ortt issued this statement:
“The Governor’s executive order allows convicted criminals, including those who have committed violent offenses, to vote, before they have paid their debt to society. His willingness to bypass the legislature shows he’s more interested in politics than good policy. Equally troubling is the Governor blatantly lying about Republicans blocking legislation that was never proposed. Sadly, this represents nothing more than additional pandering for votes from a governor who is moving further and further to the left – disregarding law and facts.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 April 2018 at 3:41 pm
KENDALL – The Class of 2018 will hear from a Kendall graduate who was working as a college professor when he decided to devote himself fully to running a business in his hometown.
Karl Driesel, 32, opened Orleans Millworks in July 2016. He was working out of his home until committing to building a new 5,884-square-foot shop and showroom at 1750 Kendall Rd. He also was commuting to Morrisville State College, making a 2 ½-hour trip two to three times a week. He taught in the wood science department and showed students how to make cabinets. Driesel graduated from Morrisville State College, earning degrees in wood products technology and business management with a concentration in entrepreneurship.
Driesel has been chosen by the Senior Class to give the commencement address on June 22. The Board of Education also gave its approval on Wednesday to have Driesel address students at graduation.
Driesel grew up in the community and was an Eagle Scout. He runs the sound for many school events and also lets students use his parking lot to prepare their floats during the homecoming parade.
“It’s nice to have a hometown guy,” said Nadine Hanlon, president of the Board of Education.
Carol D’Agostino, the high school principal, said Driesel is well known among the students.
“He loves Kendall and we love him,” she told the Board of Education.
KENDALL – When district residents go to the polls on may 15 to vote on the school budget and a candidate for the Board of Education, they will also decide the fate of a proposed $14.5 million capital project.
Voting will be from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the elementary school gym.
Kendall school leaders say they already have the local share for the work in a capital reserve fund so there wouldn’t be a local tax increase if the project is approved.
The project follows a series of other improvements at the district campus in recent years.
The project would include addressing health, safety and code issues as well as preservation of infrastructure and enhancement of the instructional environment.
The scope of the capital project includes:
• Proposed improvements to the Elementary School include improving ventilation on the second floor of the quad and auditorium; renovation of the multi-purpose room for technology, agriculture and consumer science programs; replacement of the original gym bleachers and the gym floor, renovation of locker rooms, and a re-design of the cafeteria and serving line.
• Improvements proposed for the Jr./Sr. High School include renovation of the art, technology and music rooms which would address accessibility, storage and ventilation; replacement of gym floors and bleachers; renovation of the girls’ locker room; renovation of music practice rooms; renovation o the lavatory in the arts hall; update of the public access system; ventilation in the office and gym; improving light and sound and providing fly space for set productions in the auditorium; addition of a vestibule at the entrance to the art and music wing.
• Site improvements could include lighting and traffic flow at the Elementary School front loop; improvement of traffic flow at the Jr./Sr. High School bus loop; drainage in the athletic fields, addition of bathrooms and storage by the track and sidewalks from the High School cafe to the tennis courts.
• The bus garage is in need of roof repairs, an update to the fuel system and outside lighting as well as improvements to the water line. The old bus garage behind the Elementary School is in need of replacement windows and doors, Julie Christensen, district superintendent, said at a January community meeting about the project.
If approved by district voters, the construction could begin in 2019 and be completed by 2020.
Detailed plans and design work will not begin until the project is approved, Christensen said.
Michael O’Rielly, commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, and Congressman Chris Collins, R-Clarence, have issued a statement, saying New York State needs to stop diverting the 9-1-1 fee from its intended purpose.
“The State of New York knows better than most the importance of 9-1-1. When disaster strikes, New Yorkers depend on a fully functional, responsive 9-1-1 emergency communications system. And, after the September 11, 2001 attack, it was the New York firefighters and police officers who called on Congress to provide dedicated spectrum to public safety and additional funds to migrate these systems to next generation 9-1-1, which will allow public safety officials to receive real time location information, live video feeds, and much more.
“Ironically, the very funding that New York and many others fought for in Congress as part of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act is not available to New York. That is because a provision in the law prevents states that divert 9-1-1 fees collected from consumers on their phone bills for other purposes from receiving these federal funds. The thought being, if the state is not prioritizing it’s 9-1-1 system, the federal government should not contribute its scarce funding that would allow for more diversion.
“Unfortunately, New York has been found by the Federal Communications Commission to be a diverter of 9-1-1 fees every year since the Commission began collecting this information in 2009. Each state is responsible for its own 9-1-1 system, which typically includes public service answering points (PSAPs), otherwise known as the 9-1-1 call center, and personnel. States fund these services through a fee on consumers’ phone bills. According to data provided to the Commission, the average 9-1-1 fee from wireline services is $1 per line per month and the average 9-1-1 fee on wireless phone bills is $0.92 per line per month. In New York, the state collects $1.20 for each mobile device – one of the highest in the nation.
“Each year the Commission submits information on state 9-1-1 fee diversion practices to Congress. The goal being that this name and shame role of the federal government will pressure states to prioritize 9-1-1 funding and ensure that money they collect from their consumers is going where it should be going. This approach appears to have led to recent successes in states like Rhode Island and New Jersey – both of which are considering legislation to end their fee diversion practices. Perhaps New York did not like this notoriety because this year the state refused to even submit data to the FCC. Despite this, the Commission found in its Report to Congress that based on sufficient public record information and the state’s previous history, it still could conclude that New York diverts funds for non-public safety uses. In fact, under state law, New York diverts approximately 41 percent to its General Fund. And, according to state tax records, in 2016, New York collected more than $185 million from the state’s 9-1-1 fee, but only dedicated $10 million in support of the state’s PSAPs.
“Unfortunately, this practice has real world consequences for the citizens of New York. The Associated Press recently reported that New York is the only northeastern state with serious service gaps in rural areas, which is of particular concern for many parts of Western New York. This article also estimated that the state needed $2.2 billion to fully upgrade the state’s 9-1-1 system. With a shortfall like this, one must wonder why the state would risk falling further behind by prioritizing funding for the General Fund rather than 9-1-1 services.
“On Friday, we will travel to the Niagara County Emergency Management Office to see firsthand the great work that they do to respond to the emergency needs of Western New Yorkers and how New York’s 9-1-1 fee diversion practices are affecting PSAPs in rural areas. Our message will be clear: New York’s diversionary tactics must stop. If the state doesn’t act, we will have to explore ideas at the federal level to bring an end to this practice once and for all.”
