Niagara County Water District planning scheduled transmission main shutdown for maintenance
By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Health Educator and Public Information Officer for Orleans County Health Department
This notice applies to the towns of Royalton, Ridgeway, Somerset, Hartland, Lockport, Newfane and Shelby and the villages of Barker, Middleport and Medina.
What is being planned?
On Tuesday morning, April 17, a section of the water system will be temporarily shut down due to the planned installation of a new valve on the transmission main. This maintenance may affect water pressure in the above municipalities. In addition, once water pressure is restored, the water may appear cloudy or milky due to air entrapment.
What do you need to do?
The water main maintenance will be completed as quickly as possible. Once water pressure has been fully restored, and if your water appears milky, we request you flush all of your water taps within your residence, for a minimum of five minutes or until the water runs clear. It is recommended that you run your bathtub faucet initially, since it draws a large amount of water and is typically not screened. Start at the upstairs bathroom if available and work your way down to the lowest faucet in your home.
Is the water safe to drink?
Rest assured the water is safe to drink. Cloudy or milky water is caused by air bubbles in the water. It is completely harmless. Pour the water in a glass and after a few minutes it will clear up. Like any bubble, the air rises to the top of the water and goes into the air above, clearing up the water.
The Niagara County Water District and your local municipality have been in close contact with the Niagara County Department of Health to ensure your water supply is safe and meets all water quality standards.
This notice is being sent by the Orleans County Health Department, Niagara County Department of Health and Niagara County Water District. State Water System ID#: NY3100567
If you have additional questions or concerns regarding your water supply, please call Ronald Gwozdek. P.E. Principal Engineer at (716) 439-7452.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 April 2018 at 12:36 pm
Former mayor was influential in establishing Business Park
Marcia Tuohey
MEDINA – One of the new roads leading into the Medina Business Park may be named in honor of the late Marcia Tuohey, who was Medina’s mayor for eight years in the 1980s and pushed to develop the park and welcome companies to the site.
The Orleans Economic Development Agency worked to have two roads built in the park in the past two years, on each side of the Pride Pak vegetable processing plant. One of the new roads will have Pride Pak’s name. The other road hasn’t been named.
Medina Mayor Mike Sidari told the Orleans EDA board of directors today that the Village Board is strongly considering naming the road for Tuohey, who died on Aug. 7, 2014.
The Village Board last month voted to accept the roads from the EDA. Medina needs to formally name the roads.
“We’re looking at Marcia Tuohey Way or Drive because she had such influence,” Sidari told the Orleans EDA this morning. “Some people want Marcia Tuohey Way because she always seemed to get her way.”
Sidari laughed when commenting that Tuohey had a strong will. She was first elected as a trustee in Medina in 1979, and in 1982 she became the village’s first woman mayor.
Provided photo: In this photo from 1985, Marcia Tuohey is out inspecting flood damage in the village of Medina.
In 1990, she became Orleans County’s first female county legislator, and then was picked by her peers on the seven-member body to serve as chairman of the Legislature from 1996 until 2006.
Prior to serving as a local elected official, Tuohey had an active business career in Medina for 30 years as the co-owner and operator of a nursing home, motel and restaurant, mobile home park, and rental properties.
County Legislator Skip Draper worked with Tuohey on some of the economic development projects when he was Shelby town supervisor. He currently is an EDA board member. He was pleased to hear Tuohey is being considered for one of the new roads.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 April 2018 at 11:37 am
$5.2 million project will address ‘worst section’ of road
KENDALL – The long-awaited paving of the Lake Ontario State Parkway along a rough section in Kendall and Hamlin will start on Monday.
The $5.2 million project includes both the eastern and western lanes of the Parkway for 7 miles from Route 19 to 2 miles west of the Kendall town line.
“We’re very happy about it,” Ken DeRoller, Orleans County legislator, said at this morning Orleans Economic Development Agency meeting. “This is the worst section of the road.”
DeRoller, a Kendall resident, has been one of the loudest voices in recent years seeking upgrades to the Parkway.
The state last year spent about $9 million paving a section of the Parkway from Route 19 east to Payne Beach. Now the paving will stretch into Orleans County.
The bumpy road has deterred traffic, especially people with campers, local officials say. In March 2016, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley delivered to the Governor’s Office nearly 2,000 petitions signed by local residents asking for state support to better repair and maintain the highway.
“This is humungous,” Carol D’Agostino, Kendall High School principal and EDA board member, said about the paving work. “That road is horrible. People have damaged their cars.”
DeRoller said the improved Parkway should draw more visitors to Orleans County, especially to the upgraded Bald Eagle Marina, which expects to open a restaurant next month near one of the Parkway exits.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory and lakeshore flood watch for Orleans County over the weekend.
The winter weather advisory is in effect from 2 p.m. Saturday until 10 a.m. Sunday. Freezing rain is expected with total ice accumulations with a quarter to a half inch expected. The advisory includes Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Erie, Genesee, Wyoming, and Livingston counties.
There will be wind gusts from 30 to 40 miles per hour, especially along the lakeshore. Power outages and tree damage are like due to the ice, the National Weather Service said.
A lakeshore flood watch also is in effect from 6 p.m. Saturday until 2 p.m. Sunday for Niagara, Orleans and Monroe counties.
Northeasterly winds will result in significant wave action which may result in lakeshore flooding and erosion along the southwestern shores of Lake Ontario, the Weather Service said.
BROCKPORT – The College at Brockport, State University of New York, has been identified as one of the top public colleges and university in the east, and in the country, by a new study.
Buffalo Business First, a weekly newspaper that covers the Buffalo business community, conducted a study that sought to identify the public universities and colleges that offer the best educational experiences to their students. Brockport was ranked No. 35 in the east region and No. 117 in the nation, putting Brockport in the top 25 percent of public colleges and universities nationally.
“We are proud of the outstanding value The College at Brockport offers our students,” said Brockport President Heidi Macpherson. “Recognition by these external organizations helps reinforce what we already know: Brockport is a great place for our students to learn.”
Institutions were rewarded for highly selective admissions processes, strong retention and graduation rates, impressive earnings by alumni, generous resources, affordable tuition and housing costs, diverse faculties and student bodies, and economically robust communities.
The University of Michigan was ranked No. 1. University of North Carolina, University of California-Berkeley, University of Virginia, and the University of California-Los Angeles rounded out the top five.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2018 at 8:55 pm
Race drew 400 runners to Albion last August
ALBION – The Metro 10 race, which is in its fourth year, will add a biking component for the first time on Aug. 18.
The race for runners starts at 8 a.m. The cyclists will begin at 7 a.m. and follow a similar course as the runners. There are some differences in the racing routes. The people on bikes won’t go through the apple orchard at Watt Farms or go on the towpath.
Like the runners, the cyclists will finish their race at Bullard Park. The cyclists are expected to be done before the runners start, and many of the people on bikes will then run 10 miles, said Thom Jennings, the race director.
“A lot of people asked about it and we wanted to add the bike component and see if it adds value to the event,” Jennings said.
Last year there were 400 runners. That was the maximum for the event in 2017. Metro 1 has been growing about 30 percent annually since its first year. Jennings wants to keep that growth rate, and is aiming for 550 participants this year. He is expecting about 50 cyclists in what will be a little bit of an experiment.
Rochester has dominated the Metro 10 running race, winning the first three titles versus runners from Buffalo. This photo from last August shows Vickey Beaver, the Rochester team captain, accepting the Metro 10 Cup from race volunteer JT Thomas at Bullard Park. Marissa Pace, the Buffalo captain, is in blue.
Stan Farone, an Albion village trustee, has been one of the supporters for the biking component. Farone completed the Cycling the Erie Canal event last year, going about 350 miles on bike along the towpath.
Participants in the race compete for either Buffalo or Rochester. They run either 10- or 5-mile races. (The cyclists will go 10 miles.) They earn points for the city if they finish, and some runners earn added points if they finish high in their age groups. There is also a “tenacity” bonus for the final finisher of the race.
Rochester has won the Metro 10 cup the first three years. Rochester had a big advantage in participants the first two years, but it was nearly even last year with 201 runners for Rochester and 199 for Buffalo.
There is also a post-race celebration at Bullard Park with live music that is open to the community.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2018 at 5:38 pm
ALBION – Keith Kent, the Albion man who was armed when he was shot and killed by a Genesee County deputy last night in Pembroke, felt he was wrongly prosecuted about a decade ago.
He was accused of taking far more trees from a Barre woman as part of his logging business, Jordan River Logging, on Route 31A. In an agreement, Kent was to take 40 trees but allegedly took down close to 200. Kent was charged with grand larceny, but a grand jury didn’t bring those charges against him. Instead, he was arraigned on charges of evidence tampering (when some of the trees he was of accused of taking down without permission were allegedly removed.) That charge was dismissed.
Kent, 61, complained to friends and neighbors, and in letters sent to newspapers, that he was wrongly prosecuted with the charges hurting his reputation and business.
Kent also said his business was destroyed by the “Rutherford-Cain gang” from Niagara County, who were rival loggers. Kent in an email to the Orleans Hub on June 29, 2017, saying the two from Niagara County caused him “eight years of hell on earth, including vandalisms, thefts, arson and attempts on my life.”
Kent in his email to the Orleans Hub said he was terrorized for eight years while law enforcement did nothing to protect him or his family. He said he was treated “shamefully” by District Attorney Joe Cardone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Marshals.
Kent sent a letter less than two weeks ago on March 30 to The Daily News in Batavia, a five-page letter that the newspaper said made “vague threats of violence.”
At one point in the letter to The Daily News, Kent wrote, “I have been driven to the brink of COMPLETE INSANITY over this and it will end soon.”
Kent was shot and killed by a deputy from the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office at about 11 p.m. after he allegedly threatened patrons in the parking lot at the Indian Falls Log Cabin Bar & Restaurant.
Kent asked, “Where are the police?” minutes before a deputy arrived, according to a report in The Daily News today. Kent was shot after he pointed a handgun at a deputy despite several commands to drop the gun, Undersheriff Gregory Walker told The Daily News.
There were no other injuries from the incident. The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office has requested the State Police handle the investigation.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2018 at 12:46 pm
PEMBROKE – An Albion man was shot and killed last night by a deputy with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office after he allegedly threatened patrons in the parking lot at the Indian Falls Log Cabin Bar & Restaurant.
Keith A. Kent, 61, of Albion was armed with a handgun when he was fatally shot at about 11 p.m., State Police are reporting.
The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 911 call at Indian Falls Log Cabin Bar & Restaurant in Pembroke, NY. During the incident, deputies confronted Kent at which time Kent was fatally shot.
The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office has requested the State Police handle the investigation. No other injuries resulted from this incident.
The Genesee County District Attorney Office, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the NYSP Forensic Investigation Unit responded to assist with the scene.
This is still an ongoing investigation, the State Police said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2018 at 11:00 am
Revised plan also looks at Lyndonville’s big pond, dam
Orleans County legislator Ken DeRoller of Kendall has been a proponent of the waterfront development plans. In addition to the plan for the three towns along Lake Ontario, the county will soon be working on a waterfront development plan for the canal communities. The Village of Medina is also doing a waterfront development plan.
CARLTON – Local officials want to improve fishing and recreational access along Lake Ontario and its tributaries.
That was one strong theme in a discussion about an update of a waterfront development plan for the towns of Kendall, Carlton and Yates. The three towns adopted a plan in 1998, and now they are making updates, which this time will include Patterson Pond and the dam at Lyndonville.
The three towns have 24 miles of shoreline. Once the plan is updated and adopted, likely next year, it will put the three towns and the Village of Lyndonville in a better position for state grants for projects, said Ellen Parker, a planner with Wendel, a firm hired as a consultant on the project.
The state provided the Orleans County with a $40,000 grant to revise the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.
Fishing is the county’s top tourism draw, netting about $9 million in economic activity a year. There may be opportunities to grow that by increasing fishing access along tributaries, including Johnson Creek in Lyndonville. Residents also suggested a boat launch between Golden Hill State Park in Barker and Point Breeze. Officials may want to consider a launch at the Yates Town Park on Morrison Road, which is between Golden Hill and Point Breeze.
Tony Cammarata, the Kendall town supervisor, also wants the plan to focus on publicly owned land that could be used to boost recreational activities. Not only is there the Lake Ontario State Parkway, which runs about 12 miles in Orleans, but there are other pockets of public land sitting vacant.
Wendy Salvati points to the Johnson Creek area in Lyndonville during a discussion about waterfront assets in the area.
Wendy Salvati, a consultant on the plan, cited the example on the land at the Shadigee in Yates. It’s right by the lake, but it’s just a grassy spot. She said adding benches and picnic tables would be a simple way to make the site better used by the public.
“This is a community-driven project,” she told about 40 people at the meeting in Carlton. “This is about your communities and how this works for you.”
Tony Cammarata, the Kendall town supervisor, would like the plan to focus on making publicly owned land by the lake more accessible to residents.
Officials from the three towns, and Lyndonville are working with consultants on the project and the county’s Department of Planning and Development. They have visited numerous sites in the three towns, making an inventory of assets.
Lyndonville wasn’t in the 1998 plan, but will be in the new one. Wes Bradley, a Yates town councilman, said the community wants to make better use of Patterson Pond and the dam. He would like the pond to be dredged and then promoted for use by kayakers, paddle boats and canoeists. There should be docks put in.
“If it was clear and open, there would be a lot of recreational use,” he said. “It would make this area a destination.”
For many years, there was a false understanding that the pond was owned by the village, Bradley said. It’s actually owned by the school district. That was determined two years ago, he said.
He would still like to see the other local government leaders work to have the pond dredged. The village owns the dam and that area needs a lot of work to improve the structural integrity and access for fishermen.
Jim Bensley (right), the county’s director of the Department of Planning and Development, discusses the waterfront in Orleans with John Riggi, a Yates town councilman.
Carlton Town Councilman Dana Woolston suggested have public bathrooms and a place for fishermen to eat on Park Avenue Extension near the Oak Orchard River and Waterport Dam. That area is very popular in the fall for salmon fishing. However, there aren’t many amenities there for the visiting anglers.
Frank Panczyszyn, a member of the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association, would like to see a bridge put back in at The Bridges and he would like to see the small span be a covered bridge. That would be a tourist draw and also serve a useful purpose, he said.
Jim Shoemaker, a former Carlton town councilman, said the best ideas and plans may all be for naught due to flooding along the lake from high water levels. Many marinas, boat launches and businesses didn’t open or had to curtail their operations due to the flooding last year. The lake is up again this year.
“If high water happens again this year then we have an out-of-control situation,” he said.
Press Release, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance
ALBANY – The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance reminded all taxpayers that they have two extra days to file their federal and state income tax returns this year. The deadline to file and pay any tax due is Tuesday, April 17, rather than the traditional April 15 date.
That’s because April 15 falls on a Sunday this year, and Emancipation Day—a legal holiday in Washington, D.C.—will be observed the next day, which pushes the nation’s filing deadline to April 17. Under the tax law, legal holidays in the District of Columbia affect the filing deadline across the nation.
“We urge taxpayers to use the extra time to carefully review their returns and avoid filing in a rush, which can cause errors that result in processing and refund delays,” said Acting Commissioner Nonie Manion. “Eligible taxpayers can access free tax preparation and filing software on our website to ensure returns are filed accurately and on time.”
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) and Congressman Matt Cartwright (PA-17) on Wednesday introduced The Fairness to Pet Owners Act. This legislation would save pet owners money by allowing them the freedom to choose where they buy prescription pet medications.
Currently, pet owners must ask for a written prescription from their veterinarian for medications. Most consumers do not realize they have the right to request a written prescription in order to shop around and find the prescription at a lower cost. This bill ensures that pet owners receive a written script, either on paper or electronically, which gives more power to the consumer to choose where to purchase their pet’s prescription.
“When it comes to eyeglasses or contacts, consumers receive a copy of their prescription and are able to do the research to find the lowest price,” said Collins. “As a pet owner myself, I know that most owners will do anything to keep their pets happy and healthy, although these expenses do add up. There is no reason that pet owners shouldn’t have the flexibility to shop around to see if they can save some money.”
“As a dog owner, I know how much of an investment it is to have a pet,” said Cartwright. “This bipartisan legislation is a simple, yet important step in giving pet owners the flexibility they need to save money and keep their animals healthy.”
This issue impacts most American families – 65 percent of households in the United States own at least one pet spending a total of approximately $10 billion on pet medications each year. Pet medications are a significant and frequent expense, with 77 percent of all dogs taking some sort of medication.
“PetSmart is pleased Congressman Chris Collins and Congressman Matt Cartwright have reintroduced the Fairness to Pet Owners Act,” said Kathy Mitchell, Senior Director, Government Affairs at PetSmart. “We believe the benefits of pet ownership should be accessible to all Americans. Helping to lower the cost of caring for a pet is a fundamental part of ensuring everyone can experience the joys of pet ownership. Giving pet owners the ability to take prescriptions to their preferred pharmacy will help achieve this goal.”
This legislation has the potential to create competition in the marketplace leading to lower costs for consumers. Additionally, consumers will have more flexibility to purchase generic medications or have them filled online or at big box pharmacies, which are oftentimes cheaper. For example, a common heartworm tablet given once a month to dogs is sold for about $61 at a veterinary clinic but a generic version retails for only $42, saving a pet owner more than $200 per year.
For a copy of The Fairness to Pet Owners Act, click here.
After months of walking petitions and knocking on doors throughout New York’s 27th Congressional District, the Collins for Congress campaign announced on Wednesday that the campaign filed 9,017 petition signatures to qualify for the Republican, Conservative and Independence Party ballot lines in November.
“First and foremost, I want to thank all of our tremendous volunteers for braving the cold-weather and devoting their personal time over the last few months to collecting petition signatures for our campaign,” said Congressman Chris Collins. “After working with President Trump to protect our shorelines, help create more jobs in Western New York and defend our constitutional freedoms, our filing proves that our efforts are resonating all across New York’s 27th Congressional District. While I’m proud to have qualified for the Republican, Conservative, and Independence Party ballot lines, I am going to continue fighting for the support of every NY-27 resident.”
Among the 9017 in total petition signatures submitted to the New York State Board of Elections, Collins has filed the following number of signatures for each party line: Republican, 6,182; Conservative, 1,197; and Independence, 1,638.
“Whether it’s defending President Trump against partisan attacks, standing up for our Second Amendment rights, or helping to create more jobs in Erie County, Congressman Collins has proved time and time again he’s the leader we need in Congress,” said Nick Langworthy, chairman of the Erie County Republican Committee. “Working families in Erie County know Congressman Collins will always fight for our values in Washington. We’re proud to support his re-election campaign.”
Editor’s Note: Collins is seeking his fourth two-year term in Congress. He will be challenged by Nate McMurray, the Grand Island town supervisor who has been endorsed by the Democratic Party.
MEDINA – Hit the ball or the snowflake? Camri King of Medina dodges snowflakes to keep her eye on the ball today in Medina’s 9-1 win over Akron. The game at Vets Park was a key clash between two of last year’s Niagara-Orleans tri-champions.
Click here to see highlights from today’s local high school sports.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 April 2018 at 5:21 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The percentage of students who are refusing to take state assessments has dropped significantly at Holley Central School.
The tests aren’t nearly as lengthy and the student scores are no longer tied to teacher evaluations. Those might be big factors in why fewer students are refusing to take state tests.
Two years ago, all local schools had at least 20 percent of their students in grades 3 to 8 “opt out” of taking state assessments for math and English language arts.
Today was the beginning of the testing for the ELA assessments. Those tests used to be over three days. Now they are over two days with the tests taking about 90 minutes each day, although students aren’t under a time limit as long as they are working productively. The math tests follow next week for some schools.
Lyndonville had 8 percent of its students, 17 out of 212, refuse the tests today. Last year it was closer to 25 to 30 percent, said Jason Smith, the district superintendent.
“As a school district, we have tried to not make these tests stand out as anything special, just another way to measure student progress, like any other assessment,” Smith said. “The tests are important, we don’t discount that, but we also tried hard to not elevate either, as we want students to take these tests to see where we are doing well and where need to improve.”
Holley has had the highest refusal rate among the Orleans County districts, topping 40 percent in 2015, and then 36 percent for Math and 32 percent for English in 2016. Today the district had near 90 percent participation, said Karri Schiavone, the elementary school principal.
Medina had about 10 percent of the students refuse the tests, while Kendall was less than 15 percent and Albion was 14 percent, according to school superintendents at those districts.
The students who refuse the tests aren’t penalized. They typically stay in the classroom and have reading materials.
Here are the opt out rates for the districts in 2015:
• Albion, 29.0 percent for Math; 22.0 percent for ELA
• Holley, 43.0 percent for Math; 40.0 percent for ELA
• Kendall, 34 percent for Math; 30 percent for ELA
• Lyndonville, 26 percent Math; 19 percent for ELA
Press Release, Orleans Community Health and Rochester Regional Health
File photo by Tom Rivers: Medina Memorial Hospital will stay independent but will also be part of a new affiliation with Rochester Regional Health.
MEDINA – Orleans Community Health, the parent organization of Medina Memorial Hospital, is entering 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.
“We’re excited about this new affiliation,” remarked Dawn Meland, board chair of Orleans Community Health. “It gives us more attractive options when we decide how to bring new services to the area, which is a great thing for our patients. Additionally, as we identify opportunities to reduce costs, improve efficiency and make health care more sustainable in this part of the region, we now have a partner ready to help us better take advantage of those opportunities.”
Shortly after the start of the new year, Rochester Regional Health began to expand its primary care offerings through this agreement. Market research has identified a shortage of primary care providers in Medina and Orleans County. In January, a full-time primary care office began to operate at the United Memorial Medical Center’s Medina location on Maple Ridge Road. Orleans Community Health is also looking to expand this office space to support future growth. UMMC joined the RRH system in 2015.
Orleans Community Health will remain its own independent organization under the terms of this agreement.
“Orleans Community Health is a critical asset to our community and they share our commitment to delivering great care close to where people live and work,” said Dan Ireland, president of United Memorial Medical Center. “It’s a natural partnership. It’s also an important partnership for the future. Together, we’re making care more accessible in a model that can adapt as the needs of patients continue to evolve.”
(Update at 2:51 p.m.) Medina Mayor Mike Sidari posted this statement on Facebook this afternoon:
“With a working relationship between these three hospitals I feel it will benefit all of Orleans and Eastern Niagara Counties,” Sidari said. “We should be seeing more specialized services here in Medina so area residents will not have to travel to Rochester. I encourage residents to be in touch with the hospital and take advantage of the services they will be able to provide.”
