Photo by Tom Rivers: Nick Stankevich speaks during a March 6 candidate forum in Albion at the QWL building.

Nick Stankevich, one of the final two Democrats seeking to challenge Chris Collins in the 27^th Congressional District, announced the suspension of his campaign.

That clears the way for Nate McMurray, the Grand Island town supervisor, to secure the Democratic Party line. McMurray has already secured many endorsements from Democratic Party committees in the district, as well as Turn 27 Blue.

Stankevich wanted to be a voice for rural residents. He works as vice president of marketing and operations at Genesee Country Inn Bed and Breakfast in Avon. He also works as an advisor for businesses. He said he is concerned about the steep population losses in many of the rural communities in Western New York.

He issued this statement:

“Eight months ago, I announced my candidacy to represent our community in Congress. Standing for issues that put people first has always been the heart and soul of my campaign; healthcare for a healthier society, good education for our children’s future, job creation by investing in rural infrastructure and a renewable economy,” said Stankevich.

“Growing up in Western New York, learning from this great country, and seeing our communities for what they could be, there is a need to push for a new direction with fresh ideas. I ran for Congress out of an obligation to give back to a community that gave me so much. I have been the beneficiary of some of the hardest working people in Western New York and thank them for the time and effort they put into this campaign. My family, friends and everyone who supported me have shown me, once again, that we live in a unique place. Having traveled throughout our rural towns to meet with farmers, veterans and small business owners, I am reminded that we live in a place where it does not matter where you have been, what you look like, or how much money you make. It only matters that the contents of your character are pure and that you long for a future where our children are better off than we are.

“After careful consideration and with a heavy heart, I am suspending my campaign for Congress. I’m proud of the campaign I ran and proud of my team. I will take the lessons learned and the warmth from our neighbors who yearn for a better tomorrow, to continue fighting to make our community better. As always, I encourage every decision you make to have people at the heart of it, along with humility, compassion and kindness. The people of Western New York deserve that in their representative.

“I want to remind everyone, Republican or Democrat, of the strength that you hold in your hands. Your vote won’t just affect change for two years, but it will be a symbol of hope for generations to come. The promise of America is not only that your vote will count, but also that it will mean something. It assures you that we are a part of something bigger than right now. Our decision at the ballot box will be judged in the history books, and our children and grandchildren count on us to give them a better future than we could ever imagine. May God bless the United States of America.”

Provided photos: This photo shows the members of the three Winter Guard units at Medina.

Courtesy of Kathy Dreyfus, Medina Mustang Band Publicity Chair

The North East Color Guard Circuit (NECGC) celebrated its 30-year anniversary on Saturday when the Gates Chili school district hosted the championships. Thirty-five guard units from western NY and Canada performed in competition followed by the Heritage Hurricanes and ARC of Yates, two guards for adults with disabilities. These two guards received standing ovations and tied for “Grand Champions.”

Median students compete in the Novice class on Saturday.

In the Novice class, Medina came in fourth. In the Cadet class, Medina won first place with a score of 76.75. In Scholastic A division, Medina’s Varsity won first place with a score of 80.88.

Instructor Diana Baker commented that all 3 groups did well. “Remember how far they’ve come and not how far they have to go. The guards may not be where they want to be but neither are they where they used to be.”

Medina took first in the Cadet class.

Band Director Jim Steele is well aware of all the work the students in these three groups put in since coming together in November. He is pleased with their determination and motivation to improve their skills and demonstrate them in their performances.

Other winners include: in Regional A, Gates-Chili with a score of 83.71; in A1, Corning Painted Post at 80.71; in SR, Magic of Scout House at 82.31; in Independent A, Gates-Chili at 87.81; in Scholastic Open, Victor with a score of 89.20; and in Independent Open, Lancaster at 89.40.

With the Winter Guard season closing, the Mustang Band is preparing for its spring street show and practices have begun.

Medina’s Varsity won first place with a score of 80.88 in Scholastic A division.

Provided photo: Two of the dispatchers for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office include Pete Hendrickson, sitting, and Mike Schultz. Public safety dispatchers in Orleans County handle about 35,000 calls a year. Many of those calls were at a time of crisis, people reporting heart attacks, strokes, fires and other emergencies.

Press Release, Sheriff Randy Bower, a former public safety dispatcher

ALBION – This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

In a time of crisis, public safety dispatchers are the calming voice on the other end of the phone line, the one with answers or advice. They’re “the life blood” of public safety, the true first responders; this is where it all starts.

Please join me in recognizing our Public Safety Dispatchers for all their hard work, dedication and service to our community.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – A blue heron takes off near the Holley Waterfalls on Saturday afternoon.

After about a half inch of snow on Saturday, there will be more scattered snow showers today before 2 p.m., and the high will only hit 33, according to the National Weather Service.

The other high temps this week include 38 on Monday, 40 on Tuesday, 43 on Wednesday, 49 on Thursday, 44 on Friday and 51 on Saturday.

The Holley Waterfalls is pictured on Saturday afternoon with a light coating of snow on the ground.

The Holley Waterfalls is one of the area’s nicest natural attractions. You can reach the waterfalls by turning onto Frisbee Terrace off Route 31 in the Public Square. Follow Frisbee Terrace past the former grocery store and the village’s DPW garage.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The extended winter weather with the freeze-thaw cycle, day after day, has caused a proliferation of potholes.

The top photo shows several potholes on Route 31 in the village of Holley, just west of the main intersection with Route 237.

Potholes form when moisture collects in small holes and cracks in the road surface, according to the AAA Auto Club. As temperatures rise and fall, the moisture expands and contracts due to freezing and thawing. This breaks up the pavement and, combined with the weight of passing cars, eventually results in a pothole.

AAA estimates that potholes cause about $3 billion annually in damage to vehicles.

To aid motorists in protecting their vehicles from pothole damage, AAA recommends the following:

• Inspect Tires – Make sure tires are properly inflated and have enough tread . An underinflated or badly worn tire is more likely to suffer damage, or allow the wheel or suspension to be damaged, when hitting a pothole.

• Inspect Suspension – Make certain struts, shock absorbers and other suspension parts are in good condition. Changes in vehicle handling, excessive vibration or uneven tire wear can indicate damaged or worn components. Have the suspension inspected by a certified technician if you suspect problems.

• Look Ahead – Make a point of checking the road ahead for potholes. An alert driver may have time to avoid potholes, so it’s important to stay focused on the road and not any distractions inside or outside the vehicle. Before swerving to avoid a pothole, check surrounding traffic to ensure this won’t cause a collision or endanger nearby pedestrians or cyclists.

Potholes are hard to miss in this section of Route 31 in Holley.

• Slow Down – If a pothole cannot be avoided, reduce speed safely being sure to check the rearview mirror before any abrupt braking. Hitting a pothole at higher speeds greatly increases the chance of damage to tires, wheels and suspension components

• Beware of Puddles – A puddle of water can disguise a deep pothole. Use care when driving through puddles and treat them as though they may be hiding potholes.

• Check Alignment – Hitting a pothole can knock the wheels out of alignment and affect the steering. If a vehicle pulls to the left of right, have the wheel alignment checked by a qualified technician.

• Recognize Noises/Vibrations – A hard pothole impact can dislodge wheel weights, damage a tire or wheel, and bend or even break suspension components. Any new or unusual noises or vibrations that appear after hitting a pothole should be inspected immediately by a certified technician.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Sean Seeler, in lift, installs a bracket this afternoon to hold a new sign for the Holley Falls Bar & Grill. Sean’s father, Dan, is looking out through the window of the business in Holley’s Public Square.

The Seeler family has been working the past five years to renovate the site, the former Tagg’s Tavern. The construction is “98 percent complete,” Mr. Seeler said. He expects the bar and restaurant will open this summer.

Provided photo: Dan Seeler made the sign with his sons, Sean and Jesse.

The sign was needed for the business to secure a liquor license. The Seelers know there is lots of interest from the community in the project, but they said they need more time before they are ready to open. Monica Seeler, Dan’s wife, said they expect to hire 25 to 35 people to run the bar and restaurant when it opens this summer.

In addition to the bar and restaurant, the Seelers renovated the upper levels to create apartments that are all rented.

The building used to have a wooden exterior when it was Tagg’s Tavern. The wood was removed to reveal cast iron columns in front. The Seelers needed to rebuild walls, paint them and make numerous other improvements for one of the most prominent buildings in Holley. They also added an awning.

They named the restaurant and bar for the Holley Falls, a popular spot that is located down Frisbee Terrace, a short walk from the restaurant.

Mr. and Mrs. Seeler said they feel positive momentum in the village with upcoming sidewalk and street projects, as well as a good chance for the redevelopment of the old Holley High School.

Press Release, NY State Police

The New York State Police announced that individuals who registered an assault weapon under the SAFE Act can now recertify their registration as required under state law. The State Police have created an easy online process that will allow registrants to quickly complete their recertification. More information can be found by clicking here.

There is no cost for recertification, and those who do not wish to use the online process can download and print a form from the above link, or pick up a paper form from any State Police station.

State law requires that assault weapon registrations must be recertified every five years from the date the registration was filed. Under NYS Penal Law Section 400, failure to recertify will result in a revocation of the registration.

As part of the recertification process, licensees must affirm that they are not prohibited from possessing firearms under state and federal law, and must also confirm certain personal information.

Individuals who have questions about the process can call 1-855-LAWGUNS (1-855-529-4867).

Provided photo

KENDALL – The Kendall Lions Club is pleased to present the proceeds from our 2018 Chicken BBQ to two very worthy organizations. The Lions Club this week presented two checks for $2,000 each to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Rochester Chapter (JDRF) and CURE Childhood Cancer Association of Rochester.

Pictured include, from left: Lions President Mike Cusimano, Linda Robbins of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, BBQ Chairman Phil D’Agostino and Samantha Corrigan of CURE Childhood Cancer Association.

The Lions Club had its 15th Chicken BBQ the Saturday before the Super Bowl. From its inception Lion Phil D’Agostino has chaired and developed the Chicken BBQ into one of the Kendall Lions Club’s most successful fundraisers. Held each year, many Kendall residents have received aide with medical bills due to accidents, cancer and other illnesses.

“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 4, No. 14

After a three-year stay in Medina, Frances Folsom became one of the area’s most beloved young women after her marriage to President Grover Cleveland. Yet I was hoping that March would provide me with six Saturdays to write about notable women from Orleans County, but I suppose that I should not feel limited to writing about such subjects to a single month!

Evangeline Brewster Armstrong Johnson Dennis

The only lasting local memory of Evangeline Brewster Armstrong exists within a stained glass window at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Holley. The window reads, “Presented by Mrs. Evangeline A. Johnson A.D. 1894” featuring an image of St. Paul “posed in this window holding a book and pointing upward to heaven as though he were giving a benediction,” as described by C.W. Lattin. Evangeline was born in 1865 at Rochester, New York to Edwin Rutherford Armstrong and Martha Gifford, who were married on August 13, 1857. Edwin Armstrong was raised in Wilson, NY, later teaching school in Rochester and later becoming principal of a school in that area. From 1862 to 1863, he attended medical school at the University of Michigan and graduated from Buffalo University’s medical program in 1865. Three years later, he arrived in Holley where he would become one of the most prominent physicians in the area.

The feature of this story is not Dr. Armstrong, but his daughter Evangeline. According to Martha Armstrong’s obituary, “[Mr.] and Mrs. Armstrong were prominent factors in the social life of the village…” and Martha was a “cultivated musician” and leader in musical matters in Holley. It a general understanding that Dr. Armstrong was also well connected in medical circles throughout the country as presumed by Evangeline’s marriage to Robert Wood Johnson on June 27, 1892. Twenty years her senior, the founder and president of Johnson & Johnson took an immediate liking to the young and strikingly beautiful young woman, just 27 years of age. Some authors suggest that Evangeline’s attraction to the aging and “heavier” Johnson was strictly related to the power and wealth associated with such a relationship.

The couple’s first son was born on April 4, 1893, a little over nine months after the couple married in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains near Mayville, Tennessee. The rural girl immediately transformed into the belle of New Jersey’s urban society. Robert Johnson paid little attention to his children and Evangeline considered herself a member of the upper echelon of society, refusing to interact with those around her and becoming a recluse. At the family home in Gray Terrace, she was provided with a full staff of butlers and maids to assist her in rearing the children. July 14, 1895, the couple welcomed their second son, John Seward Johnson, into the world. The young boy suffered from childhood illnesses, allergies, and asthma, and suffered with dyslexia. Evangeline paid extra attention to her “little angel,” the pet name she gave him because of his constant suffering from illness during his childhood.

On February 7, 1910, Robert Johnson died as a result of complications associated with Bright ’s disease, leaving his 44 year old widow and three children to mourn his passing. Evangeline took her two youngest children to New York City in order to enjoy the high-style social life she always dreamed of. While living in the city, she developed a relationship with John W. Dennis, a member of the British Parliament; the two left New York for London, leaving the children behind. As noted by Jerry Oppenheimer in his book Crazy Rich: Power, Scandal, and Tragedy in Inside the Johnson & Johnson Dynasty, young Seward Johnson was left with a New York City socialite and friend of Evangeline who sexually abused the young man until his brother Robert rescued him.

Evangeline married Dennis, but their life together was short-lived. On September 9, 1919, she died at her country estate in Nocton, Lincolnshire. Two weeks earlier, she tripped on street curbing in London and broke her hip; a blood clot later developed as she recuperated. Lattin writes in Luminaries in the Firmament, “In any day and age no work of art is ever created at small expense. I’m sure back in 1894 this large window depicting a life-size St. Paul was considered as expensive. It is easy to understand, knowing Mrs. Johnson’s background, how she was able to afford it.”

Photos by Tom Rivers: Leaders of the town, village and county governments met Thursday to discuss shared services and possibly consolidating some functions. Brian Sorochty, mayor of Holley, said the village will be tackling water infrastructure soon. County Legislator Ken DeRoller, left, and Kendall Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata were among the participants in the discussion.

ALBION – Many of the leaders from village, town and county governments met Thursday to discuss shared services, and possible consolidation of some government functions including countywide code enforcement and water services.

The town supervisors, mayors and county legislators are making a list of potential changes in how local government services are provided. That may include sharing a grant writer, information technology services and buying electricity.

The group met for an hour and half on Thursday, and spent the most time discussing code enforcement. Many of the town and village codes officers are nearing retirement, and many only work part-time.

Moving the job to the county with a team of perhaps four full-time codes officers would likely increase availability of the code enforcement services and also allow some of the officers to specialize in tasks, with some reviewing plans and others doing inspections. Some could specialize in low-density housing or house-density housing, with another focused on lakefront development.

The 10 towns and four villages should also consider a uniform code so the municipalities don’t have different regulations, said Legislator Ken DeRoller of Kendall.

Medina Mayor Mike Sidari suggested looking at a shared grant writer and also information technology specialists.

“It’s a standardization and quality issue,” DeRoller said at the meeting at the County Administration Building. “Right now there are 14 different ways.”

The local officials met to discuss a shared services plan that needs to be submitted to the state later this year. First the plan needs to be presented to the County Legislature by Aug. 15, with public hearings to follow before the final plan is sent to the state by Oct. 15.

Gov. Cuomo has offered matching funds to local governments if they can share services or consolidate some functions. If those savings are quantified, the state will offer matching money, thus doubling the financial incentive.

Shifting code enforcement to the county level may not save money. In fact, it could cost more to replace several part-timers with full-time codes officers. The officials will calculate the current costs of all the current code enforcement officers, looking at salaries, fringe benefits and other expenses.

The concerns about costs ended the discussion about a decade ago when county-wide code enforcement was pushed by Richard Moy, the Clarendon town supervisor. But now officials are open to looking at how to improve the service.

“Having a unified system makes the county more attractive for development,” said Bob Miller, the Murray town supervisor.

Chuck Nesbitt, center, is the county chief administrative officer. He is leading the effort for a shared services plan that has to be submitted to the state by Oct. 15.

DeRoller said some economic development projects may be stalled or slowed due to the current code enforcement situation in the county. He said if there are added costs with a centralized code enforcement in the county, it would be worth it if it leads to more residential projects, more small business development and larger manufacturing projects.

DeRoller also wants to see more focus on 500 houses that he said are vacant in the county.

“People are dissatisfied,” he said about code enforcement. “We’re not consistent.”

Ron Vendetti, center, said the local municipalities should have standardized forms, setbacks and many regulations. He works as the codes officer for the villages of Albion and Holley, and the town of Murray.

Ron Vendetti works as the codes officer for the villages of Albion and Holley, and also the town of Murray. He said a unified code for the county would be well received by developers and the code enforcement officers. Vendetti is one of the codes officers nearing retirement. He noted that Wyoming County runs code enforcement through the county.

“Right now we have different levels of code enforcement throughout the county,” he said. “In some towns, there is a code enforcement officer for three hours a week. We could improve the quality and the standardization.”

If the job was moved to the county, it’s possible the duties could be handled through the Public Health Department, which already does public health inspections throughout the county.

Having a team of codes officers also might make the job less stressful for the codes officers, especially if they can specialize in different parts of the job. They would also have other colleagues to consult when interpreting the code.

In addition to code enforcement, the county and the town and village leaders will be looking at the current costs for providing water services. The county received a $50,000 grant to hire a consultant to review the 10 towns and four villages, looking at the water infrastructure and costs.

It’s possible a county water authority could be created to manage the water infrastructure. If the towns and villages were more united, it would help Albion and Lyndonville, which both have water plants, to secure financing for upgrades.

These officials include, from left, Medina Mayor Mike Sidari, Barre Town Supervisor Sean Pogue, Gaines Town Supervisor Joe Grube, and Albion Mayor Eileen Banker.

Chuck Nesbitt, the county chief administrative officer, said maintaining local control of the water plants is important for the entire county for future economic and residential development.

Lyndonville pumps about 400,000 gallons a day within the town of Yates. Albion pumps close to 2 million gallons and serves five towns, plus the village of Albion. The Monroe County Water Authority also supplies water in eastern Orleans and has locked Clarendon and Kendall into 40-year contracts. That has some officials in Orleans concerned the MCWA will push for more in-roads in the county.

Albion has an asset in the center of the county, Nesbitt said.

“It needs to be maintained and protected,” he said about the water plant. “How do we set this plant on its best foot going forward?”

The local officials will meet again 6 p.m. on May 3, and will compare their costs for information technology, grant writing, code enforcement and electricity, and look for ways to share services or perhaps consolidate the functions.

Press Release, Department of Environmental Conservation

File photo: A black bear is pictured in Kendall on West Kendall Road in this photo from Aug. 11, 2014.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today issued guidance on how to prevent negative encounters with black bears. Nearly all negative bear encounters in New York are the result of hungry bears being attracted to human food sources. The simplest way to avoid a nuisance encounter is to remove potential food sources, which usually results in the bear moving on.

New York’s black bears emerge from the winter denning period and need to replenish their nutrients and body fat. To do so, they may travel long distances to preferred habitats that vary from season to season. Bears must often cross roads or pass through developed areas to find these different habitat types, and they often find human food readily accessible if homeowners do not take necessary precautions.

Not every bear that passes through a developed area is a problem bear, but readily available human food sources can quickly turn them into one. Bears can obtain all of the food they need from the forest but they are intelligent and opportunistic animals that will find and consume whatever food they can find most easily. Bird feeders, garbage cans, dumpsters, barbecue grills, unsecured out-buildings or vehicles containing food or waste all are potential attractants to bears.

Once a bear learns to obtain food from people or certain structures, it is very difficult to change the animal’s behavior. These bears are more vulnerable to motor vehicle collisions in populated areas, more likely to be illegally killed, or may become a threat to public safety.

In some cases, DEC is asked to relocate these bears. However, bear relocations are rarely effective at solving the problem and can be dangerous. Relocated bears often return to their original capture site, or may simply continue their bad habits at a new location. Additionally, if the circumstances that led to the original problem are not corrected, other bears may be attracted to the site and the human/bear conflicts will persist.

It is dangerous and illegal to intentionally feed bears. The incidental, indirect feeding of black bears, such as with bird feeders or garbage, is also unlawful after a written warning has been issued by DEC.

Occasionally, a bear becomes so habituated to human environments and conditioned to human foods that its behavior creates a clear threat to public safety and property. It is in the best interest of both bears and people for bears to get their food solely from wild sources.

To reduce the chance of negative black bear encounters around your home, DEC recommends these simple precautions:

• Never feed bears! It is illegal, dangerous and detrimental to bears.

• If you believe bears are being fed in your area, or suspect a nuisance bear situation, report it to DEC immediately.

• Take down bird feeders after April 1. Birds do not need supplemental food in the spring and summer, when natural foods are most abundant (even if you believe your birdfeeder to be inaccessible to bears, the birds will drop seed on the ground, which attracts bears to your yard).

• Clean off barbecue grills before night fall (don’t forget the grease trap), and if possible, store grills inside when not in use.

• Store garbage in a secure building or location, secure can lids with ropes/bungees/chains, never over-fill cans, and dispose of garbage as frequently as possible.

• If you live in an area where bears may occur, put garbage containers out by the curb just before the scheduled pick-up – never the night before.

• If you live in a densely populated bear area, consider using a certified bear-resistant garbage container.

• Clean garbage cans frequently with ammonia products.

• Do not burn garbage: it is illegal and can attract bears.

• Do not add meat scraps, bones or melon rinds to your compost pile.

• Feed pets indoors and store pet food indoors. If pets must be fed outside, immediately remove all uneaten food and dishes.

• It is important to appreciate and respect black bears as wild animals, from a distance.

To learn more about New York’s black bears, visit the DEC website or look for the DEC’s DVD: ‘Living with New York Black Bears’ available at most local public libraries in New York.

ALBION – Heritage Wind will have two open houses at its Albion office for community members to learn about a proposed project in Barre. Apex Clean Energy is proposing to build a 200-megawatt wind energy facility in Barre.

Community members learn more about the project, meet members of the team, ask questions, and share feedback during open houses from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday and 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday. The sessions will be held at the Apex office, 49 North Main St., Albion.

“Apex has been working in the town of Barre for two years,” Project Developer Ben Yazman said. “During that time, we have held conversations with the Town Board, residents, landowners, state agencies, and other stakeholders to inform our development work. We are eager to share what we’ve learned and to answer questions, particularly regarding the community benefits this wind project can bring to Barre and Orleans County.”

Project staff invite the public to stop by if they have questions or wish to schedule a more formal meeting or presentation. Heritage Wind team members can be reached at 585-563-5137 or info@heritagewindpower.com. Office hours are also posted at www.heritagewindpower.com.

Winter has shown no signs of letting loose its grip on the region. More snow has fallen today and the next few days will have high temperatures only in the 30s.

The National Weather Service also has issued a wind advisory today for Orleans, Niagara, Genesee, Wyoming, Erie and Chautauqua counties.

That advisory is in effect until 11 p.m. There will be westerly winds from 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 to 55 mph.

Some trees outside Hoag Library in Albion also contended with an extra dose of winter weather today.

MEDINA – The Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame, started in 2013, will be inducting its 2018 class this coming October. Nominations for induction are now being sought.

People from anywhere can send their choices for induction directly to the Hall of Fame Committee of the Medina Sandstone Society by mailing the nomination to the Medina Sandstone Society, PO Box 25, Medina, N.Y., 14103. Or a nomination may be sent electronically by filling out the online form (click here).

The Hall of Fame Committee will consider nominations from previous years not already selected, and any new nominations received by July 31.

The home of the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame has been established in Medina’s City Hall, a structure itself made of the same brownstone quarried in the Medina area for over 100 years. The initial Hall of Fame class included 6 structures located in and around Western New York. The 2017 class included 4 more structures including buildings from Jamestown, Rochester, Albion and Batavia.

Hall of Fame Committee members Jim Hancock (chairman), Dave Miller and Don Colquhoun will research all nominations and make a site visit. Criteria for consideration shall include age, beauty, longevity, structural soundness and architectural uniqueness.

If possible nomination information should have full background and documentation, and, at the very least, should give a name and phone number to be contacted for further information or a website.

Four new inductees were added to the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame on Oct. 19, 2017, including First Presbyterian Church in Albion, Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Rochester, Richmond Memorial Library in Batavia, and First Lutheran Church of Jamestown. Pictured in front from left: Cathy Vail, CFO for Holy Sepulchre; Lynn Sullivan, CEO of Holy Sepulcre; Tim McGee, elder at First Presbyterian Church in Albion; and Twyla Boyer, First Presbyterian’s pastor. Back row: Brenda Gagliano, Holy Sepulchre’s records coordinator; Dan Nagle, pastor of First Lutheran Church in Jamestown; Jim Jacobs, facilities director for Batavia City School District which owns and maintains Richmond Memorial Library in Batavia; Rob Conrad, director of Richmond Memorial; and Chris Dailey, superintendent of Batavia City School District.

Dog attacks on postal carriers decreased last year in Western New York and nationally. The number of postal employees attacked by dogs nationwide reached 6,244 in 2017 — more than 500 fewer than 2016.

There were 79 attacks in WNY, down 4 percent, from 82 in the previous year. The 79 attacks last year included three in Orleans County, with one each in Albion, Holley and Medina.

The U.S. Postal Service said the City of Buffalo saw great improvement in dog attacks, down 46 percent from 2016 (28 to 15), while the City of Rochester had a 127 percent jump in dog attacks (11 to 25) and is listed in the national city rankings in the 16th position.

“Dog attack prevention is about vigilance,” said Western NY District Safety Manager Daniel Welch. “Our employees must be vigilant in identifying where dogs reside and taking necessary precautions; dog owners must be vigilant in keeping dogs restrained when carriers are at their home; and we need to teach our children on how to behave around family pets as well as dogs they do not know.”

Half of the 4.5 million Americans bitten by dogs annually are children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

National Dog Bite Prevention Week runs Sunday, April 8, through Saturday, April 14. The Postal Service is joined by the American Humane, American Veterinary Medical Association, Insurance Information Institute and State Farm Insurance in driving home the message that dog bites are a national issue and education can resolve the issue.

The Postal Service promoted two safety measures to alert USPS carriers of dogs on their delivery routes. Customers using usps.com’s Package Pickup are asked to indicate if there is a dog at their address when they schedule a package pickup.

In addition, the Mobile Delivery Devices letter carriers use to scan packages to confirm delivery includes a feature that allows carriers to indicate the presence of a dog at an individual address. This is especially helpful to substitutes who fill-in for letter carriers on their days off.

USPS gave the following tips and encouraged sharing them using the hashtag #preventdogbites. A video on dog bite prevention tips is available on the Postal Service’s YouTube channel.

• If a carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door. Some dogs burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to attack visitors. Dog owners should keep the family pet secured.

• Parents should remind their children and other family members not to take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet, as the dog may view the person handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.

• The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority. If a carrier feels threatened by a dog, or if a dog is loose or unleashed, the owner may be asked to pick up mail at a Post Office until the carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If a dog is roaming the neighborhood, the pet owner’s neighbors also may be asked to pick up their mail at the area’s Post Office.