Press Release, GCC

MEDINA – Patrick Seidel, Genesee Community College’s Responding to Emergencies adjunct instructor, brings a wealth of expertise to his students. But when emergency response topic involve two exceptionally well-informed guest speakers and a topic of great public interest, the Medina Campus Center decided to expand the classroom roster to include the general public for the informative presentation. This classroom event on April 16 is free and open to the public.

Dr. Linda Redfield-Shakoor and Paul Zimmerman will present information about the types of nuclear incidents which could occur in Western New York. Their lecture is scheduled Monday, April 16, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Medina Campus Center, 11470 Maple Ridge Rd. What challenges first responders may encounter and what basic protective steps first-responders should consider will be among the topics.

Dr. Redfield-Shakoor recently completed dissertation research at Niagara University focused on Western New York nursing students and the medical community, as well as first responders regarding their perceptions of risk, willingness to respond and emergency self-efficacy related to radiation emergencies.

Paul Zimmerman is a researcher, educator and author with over 30 years of experience working on nuclear issues. He was a lecturer in World Life Institute’s Radiation Emergency Management (REM) seminars for first responders and medical personnel from 1989 to 1993. He subsequently served from 1993 to 2010 as a researcher at the Uranium Medical Research Center.

Both Dr. Redfield-Shakoor and Mr. Zimmerman are associates in the Global Nuclear Awareness Program of World Life Institute’s Center of Excellence in Medina. The special classroom presentation is offered in association with the Global Nuclear Awareness Program, World Life Institute.

National Grid says county will be fully restored by 2 p.m. Friday

National Grid has nearly all of its Orleans County electricity customers with power as of 9:31 tonight. This morning about 1,000 customers were without electricity. Now 71 customers await to be restored out of 19,346 total in the county. Most of the residents awaiting electricity are in the northern part of Carlton.

The company is estimating full restoration for the county by 2 p.m. on Friday.

National Grid has has 13,155 customers upstate without power, out of 1,646,374 total.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Orleans County Highway Department has a new Crawler Excavator. The machinery arrived last Friday. A $100,000 state grant went towards the $220,000 purchase.

Pictured from left include County Legislator Don Allport, Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson, Legislator Bill Eick, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Legislator Fred Miller, County Chief Administrative Officer Chuck Nesbitt, Highway Superintendent Jerry Gray, and Deputy Highway Superintendent Pete Houseknecht.

Hawley directed the funding to the county through the State & Municipal Facilities Capital Program (SAM). Hawley said he picked a project that would benefit residents throughout the county. The new Crawler Excavator will be used for village, town and county highway projects.

Hawley takes a seat in the operator’s chair.

The machine can dig trenches, load trucks, lift pipe, and handle attachments, such as hydraulic breakers, shears and grapples.

Houseknecht said it will be used to set rocks by the lake, to help fight flooding. He also expects the highway departments to use the Crawler Excavator to replace pipes and culverts, demo bridges, and assist with many other projects.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Joann Baxter, left, and Joyce Allen serve spaghetti and meatball dinners today in a benefit for the Nutri-Fair/Meals on Wheels program, which is run by the Arc of Genesee Orleans.

The dinners are being served until 7 p.m. at 16 East Academy St., Albion (the old Grammar School).

Chris Scheuerman, left, and Jonathan Doherty deliver four dinners to the dining room.

Theresa Schmachpfeffer, a long-time Meals on Wheels volunteer, tends to a table with many desserts.

Photos by Tom Rivers

POINT BREEZE – The fishing community at Point Breeze welcomed more than 100,000 fish today. The Department of Environmental Conservation delivered Steelhead and Chinook salmon from the Altmar Hatchery.

The top photo shows volunteers working with the DEC to release 106,500 Chinook salmon into pens by Ernst’s Lake Breeze Marina.

There also were 21,000 steelhead released into the Oak Orchard River at the Bridges near Captain’s Cove and Narby’s Superette and Tackle.

The 106,500 Chinook salmon were released into pens, where they will spend the next 3 to 3 ½ weeks. The extra time in the pens will allow the fish to double in size and also imprint on the Oak Orchard, making it far more likely they will return to the Oak Orchard when they are mature in about 3 to 4 years.

Right now the fish are only about 2 inches long. When they are mature, they should be 25 to 30 pounds – or bigger.

The team of charter boat captains and other Point Breeze stakeholders started the pen-rearing project in 1998. Bob Songin, center, led the effort. He passed the leaderships reins about three years ago but continues to help with the pen rearing.

Since the pen rearing, charter boat captains say they noticed a big change with more fish in the Oak Orchard and in Lake Ontario near Orleans County.

“It’s made a huge difference,” said Mike Lavender, a charter boat captain locally for 25 years. “The return rate has definitely increased.”

Daniel Wik, left, and Mike Lavander, owner of Intimidator Sportfishing, move one of the pens to a different dock. The fish will be fed often while in the pens. The pens keep the fish safe from predators while the Chinook grow in the next month.

Volunteers assist the DEC in releasing the fish this afternoon.

Mary Duckworth offered to help with the fish stocking today. She and her husband enjoy fishing and they wanted to provide some assistance.

State also insists on lactation rooms in state buildings that are open to public

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the passage of legislation in the FY 2019 Budget to ensure equal access to diaper changing stations and to provide lactation rooms in state buildings that are open to public. The policy is part of the Governor’s 2018 Women’s Agenda.

“New York proudly leads the nation in fighting for the rights of working parents, and by ensuring access to these amenities, we will help ensure all New Yorkers can give their children the care they need at this critical stage of their lives,” Governor Cuomo said. “This legislation supports our efforts to make New York the nation’s model for working parents, and helps make it a stronger, fairer and more equal state for all.”

Building on the Governor’s record of accomplishments to support new parents and the health of infants, including the strongest paid family leave policy in the nation, the FY1 2019 Budget changes New York’s Uniform Building Code to require all new or substantially renovated buildings with publicly accessible restrooms to provide safe and compliant changing tables.

This policy applies to businesses, including restaurants, stores and movie theaters, as well as State facilities, like parks and DMV offices. Changing tables will be available to both men and women, and there must be at least one changing table accessible to both genders per publicly-accessible floor. Building owners or managers must post clear signs directing the public to the location of the nearest available changing table.

“As a mother, I’ll never forget the stress of being out in public and in desperate need of a changing area for my children when they were babies,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. “This is an area where State government can play a role in alleviating some of the everyday burdens faced by parents. Requiring diaper changing tables in public restrooms will help mothers and fathers ensure the health and safety of their children. We are continuing to push for changes for women and all New Yorkers to have access to essential childcare and healthcare needs in the State.”

In addition, the FY 2019 budget requires certain state buildings that are open to the public to have lactation rooms, and directs the Department of State to study the feasibility of installing adult changing facilities in public buildings, to ensure that New Yorkers are supported in providing care to family and loved ones.

Until now, State law has not required publicly accessible restrooms to be equipped with changing tables. This means that parents and caregivers of young children often struggle to find a safe, sanitary place to change their child’s diaper. In addition, when changing tables are available, they are disproportionately available in only women’s restrooms. Many parents and caregivers have been forced to change a diaper in public, to use unsafe, unsanitary bathroom sinks—or even to delay changing a diaper altogether. Research published in the medical journal Pediatrics showed that staying in soiled diapers increases a child’s risk for painful skin rashes, scarring and infections, with potentials serious side effects such as kidney damage, poor growth and struggles developmentally and socially.

‘I got this,’ Madison Muckle, 10, says before taking the basketball court

Photos by Tom Rivers: Madison Muckle, 10, played point guard and liked to match up against the other team’s best player on defense.

ALBION – Madison Muckle won’t back down from a challenge, whether it’s cancer or guarding the opposing team’s best basketball player. She also is determined to learn tap and jazz dance and stay on the honor roll.

“I got this,” Madison declared during a recent girls basketball game, when she was asked to play point guard and run the offense.

Madison, 10, is in fourth grade. She played in a travel girls basketball league for fifth- and sixth-graders. She was one of the smallest players on the court, but she emerged a fan favorite with her hustle and fearlessness.

“That Madison has moxie,” my wife told me after one of our games, when Madison chased down several loose balls.

I was the coach for Madison’s team. My daughter Lucy, a sixth-grader, also was on the team. Albion doesn’t have a third and fourth grade team, so we take some fourth-graders. Madison was one of two from fourth grade on the team. She asked her teammates to call her “M & M.”

I didn’t expect her to be such a sparkplug, to be so tenacious on defense and to drive to the basket so hard against players with significant size advantages. The running jumper became her go-to shot.

During a season-ending basketball tournament at Lyndonville on March 10, the opposing team’s coach picks a player from the other team to recognize for hustle. Madison won the award in one of our games.

Madison Muckle brings the ball up the court during a game in February against the powerful Wilson team.

I remembered Madison from a few years ago when she was battling cancer. Every August her father, Kevin Muckle, organizes the Madisonation golf tournament at Hickory Ridge in Holley. They tend to raise about $7,000 to $10,000 and donate to Camp Good Days, the Ronald McDonald House, the Make-A-Wish Foundation or other local families with a child fighting cancer.

“We try to give back to the people that helped us,” said Jaime Allport, Madison’s mother.

Provided photo: Madison shaved her head when her red hair started to fall out from chemo treatments.

There have now been seven Madisonation golf tournaments. Madison was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when she was 3 years old. The family received the diagnosis on Dec. 27, 2010.

Jaime Allport said her daughter was acting lethargic that December. A lack of pep was unusual for Madison. She had a double-ear infection and was limping around the house. Allport took her to the doctor, and Dr. Satya Sahukar insisted she go to Strong Memorial for more tests.

“Dr. Sahukar moved quickly on it,” Allport said. “We’re very thankful for him.”

On Dec. 27, doctors at Strong determined Madison had cancer and that started 2 ½ years of chemo and treatment, including nine blood transfusions, which Madison called her “Superhero Juice.”

In May 2011, she had her head shaved when her red hair started to fall out. She was bald for about a year.

“She said, ‘It’s just hair, it will grow back,’” her mother recalled.

Madison handled the cancer treatments with courage.

“She is my fighter,” Allport said. “She never gave up.”

Madison also was popular with the nurses and doctors, and made many friends among the other pediatric cancer patients.

“She loved her nurses and doctors,” Allport said. “The staff is amazing.”

The cancer treatments worked and Madison didn’t need a bone marrow transplant. She hasn’t had any side effects since finishing her treatments nearly five years ago.

Her grades are in the 90s, she takes many dance classes, and is a cheerleader, basketball player and is looking forward to the upcoming softball season. She also is a regular at her older brother’s games. Kyle Woolston, 14, plays football, basketball and baseball. When he was in Little League, Madison would run onto the field after a game and zip around the bases.

Madison Muckle is shown at a recent dance class in Albion. She takes several classes led by Rachael Blair at Spotlight Studio.

April 10, 2018 will be a big day for Madison and her family. That will be the five-year anniversary of her last chemo treatment. She hasn’t had any issues or relapses since then.

Allport knows other families haven’t been as fortunate. Many of the children in the hospital with Madison didn’t survive.

Madison, even at age 10, has set a career goal of becoming a doctor and working with children, helping them to overcome an illness.

“When she was going through it, it never phased her,” Allport said. “As she gets older, she realizes how serious it was.”

Allport said the 2 ½ years of fighting cancer has given her daughter plenty of toughness, and also made her more sensitive to others.

“She is definitely more outgoing from being in the hospital so much and meeting the other kids, and making friends,” Allport said. “She also has become very determined. She is strong.”

Madison’s father is working on the next Madisonation golf tournament in August. For information about the tournament, click here.

Press Release, State Sen. Rob Ortt

Last week, Senator Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) and his Senate Republican colleagues were successful in allocating $40 million in additional state funding to assist Lake Ontario residents with flood relief recovery. In addition, legislation was passed to allow for the transfer of funds to assist residential needs. The $40 million adds to the $55 million previously approved by the Legislature and Governor Cuomo, bringing the total relief funding to $95 million.

“Once again, the Senate Republicans led the way in funding relief efforts for the residents of Lake Ontario,” said Sen. Ortt. “My colleagues and I will not forget the promise the Governor made to residents when he visited the lake’s south shore. It’s up to the state to make good on this word.”

Although approximately $55 million had been agreed to for relief efforts, state agencies have lagged in releasing the funds. Ortt pointed out that he and his office continue to have daily conversations with constituents who have yet to receive much-needed relief.

“Every budget is tough, and this one was no different,” he said. “But the Legislature did its job and obtained the recovery funds for these residents. Now it’s time to deliver the new and outstanding commitments we’ve made to residents along the shore.”

Press Release, Department of Environmental Conservation

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in consultation with the New York State Department of Health (DOH), is resuming cleanup of properties in neighborhoods adjacent to the FMC Middleport Facility Site located at 100 Niagara St. in Middleport, Niagara County.

Based on the March 2013 Final Statement of Basis, the cleanup includes removal of contaminated soil from residential parcels located near the facility. A remedial design will be implemented on a property‐specific basis to successfully remove the contaminants from impacted properties. This will be the fourth year of a multiyear cleanup effort. A phased approach is being implemented in an effort to minimize disruption to the community.

Participation in the remediation is voluntary. DEC will meet with participating property owners to review the remedial design and restoration plans for their properties. During construction, contaminated soils will be excavated and transported off‐site for disposal at a permitted facility. Specific excavation depths will be identified during the remedial design. Clean fill material will be brought in to restore the areas that are disturbed during the clean‐up to pre‐remediation conditions.

Mobilization is anticipated to begin this month. Work and equipment operation will typically take place five days per week (Monday through Friday), generally between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. A Property‐Specific Safety Plan and a Community Air Monitoring Plan will continue to be implemented to provide protection for site workers, property owners, residents, and the nearby community during cleanup activities. Copies of these plans have been placed onto the DEC project web page and into the document repository identified below.

Highlights of the upcoming cleanup activities include:

• Up to 30 additional properties that were contaminated as a result of operations by FMC Corporation at its nearby facility will be remediated during 2018, pending property owner agreement.

• Landscaping and other restoration activities will be completed at properties where remediation was completed during 2017, but final restoration could not be completed before winter.

• Residential cleanup activities will primarily occur in areas on Vernon Street, South Vernon Street, South Main Street, Park Avenue, Maple Avenue, and Hammond Parkway.

• Contaminated soil will be removed and transported off‐site for disposal at a permitted facility.

• All areas that are disturbed during the cleanup will be restored to pre‐existing conditions, in consultation with each property owner. Prior to being brought to the site, all backfill materials will be tested to demonstrate that they meet DEC soil cleanup requirements.

• Cleanup activities will be conducted by National Vacuum Environmental Services Corporation of Niagara Falls, NY, and Groundwater & Environmental Services, Inc. of Cheektowaga, with oversight by DEC. The contractors will use existing staging areas located south of the FMC facility along Telegraph Road.

Next Steps

DEC and DOH will review and finalize excavation and restoration plans with property owners during spring 2018, and oversee completion of remediation and restoration activities by DEC contractors throughout 2018.

Background

FMC Corporation (FMC) currently owns and operates a facility in the Village which, as a result of historic air emissions and surface water releases, contaminated a significant number of nearby residential and other properties, predominantly with arsenic. In May 2013, a final remedy was selected to clean up a portion of those areas. This plan is fully described in the Final Statement of Basis, dated May 2013.

Priority was placed on remediating the properties with the highest concentrations of arsenic in the soil as determined during remedial design investigations conducted by FMC prior to 2009, while also considering the unique features of each property and efficiency of working on adjoining properties.

For more information, click here.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Bob Stilwell joined the Lake Country Pennysaver and Orleans Hub in February as one of two full-time ad representatives.

ALBION – Bob Stilwell admires the work ethic and courage of many small business owners in Orleans County.

The Gaines resident is a new ad representative for the Lake Country Pennysaver and Orleans Hub. He started Feb. 2 and has enjoyed reconnecting with many business owners and making new relationships with members of the business community.

“We’re a model of what a small community is all about with the mom and pop businesses trying to survive,” Stilwell said. “These businesses represent small-town America. You can tell they are good, hard-working people.”

Stilwell knows personally what it takes to make a small business succeed. He and his wife Jennifer have been running the Olde Dogge Inn on Ridge Road in Gaines for 20 years. The couple has four grown children.

Stilwell was born in Medina and raised in Albion. He served three years in the Army and earned an English degree at SUNY Oswego.

He worked 16 ½ years as director of advertising for the Hickey-Freeman Co., which makes high-end men’s clothing in Rochester. Stilwell also worked for about three years in advertising for American Sigma in Medina.

He took a break from advertising to work two years with his brother-in-law at Brigden Memorials in Gaines and then two years to work with his cousin at Ludwick Construction in Albion.

“I wanted to get back into advertising because I enjoyed it,” he said. “It’s about getting back into what I started my career doing, and working with the local businesses. We help them with a marketing plan. You try to help them spend their money wisely.”

Stilwell can be reached by calling the Pennysaver at (585) 589-5641.

The morning has started with 1,012 National Grid customers without electricity in Orleans County. The company is estimating power will be restored in the count by 10 p.m. today, with many of the customers reconnected before that.

National Grid is working to restore electricity to 44,828 customers in upstate after powerful winds on Wednesday took down trees and powerlines.

Warren County has the most National Grid customers, 9,613, without electricity this morning.

922 without electricity in Orleans, out of 19,346 National Grid customers

There are 922 National Grid customers in Orleans County without electricity as of 8 p.m. Some residents may have to wait a day before their power is back on. The company estimates some residents won’t be back online with power until 10 p.m. on Thursday. However, some of the outages will be addressed tonight.

The company has 55,350 customers without electricity in upstate.

“The dangerous weather conditions are expected to continue into Thursday morning, bringing the potential for further service interruptions as the storm makes its way from west to east across the company’s 25,000-square-mile service area,” company spokesman David Bertola said in a statement to the media. “A National Grid field force of more than 1,700 workers is active across upstate New York removing downed trees, tree limbs and other hazards, and focusing on public safety, as damaging winds, with gusts in excess of 65 mph, continue to impact the region.”

Counties with more customers without electricity than Orleans include: St. Lawrence, 10.091; Livingston, 4,426; Monroe, 3,844; Franklin, 3,625; Oswego, 3,274; Lewis, 3,041; Warren, 2,766; Onondaga, 2,594; Cattaraugus, 2,429; Herkimer, 2,145 Saratoga, 2,048; Madison, 1,877; Oneida, 1,696; Erie, 1,635; Fulton, 1,374; Niagara, 1,156; Genesee, 1,121; Jefferson, 993; and Washington, 973.

A crisis helpline that was run by the YWCA in Genesee County is now being handled by Crisis Services of Niagara County, which is operated by Niagara County Mental Health Department.

The YWCA announced on Monday it was closing, and would be ceasing many of its services, including the helpline.

Orleans County Mental Health Director Mark O’Brien found a new provider in Niagara County. The Mental Health Department there has trained staff and already handles calls for Niagara County. Now it will take calls from Orleans and Genesee as well, O’Brien said.

The phone numbers for the Care and Crisis Helpline through the YWCA – Local: 585-344-4400 and Toll Free: 1-844-345-4400 – are still working. Verizon, however, switched it some the phone will be answered by Niagara County staff.

“Everybody worked together to do this as smoothly as possible,” O’Brien said. “We’re very thankful to Niagara County for them stepping up to the plate.”

Provided photos

ALBION – A big tree came down today on East State Street at about 1:45 p.m., without hitting any houses. It also spared a historic hitching post from ruin, to the relief of homeowner Karen Manella.

She owns the house at 427 East State St. and enjoys the many historic features of Albion, including the hitching post and carriage step in front of her house.

“I like historical stuff,” Manella said. “I’m interested in history and the history of my hometown.”

The tree fell parallel to the street, and avoided the houses nearby. The tree was briefly on fire. Manila said her house wasn’t damaged except for the spots where utility wires were pulled from the house.

Powerful winds have knocked down many trees and power lines today, and tipped over tractor trailer trucks. A high-wind warning remains in effect until 11 p.m.

Photos by Tom Rivers

The tree pushed hitching post but didn’t break it. The tree landed on the carriage step, which has the name “T. Bell” carved in the block. Mr. Bell built the house in about 1870, Manella said.

The carriage step wasn’t damaged. Village of Albion Department of Public Works employees said the carriage step actually held a section of the tree up, making it easier to cut the tree into pieces.

The Village DPW worked this afternoon to clean up the fallen tree and remove it from the street. The DPW will work on removing more tree roots and reset the sidewalk and hitching post.

The village has many historic hitching posts and carriage steps, relics from the horse-and-buggy days more than a century ago. Albion may have more hitching posts and carriage steps than any other community.

The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement for Orleans County, saying that snow bursts will produce poor visibility until 6:45 p.m. today.

“A cold westerly wind over Lake Ontario is producing scattered to numerous snow showers,” the Weather Service said. “These bursts of snow within strong westerly winds will bring reduced visibilities to a quarter of a mile or less.”

While snow accumulation this afternoon will be minimal, as the sun sets these bursts of snow may bring slick spots and minor accumulations on roadways. If driving this evening, be prepared for slippery spots and reduced visibilities, the Weather Service said.