Provided photo: Pictured, front row, from left: Payton Denniston, Elise Olsen and Sophie Kroening. Back row: Jackson Reese, Molly DeBottis, Robert Clute and Sarah Klaiber.

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – Buffalo author Sarah Klaiber spent some time with students at Medina’s Oak Orchard Elementary School recently. She read her book “Treasures” and talked about the importance of appreciating things that are often taken for granted.

“This is my first book,” says Ms. Klaiber.  “I don’t know if there will be any more in my future, but I plan on expand on the message of Treasures. It was inspired by a mental wellness journey that I started five years ago. I started taking better care of myself and doing something finally that I loved to do, which is writing. I found my children, who always make me happy, and writing, which I love, were the birth of Treasures.

“My message to little ones is that they can look around and see treasures every day and it’s okay to be blue every now and then,” she said. “My heart just turns to mush listening to the little ones talk about what are their treasures. To see them reflecting on what makes them happy is great. I get a lot of thank you letters from parents for such a simple, meaningful and often overlooked message.  I really appreciate the opportunity to be here to share it with the students.”

Molly DeBottis, the librarian at Oak Orchard, was instrumental in getting Ms. Klaiber to come for a visit.

“Someone brought me her flyer when she was speaking at Roy-Hart and I got in contact with her and since she was a local author and priced reasonably it worked out to have her at the school,” DeBottis said. “Her book is very appropriate for grades K-2. It’s a great picture book. I think it is very exciting and a good opportunity to hear firsthand the process of writing a book. It get the kids excited about reading.”

Julie Webber, Oak Orchard principal, added, “I think it is a great opportunity for students to see the full circle of writing; that there is a person behind the book, who writes the book.  She can talk to the students about what her message is, in addition to hearing the author read the book herself.”

Photos courtesy of David Klafehn

KENDALL – Kendall High School students performed Shrek the Musical with three shows last Friday and Saturday.

Hanna Hofstra portrayed Fiona, while Ryan Barrett was Donkey and Caleb Henion played Shrek. Shrek and Donkey strike an unlikely friendship and the two rescue Fiona who is trapped in a castle surrounded by lava.

The cast of characters put on a high-energy show. Michael Billotti and Daniel Lauritzson directed the musical for Kendall.

Archer Knapp played Lord Farquaard, who sends Shrek to rescue Princess Fiona, with Farquaard intending to marry her. The Duloc Dancers include Brianna Drennan, Olivia Reed, Kiersten Rodas, Willow Clark, Paige Beers, Grace Robinson, Sara Mattle, Megan Elliott and Anna Oakley.

Young Fiona is played by Abby Barrett, Teen Fiona by Lauren Miller and Fiona by Hanna Hofstra. Fiona spends many years in the castle waiting to be rescued by a prince. She is surprised when Shrek, an ogre, pulls off the feat.

Many Fairytale creatures descend on Shrek’s swamp, to his annoyance.

Shrek and Fiona discover they have a lot in common and fall in love.

Press Release, Congressman Chris Collins

WILLIAMSVILLE – On the heels of a rural broadband roundtable Friday afternoon with local community leaders, Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) called for easing regulations on internet service providers to help them to invest in underserved communities like northern Niagara, Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties.

“It is staggering that 65 percent of my Congressional district is underserved by high-speed internet, which is why it is so important government and providers work together to make sure our communities have the services they need,” said Collins.

Collins also expressed concern about recent efforts by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Senator Chuck Schumer to implement overbearing regulations that would make it harder to provide internet service in these areas.

“Governor Cuomo and Senator Schumer could hurt rural internet expansion by falsely claiming that the internet is broken and the only way to fix it is more regulations,” Collins said. “Their actions would be detrimental by creating more red-tape that providers would have to navigate.”

Collins pointed to the Obama Administration’s implementation of heavy-handed rules that deterred internet providers from investing in Western New York’s rural communities. As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Collins 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.

“The promise of reliable and affordable high-speed internet in the rural parts of our counties has been an elusive dream for over seven years, and our residents and businesses continue to be frustrated with the progress to-date,” said David Godfrey, Niagara County Legislator. “Current internet services in the rural areas fall well short of the expectations of our taxpayers, and the promise for newer technology seems well over the horizon. Thank you Congressman Collins for always being here for us.”

“Our meeting with Congressman Collins brings continued hope that our counties will receive the technology they deserve and desperately need,” said Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislator. “The Congressman has always given his fullest support to the Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance (NORA) as we push for those services that will help ensure every resident, student, school, small and agribusiness across our two counties, and the entire GLOW region receive internet that is equal to that of more metropolitan areas in New York State.”

Collins added: “We need to work together to ensure our communities have the resources they need to run their businesses, pursue educational opportunities, and connect with their loved ones. I am thankful for the support of local leaders that know what is best for Western New York as we continue to fight for an environment where businesses can succeed so consumers can benefit.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: Albion High School students Enoch Martin, Chase Froman and Laiken Ricker are among the student leaders who will be helping with Wednesday’s student-driven remembrance for the 17 students and faculty killed last month in Florida. Froman, center, is urging his classmates to wear burgundy and silver, the school colors at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Students in Orleans County will be part of a nation-wide movement to remember the 17 victims who died in last month’s shooting in Parkland, Florida.

In Orleans County there will be memorial observances inside the schools and team-building exercises to help students connect with their classmates. The events aren’t intended to be political, local school leaders said.

At Medina High School, students are planning an assembly where the names of the 17 victims will be read. The school resource officer will address the student body. Students have also created a hat with the Medina Mustang logo and the logo from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where a 19-year-old gunman opened fire last month with an assault rifle. The hat with the two logos will say #NeverAgain and will be sent to the Florida school, said Mark Kruzynski, the Medina district superintendent.

In Kendall, students and staff developed a 17-minute mini lesson that focuses on character and compassion, said Julie Christensen, the district superintendent.

Students are also expected to observe a 17-second moment of silence for each of the victims.

“Rather than a walk out, empower students to interact with each other in meaningful conversations on what they can do to improve the climate of Kendall,” she said. “The goal is to help our students understand how we treat each other and the impact on society.”

Holley students will have a memorial observance at 10 a.m. at the high school. Students will gather in the auditorium to read the names of the victims in the Florida shooting.

Holley students also have created posters with information about each of the 17 victims. They will observe a moment of silence for each life lost. Students also are selling wristband bracelets, with proceeds going Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

In Albion, the middle school student council has planned 17 minutes of team-building exercises that is intended to include all 420 students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade, Middle School Principal Brad Pritchard said.

Student leaders in the high school are encouraging students to wear burgundy and silver on Wednesday, the school colors for Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

Senior Class President Victor Benjovsky will share a reflection over the PA system and students will observe a moment of silence. Seventeen student leaders will also spend the school day making an effort to connect with all students.

“It’s the students reaching out to the students,” said Enoch Martin, a junior.

Lyndonville doesn’t have any events planned for Wednesday, but the district – students, teachers and administrators – have been discussing student safety and the atmosphere at the school for the past month since the shooting in Florida, said Jason Smith, the district superintendent.

ALBION – A Rochester man who admitted in court to stealing $1,903 worth of electronics from the Walmart in Albion was sentenced to 1 ½ to 3 years in state prison.

Adrian Taylor, 40, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny. He has prior convictions for larceny, burglary and drug crimes.

Sara Sheldon, the interim County Court judge, said Taylor is “clearly a career criminal.”

She also ordered that he pay Walmart $1,903 in restitution. Taylor allegedly put electronic items in a tote and then took them from the store.

The judge declined his request to be sent to the Willard drug treatment program through the state prison system. She told him there are other treatment programs in prison.

In other cases in County Court on Monday:

• An Albion man was sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison for violating his probation.

Kolin McKain, 21, of Albion will go to a “shock camp” that is run like a boot camp. Sheldon told him he will be up early in the morning for exercise, then drug treatment. He will also learn about respecting authority and human dignity, she said.

McKain already has been on probation four times and has twice been convicted of driving while intoxicated. He violated probation by repeatedly using drugs and also being found with alcohol, District Attorney Joe Cardone said.

“My client clearly has a substance abuse problem that is controlling his life,” McKain’s attorney Nathan Pace told the judge.

McKain apologized to his family and the court for his actions.

Sheldon told him she hopes the shock camp can lead to long-lasting change in his life.

“You’re 21 years old and you’re becoming a frequent flyer,” she said. “That’s unacceptable.”

• A man from Cazenovia was sentenced to five years of probation and four weekends in jail after drunk driving on July 14 in Carlton.

Michael E. McKee, 30, of Cazenovia had a 0.29 percent Blood Alcohol Content, more than three times the legal limit.

He could have faced up to six months in jail as part of a plea agreement. Judge Sheldon said she was impressed by McKee for taking responsibility for the crime and getting treatment. His attorney asked that McKee only serve probation given the progress he has made since his arrest.

Sheldon decided to give him four weekends in jail to be served in Madison County, where he lives.

“I think you need a little taste (of jail) to show that this is where you never want to be,” the judge said.

McKee will also report to probation in Madison County. His license has also been taken away until he gets the court’s permission to have it back. He also must pay a $520 court surcharge and $50 DNA fee.

• An Albion man facing charges of first- and second-degree assault will go to trial beginning May 7. Wesley Askew has been in the county jail after he allegedly seriously injured another Albion man on June 9.

Askew allegedly got into an altercation at 1:45 a.m. on June 9 at 175 North Main St., an apartment building. Askew allegedly assaulted another resident, who sustained serious head injuries.

Askew is a level 3 sex offender, the highest possible risk for re-offending. He was released from prison in late 2015 after being convicted in May 2009 for second-degree rape.

Cardone, the district attorney, said the trial would take two weeks, “at least.”

• A Hamlin resident pleaded guilty to aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree

Chad Oehlbeck, 30, could face up to six months in jail and five years on probation when he is sentenced in June 11.

He admitted to the judge he was driving without a license and was impaired on June 3. He was also asked if he had a shotgun and was intending to use it unlawfully against another person.

After a pause, Oehlbeck responded, “Yes, your honor.”

File photo: The bridge on Route 18 over Oak Orchard Creek is shown in this photo from October 2015.

Press Release, NYS Department of Transportation

The New York State Department of Transportation announced it will close the two-lane bridge over Oak Orchard Creek along Route 18 in the Town of Carlton beginning Monday, March 19. The closure is anticipated to last two to four weeks.

Work on the bridge will consist of repairing concrete, replacing a joint header, and installing a new layer of concrete on the bridge deck to maintain a smooth riding surface.

The Lake Ontario State Parkway between Route 98 and Lakeside Beach State Park will re-open temporarily to accommodate traffic as a detour during the bridge repairs. Commercial vehicles will use the same detour.

Repairs to the Route 18 bridge over Oak Orchard Creek are being made well ahead of the busy summer tourism season. The bridge is currently posted at 28 tons.

Press Release, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today announced new legislation, the Dairy Farm Sustainability Act, to create a new “price floor” for milk that would help New York’s dairy farmers continue operating while milk prices are historically low.

Gillibrand’s legislation would work in tandem with the Margin Protection Program (MPP) and would bring back effective provisions of older dairy programs to create a “price floor” for milk. The “price floor” would be set at $23.34 per hundredweight, and would adjust over time for inflation. Historically low milk prices are devastating New York’s dairy farming communities, and this legislation would improve the existing safety net to stabilize these farms during periods of very low milk prices.

“New York is blessed with more than 4,000 dairy farms, and even more hardworking men and women who wake up before the sun comes up every single day, to produce the milk we need to stay healthy,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Historically low milk prices are creating a crisis for our farmers and dairy communities, and Congress needs to fix this problem now. My new bill, the Dairy Farm Sustainability Act guarantees a minimum price for dairy farmers, to ensure that our farmers don’t go bankrupt every time prices drop.”

When milk prices drop below the price floor, the Dairy Farm Sustainability Act would automatically trigger a payment to stabilize New York dairy farm operations. The current MPP program would continue to operate for dairy farmers’ milk prices when they are above the price floor, but during periods of very low milk prices, the Dairy Farm Sustainability Act would pay eligible farmers 45 percent of the difference between $23.34 per hundredweight and the current All Milk price. MPP-participating farms would be eligible for payments from the Dairy Farm Sustainability Act on up to the first 5 million pounds of production.

The Dairy Farm Sustainability Act would be included as a provision in the new five-year Farm Bill being drafted in the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, has sent a letter to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie asking for $50,000 in state funding for each school in the state to hire an armed school resource officer.

Hawley said he is making the request in response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida on Valentine’s Day, when 17 people were shot and killed.

“I hereby request that you provide an additional $50,000 a year toward the cost per armed school resource officer for every New York State school in this year’s budget,” Hawley wrote to Heastie.

Hawley is also requesting that the salary cap for retired police officers serving as school resource officers be raised from $30,000 to $50,000 per year. This is in addition to his proposal to recruit veterans and retired law enforcement to bolster security at schools.

“A mother in my district actually purchased a bullet proof vest for her 16-year-old son subsequent to a shooter threat in his high school,” Hawley wrote to Heastie. “How incredibly heartbreaking it has come to this! I vehemently urge that you seriously consider these measures and any other that you feel will create an environment that is safe and secure for our most cherished and vulnerable constituents, our children.”

The New York State Sheriffs’ Association last month also called upon the State Legislature to include funding to provide at least one armed school resource officer at every grade school and high school in the state.

There are about 4,750 public schools and nearly 2,000 private schools educating students in grades K through 12 in the state, according to the Sheriffs’ Association.

If the state approved the measure, it would cost $237.5 million to pay for 4,750 school resource officers at $50,000 a year for the public schools. Including 2,000 officers for private schools would cost another $100 million.

Penny Cole named winner of McDonald’s Community Service Award

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The Holley faculty and staff team, including social studies teacher Mike Crissman (center), is all smiles at a pep talk just before a charity basketball game on Monday evening in Holley.

The Holley teachers and staff won 60-32 in the game versus law enforcement officers in Orleans County. Holley started the game on a 15-0 run. About 300 people attended the game which was a benefit for the Ronald McDonald House in Rochester.

The event raised $4,444, by far the most in the 12 years Holley has been raising money for the Ronald McDonald House.

Several people tried their luck with half-court shots at halftime. Younger kids were able to get much closer to the basket, including Brynn Thomas, a Holley second-grader. Mike Sander, a referee for the game, hands the ball to Brynn. Her father, Mark Thomas (in back) played for the Holley faculty team. Thomas teaches seventh and eighth grade English at Holley.

Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower, a Holley graduate, coached the law enforcement team. Bower used to coach the Holley girls varsity basketball team. Many of the law enforcement team members who played on Monday were Holley graduates.

The Ronald McDonald House provides a place for families to stay while their children are hospitalized. Penny Cole, center, has organized several benefits for the Ronald McDonald House in recent years at Holley. She is shown announcing the winner of a 50-50 raffle.

“I think it’s a great cause,” she said.

Matt DeSimone, left, is a Holley student who served as announcer for the game. Julia Buck, the cheerleader, was hospitalized for five days in Rochester last summer after a boating accident at Brockport. Her mother was able to stay in the Ronald McDonald House.

Roxanne Wagner won the 50-50 raffle and donated the $170.50 to the Ronald McDonald House.

Representatives from the Ronald McDonald House High School All-Star Basketball Games attended the benefit game in Holley and announced that Penny Cole was a unanimous choice for the McDonald’s community service award for her efforts to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House.

David Dence, from the Ronald McDonald All-Star Basketball Game, gives Penny Cole a hug after announcing to the crowd she will receive a community service award for her work raising money for the Ronald McDonald House. She will be honored on March 21 at a banquet for the upcoming all-star game.

Holley cheerleaders celebrate after Cole was announced as a community service award winner. Cole and her daughter Heather Kelley are the cheerleading coaches.

The cheerleaders, including Kylie Towne, performed during halftime. The group recently finished second in the Genesee-Region League and third at Sectionals. Penny Cole and Heather Kelley were named the cheerleading coaches of the year for Section V and the G-R League.

Kennedy Jones and the cheerleaders gave a high-energy performance at halftime.

There were about 80 baskets up for raffle during the benefit.

Sal DeLuca, a former Holley Board of Education member, chats with some vocal members of the student body. DeLuca was one of the referees for the game.

Press Release, GCC

BATAVIA – Since 2008, Genesee Community College has offered the Genesee Promise Plus scholarships to help remove financial barriers to higher education for citizens in the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

As the scholarship program celebrates its 10th anniversary, GCC encourages all qualified individuals, from students in high school to adults who have never taken a college course before, to apply for up to two summer semester courses tuition-free at GCC.

Ten years ago, GCC’s Board of Trustees sought unique ways to encourage high school students who may have been reluctant to enroll in college. The first year, Genesee Promise Plus was only for graduating seniors, but officials soon realized that GPP would serve high school juniors equally as well. In successive years, GPP was opened up not only to juniors, but also to adult students who have never attended college in the past.

“Summer is a perfect time for new GCC students or students in our Accelerated College Enrollment program to immerse themselves in the college culture, acquaint themselves with the rigors of college coursework or appreciate the nuances of online learning,” said Lindsay Gerhardt, assistant dean for Recruitment and Admissions. “The GPP program provides a wonderful opportunity for college-bound students to cost effectively earn up to six credits, complete prerequisite or general education courses and get a head start on a degree program. It’s a win-win for all.”

GPP is available to GLOW region citizens who are high school juniors (rising seniors), graduating high school seniors or new adult college students (adults who have never attended college before). With more than 60 courses being offered this summer, in two summer sessions and both online and at GCC’s seven campus locations, there are ample opportunities for all eligible applicants in these categories:

• High School Juniors (rising seniors) and qualifying Homeschool Students are eligible for scholarship funding to take one course.

• Graduating High School Seniors are eligible for scholarship funding to take one or two courses

• Adults who have never attended college are eligible for scholarship funding to take one course. This includes adults who have received a GED prior to May 1, 2017 or graduated from a GLOW area high school in December 2016 or earlier. GCC will require a copy of high school transcripts.

GPP scholarship applications are being accepted until June 22 for the 2018 summer session. The complete list of courses available this summer is available by clicking here  and includes Females Roles in Film (CIN242), Beginning Personal Fitness (PED259), Principles of Business (BUS101) and other classes.

Applications, qualification criteria and additional information are available by clicking here.

All interested individuals are encouraged to contact the office of admissions at admissions@genesee.edu or by calling (585) 345-6805 today.

Photos by Tom Rivers: The canal bridge on Telegraph Road in Murray is pictured on Monday evening in the Town of Murray.

The National Weather Service in Buffalo warns that 6 to 10 more inches of snow is headed to Orleans County beginning today through 2 a.m. Thursday.

The Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Orleans, Niagara, northern Erie and Genesee counties, saying the 6 to 10 inches of snow is expected from 6 p.m. today through 2 a.m. Thursday.

“Plan on difficult travel conditions, including during the morning commute on Wednesday,” the Weather Service said. “Tree branches could fall. Winds gusting as high as 45 mph will cause areas of blowing and drifting snow.”

Provided photo: State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, left, joins GOP members in announcing a proposal for the state to assume county’s Medicaid costs.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) joined his Republican colleagues in Albany on Monday to announce a plan that would pave the way for significant local tax reductions for upstate residents. The plan would entail New York State taking over the county share of Medicaid expenses over a 10-year period.

Orleans County spends about $8.5 million annually in its share for the Medicaid program. That accounts for about half of the county tax levy.

“These cradle-to-grave welfare programs are bleeding our state dry,” Hawley said. “Many state leaders do not realize that a large portion of these state-imposed costs are mandated expenses on counties which are then passed down to residents in the form of higher property and local taxes. The bottom line is that Albany should pay for what Albany spends instead of passing the buck down to local governments.”

New York’s Medicaid budget is about $70 billion, more than one-third of the entire state budget. In federal fiscal year 2016, New York spent more on Medicaid than Texas and Florida combined, despite the fact that the combined populations of these states was approximately 46.1 million to New York’s 19.7 million.

Congressman Chris Collins, R-Clarence, last year proposed the “Collins Amendment” to shift the $2.3 billion in Medicaid costs paid by upstate counties to the state. Collins proposed it as part of repealing and replacing Obamacare, which ultimately didn’t get enough votes in Congress.

New York is unusual in requiring counties to help fund Medicaid, a health insurance program for poor residents. The New York counties and New York City pay $7.5 billion to the program each year. In the other 49 states, only $2.2 billion is contributed by local governments for Medicaid.

“Year after year, Albany’s leadership relies on counties to foot the bill for New York State’s out-of-control Medicaid costs,” Congressman Collins said in a statement last March. “Enough is enough. This amendment will stop Albany from forcing its unfunded mandate down the throats of taxpayers, and help counties lower the property tax burden on hardworking families.

The Collins amendment would have spared upstate counties from paying towards Medicaid, but not New York City, where taxpayers there contribute about $5 billion annually towards Medicaid.

The State Assembly proposal called for the state to assume the New York City Medicaid costs over 20 years.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state would struggle to pick up the increase from the counties, and hospitals, many already struggling to survive financially, would be forced to close with reduced revenue as part of President Donald Trump’s healthcare bill, called the American Health Care Act.

Cuomo faulted Collins and the Trump administration for pushing the cost shift as a move to secure more votes from upstate Republican lawmakers.

File photo by Tom Rivers: Ben Yazman, Heritage Wind project developer, is pictured by the Barre water tower on Route 98 behind the firehall in this photo from May 2016.

BARRE – Apex Clean Energy today filed a preliminary scoping statement with the state Department of Public Service. The company seeks to build a 200-megawatt wind energy facility in Barre.

The PSS filing opens a 21-day public comment period for community members to submit comments on the scoping statement.

Apex calls its proposed Barre project, “Heritage Wind.” The company will compile and respond to the PSS comments, “and will make any necessary adjustments to the studies it proposes in connection with the project,” Project Development Manager Ben Yazman said in letter today to the Hon. Kathleen H. Burgess, Secretary of the Public Service Commission.

Apex has been working in Barre for about two years. It has held several public meetings and has secured leases for 30 of the turbine sites. The company continues to discuss leases with landowners. Apex wants to have 47 sites under contract, Yazman told Orleans Hub.

The project would generate about $1.5 million in annual tax revenue for the town, county, school district and other public services, in addition to about $1 million annually to the landowners, Yazman said.

The company hopes to submit a full application later this year that would detail a preliminary layout of the turbine locations. That would likely be in the central to eastern part of the town, away from Pine Hill Airport. The company intends to apply for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need from the state’s Board on Electric Generating Siting and Environment.

Filing the PSS marks the beginning of a formal public scoping process. The document to follow will describe the environmental setting in the project area, and identify potential environmental and health impacts from the construction and operation of the turbines.

“There will be a bevy of studies,” Yazman said at the company Albion office, 49 North Main St.

The scoping document will outline proposed benefits of the project, proposed studies on potential impacts to birds and bats, and proposals to minimize environmental impacts and reasonable alternatives.

The PSS will detail the environmental impact analysis that Apex will conduct with the project, including potential impacts to land use, public health and safety, terrestrial ecology — including birds, bats and wetlands, water resources, aquatic ecology, communications systems, transportation and utilities, and cultural, historical and recreational resources.

Visual impacts to be studied include the potential for shadow flicker, should with electromagnetic fields, and the impact on the statewide electrical system.

“Importantly, the PSS document will not yet include specific details regarding the proposed facility or its potential impacts on and benefits to the environment and the community — that information will be developed through the studies and commitments outlined in the PSS, and submitted in the formal Article 10 Application later in this process,” Yasman wrote to Burgess today.

Feedback in the PSS will play an important role in the development of the project, he said.

Provided photo: Diesel technology students and staff include, from left: Max Chraston (Roy-Hart), Marshall Nichols (Roy-Hart), Bryan Cooper (Roy-Hart), Kaelyn Watson (Albion), Carolyn Merlin (Barker), teacher aide Gail Urtel, Matthew Miller (Newfane), Nathan Grant (Roy-Hart), Rhett Wagner (Medina), Ryan Hnat (Newfane), Kyle Kasier (Barker), Robert Nesbitt (Barker), Alex-John Doran (Lyndonville), Dominic Fazzolari (Barker), Preston Harris (Barker), Mr. Wallace, Kyle Berry (Newfane) and Michael Bartosik (Albion).

Press Release, Orleans-Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Diesel Technology teacher, Ed Wallace, was recently gifted with a heavy duty diesel truck from the University of Northwestern Ohio. He will use this to train his students at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.

The University is known worldwide as being a leader in training for automotive, diesel and high performance industries in Lima, Ohio.

“We have a recruiter from UNOH that comes in to talk to the students, his name is Pat Dixon,” said Mr. Wallace. “One day I was talking to him about how I would be able to get some used training equipment from the college for my class after they were done with it. He got back to me and said they have two diesel semi-trucks that they would be willing to donate. He sent me photos, I looked at the trucks and after discussion with our principal, Dr. Weyrauch, and we decided one of the trucks fit our criteria. It’s newer – a 1999 Freightliner with a Cummings M11 diesel engine. The truck was in very good shape.”

In order to get the truck, BOCES had to be willing to go get it. Mr. Wallace and craft committee advisor, Randy Librock from Relco Systems, towed the truck back from Ohio to the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.

“This has been a huge asset to the Diesel Technology Program,” Mr. Wallace said. “Our class has been able to use it for training on: air brake systems, steering and suspension, and diesel engines. I would like to say thank you to UNOH because they understand the value in student education and training at the high school level. I am very appreciative for their help and support of my program.”

ALBION – An Albion man faces additional charges after initially being arrested on Feb. 27 for sex abuse against children.

Richard L. Hering Jr

Richard L. Hering Jr., 45, and his girlfriend Renee Koch, 54, were charged with forcible touching, sex abuse and act in manner injurious to a child less than 17 years of age. There were allegedly three victims, ages 4 to 15.

Hering’s bail was set at $20,000 and Koch’s bail at $10,000 after they were charged on Feb. 27.

Hering was arrested again on March 9 after additional information was developed, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said today.

The charges include two counts of predatory sexual assault against a child (felony), two counts of first-degree rape (felony) and two counts of incest in the first degree (felony).

The crimes are alleged to have occurred over the past 8 years at various locations in the Village of Albion. The case is being prosecuted in both the Town of Gaines and Town of Albion Court because of the locations of the offenses, Nenni said.

Hering was arraigned on the additional charges in the Town of Albion Court and placed in the Orleans County Jail with no bail.