MEDINA – The FFA students have been hard at work making useful, organic dryer balls out of the wool from their farm’s llamas and alpacas. The dryer balls reduce drying time by absorbing the moisture from laundry and are a natural alternative to chemical filled dryer sheets and softener.
“We harvested the fiber here, we dry-felted it, used pantyhose to help keep the shape and put in the washing machine and they are ready to use in place of dryer sheets,” said Todd Eick, FFA advisor.
“People can even put essential oils on them to fragrance their laundry,” he said. “They last indefinitely and will absorb the moisture out of the clothes and help your dryer run better. We are putting them in our sampler box from our citrus sale, so anyone who ordered one will get a pair as one of the items. It is time consuming process, but it’s pretty cool for the kids to make.”
Mr. Eick says now that the students can see the finished project, they are excited and come right into class and get started immediately. The students are hoping that everyone will enjoy their natural, earth-friendly, handmade gift.
Pick up for ordered citrus, nuts, cheese and jerky is December 18-21 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. behind Medina High School at the Agriculture Shop. Customers who ordered cider can pick up on Dec. 19 from noon to 7 p.m., December 20-21 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Dec. 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s first come, first serve and everything goes.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 December 2017 at 9:31 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The Nativity scene by St. Peter Lutheran Church in Medina is pictured on Tuesday after a few inches of snow fell in Orleans County.
The temperature has dropped today, with a high of 20 and a low of 14. Those temperatures, combined with 15 mile-per-hour winds, prompted The Weather Channel to issue an extreme cold alert for Orleans County. The wind chill is 0 degree.
A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 1 p.m. today in Orleans County.
Culvert Road in Ridgeway, just north of the canal, is pictured on Tuesday afternoon.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 13 December 2017 at 8:05 am
HOLLEY – Village Board members on Tuesday evening authorized Mayor Brian Sorochty to sign engineering agreements pertaining to the village’s upcoming sidewalk and water improvements projects.
The village will contract with Wendel Engineering of Williamsville for both projects. Wendel will act as an engineering consultant for the sidewalk reconstruction project.
For the water improvements project, Sorochty will sign an Owner Engineer Agreement with Wendel for the Water System Improvements Grant.
The village will pay Wendel $167,675 for its work on the water system improvement project. Chatfield Engineering also submitted a proposal to the village at a cost of $189,430.
Sorochty said the village was not required to request proposals for the engineering work on the water project, but, “we had two very qualified engineers and we felt it was in the best interest of village residents to put out a request for proposals,” he explained.
The sidewalk and water projects, “mirror each other exactly,” Sorochty noted, and having the same engineering firm for both will create, “both practical and operational savings.” He said Wendel is, “supremely qualified to do the work.”
The village received a TAP grant of $1.78 million to construct curbs and sidewalks that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Additionally, the village received nearly $1.3 million from the state for upgrades to the water system through the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, as well as the Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grants Program.
In other business Tuesday, trustees approved spending $25,950 for the purchase of a transformer by the municipal electric department.
The purchase is being made for the thermal treatment of contaminated soil and water at the former Diaz site in the village. Sorochty said the village will be reimbursed by the Diaz site bursar for the purchase. Once the remediation work is done, the transformer will become the village’s asset, the mayor said.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency is overseeing the remediation project.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 December 2017 at 9:11 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – A GoFundMe fundraiser has been established to support Dan and Rose Mawn, the owner of a house that burned to the ground on Sunday evening.
“This has been their home for over 15 years and they lost everything,” their son, Daniel Mawn, writes on GoFundMe. “The house is a total loss. Thankfully everyone is safe including their dog.”
Mawn said he is assisting his parents as they work with their insurance company.
The house was located on Route 18 at the eastern end of Carlton, right next to the Kendall town line.
“They will need to rebuild from nothing,” Mawn said. “100% of funds raised will go directly to the affected family and will be used to replace everything that they have lost.”
The Mawns need to replace clothing, household goods and supplies, furniture – “everything that you see when you look around your own home right at this moment!” Mawn said.
In his ongoing efforts to preserve our Second Amendment rights, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) today reminded pistol permit holders to recertify their permits by January 31, 2018 in order to prevent them from becoming invalid.
If your pistol permit was issued before January 15, 2013, you must recertify your permit before January 31, 2018. If your permit was issued on or prior January 15, 2013, the deadline is five years after the date the permit was issued.
“Unfortunately, this is a new mandate on pistol permit holders in New York and the first year that owners have to recertify,” Hawley said. “The deadline is coming up and many New Yorkers may be unaware of these new requirements. As much as we may disagree with the unconstitutional Safe Act, if we come out in droves to recertify it will send the message to state leadership that we cherish our Second Amendment right to bear arms, and will not be silenced by any big government policies, as frustrating as they might seem.”
If you are a New York state pistol permit holder and need to recertify your license or would like more information, please visit the New York State Trooper Website by clicking here. Additionally, feel free to contact my office with questions at (585) 589-5780, or email me at hawleys@nyassembly.gov.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 December 2017 at 4:29 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
RIDGEWAY – One of Orleans County’s most well-known landmarks, the Canal Culvert in Ridgeway, has numerous icicles hanging inside after the temperatures dropped below freezing in recent days.
The canal is currently full of water while the Canal Corp. checks on culvert repairs in other locations. The canal is expected to be drained again next week for the winter.
These photos were taken today of the Culvert, the only spot where you can drive under the Erie Canal.
The Main Street clock in downtown Medina also has icicles growing on it.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 December 2017 at 3:04 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – A few inches of snow have fallen in Orleans County today, prompting residents to bring out their shovels and snowblowers. The top photo shows Phil VanKoughnet clearing his driveway of snow on Park Avenue in Medina.
Mike Barnard clears out his driveway on Elm Street in Medina.
A winter weather advisory remains in effect for Orleans County until 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
ALBION – Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) announced today that he will be hosting two free Yellow Dot programs later this week in Albion and Corfu.
The programs will be conducted by both the Orleans and Genesee County Sheriff Departments. Orleans County Sheriff Randall Bower is expected to attend the event in Albion on Wednesday.
Yellow Dot is designed to help first responders provide life-saving medical attention during that first “golden hour” after a car crash or emergency.
“Yellow Dot is truly a life-saving program,” Hawley said. “This is a free program that is especially important as road conditions become more dangerous during the winter months. Participating in the Yellow Dot Program is as easy as filling out a brief medical card and placing the yellow dot sticker on your car window. I encourage all who are available to stop by and pick up your free Yellow Dot Kit at one of these events this week or contact your local sheriff’s department.”
The event in Albion will be 12:30p.m. Wednesday at the Albion Academy Apartments, South Entrance, 16 E Academy St.
Hawley will also lead a program at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday at Corfu United Presbyterian Church, 63 Alleghany Rd.
ALBION – Leaders of the Albion Strawberry Festival Committee recently presented certificates of appreciation to the VFW and American Legion for their many years of marching in the Strawberry Festival Parade and serving as an Honor Guard at the annual event, the second weekend of June.
Members of the Legion are pictured in the top photo, from left: Garland Miller, June Persia, Joe Marvin, Wally Skrypnik, Bryan Spangler, Brad Shelp, Joe Gehl, Kevin Christy, Dick Townsend, Michael Bonafede (from Strawberry Festival Committee) and Gary Befus.
Michael Bonafede and Karen Sawicz are two of the leaders of the annual festival. They presented certificates to the VFW and Legion, thanking the organizations “for its support of our common values: Liberty, Freedom, Justice and Democracy and of our shared personal obligation to mutual helpfulness to our community, state and nation as we promote peace and goodwill on earth.”
Michael Bonafede, third from left, presents the certificate of appreciation to leaders of the VFW.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 December 2017 at 9:52 am
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer had an increased profile in the nation’s capital this year as Senate Minority leader, but that didn’t stop him from making stops at all 62 counties in New York State.
Schumer completed that goal for the 19th straight year. This was his first as leader of Senate Democrats. He succeeded Harry Reid.
Schumer said he is the only state-wide elected official to visit each county every year he has been in office.
“One of the very first promises I made in 1998 when I ran for the United States Senate was to visit all 62 counties in my first year in office,” Schumer said. “This is a tradition that I have continued every single year because of how much I learn, not to mention how much I enjoy doing it.”
Schumer was in Orleans County on Oct. 9 when he stopped at the Bald Eagle Marina in Kendall to highlight the Great Lakes Aquatic Connectivity and Infrastructure Program Act, which would provide federal funds for infrastructure updates that will improve Great Lakes fisheries and restore habitats. The bill would provide grants to repair or replace aging dams, culverts and roads that inhibit the movement of fish populations across the Great Lakes Basin. Additionally, the bill creates a grant program that would fund infrastructure projects to help improve fisheries.
In 2016, Schumer was in Holley on Veterans Day. He has been in the county annually for nearly two decades, often to discuss agricultural issues and the clean up of the former Diaz Chemical site in Holley.
In a list of accomplishments for Upstate New York this past year, Schumer noted the eight “Diaz homes” in Holley were finally sold after being under control of the federal Environmental Protection Agency for more than a decade. The previous owners of those houses feared they had been contaminated by a chemical leak at Diaz Chemical. The EPA had the houses cleaned and assured the public the houses were safe.
Schumer said he intends to keep his streak going in 2018.
“Almost 19 years later, now as the Senate Minority Leader, a position with great responsibility, my mantra is clearer than ever: ‘Senators who stay in Washington and never return home are simply not doing their job,’” Schumer said. “That’s why I go to the street fairs, parades, graduations and all kinds of public events. Whether I’m in Allegany County or Franklin County, I’m always mixing and mingling with my constituents.”
Orleans County Stop DWI Coordinator Sheriff Randall Bower announced the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, along with Medina, Albion and Holley Police Departments, and the NY State Police will participate in the STOP- DWI Holiday Season Crackdown from Dec. 15 to Jan. 1.
This crackdown is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association with additional funding from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and implemented by the STOP-DWI Foundation.
Each year around holiday time there is an increase in drinking and driving, which can prove deadly, Bower said.
In 2015, 311 people died on New York State highways due to Alcohol Impaired Driving. In New York State, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher.
The key to keeping yourself and others safe on the highway is to “Have A Plan.”
Drivers are urged to do the following:
• Plan a safe way to get home.
• Call for a ride from a sober friend, family member, taxi, public transportation, or Uber.
• “Have a Plan” Mobile App can downloaded to your smart phone (click here).
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 December 2017 at 9:36 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: Developers eyeing the old Holley High School want to use tax credits to help make the project work financially.
ALBION – The Orleans Economic Development Agency is worried about tax plans that call for either eliminating or reducing federal tax credits for renovating historic buildings.
“It will have an impact on many adaptive reuse projects,” Kevin Zanner, an attorney for the Orleans EDA, said during Friday’s EDA board meeting. “Any time you take money out, the developer has to find it somewhere else.”
Republicans in the House of Representatives approved a plan that would eliminate the 20 percent federal investment tax credit for historic preservation projects. The Senate plan would reduce the credit to 10 percent.
The developers of the old Holley High School want to use the tax credit as a piece of a $17 million plan to renovate the old school, turning the site into 41 apartments and the village offices.
“It makes everybody nervous,” said Jim Whipple, CEO of the Orleans EDA.
The agency the Holley project and another in the pipeline could potentially be adversely impacted by the Republican tax plans in Congress.
The historic downtown business districts are all ripe for the preservation tax credit to help make projects more economically manageable. Zanner said the tax credits have been a key to many recent redevelopment projects in Buffalo.
“The beautiful buildings in downtown Albion are all elgible for it,” Zanner said about the tax credit.
If Congress ultimately cuts the tax credit or reduces it, Zanner said it could approve a transitional system preserving the credit for projects like Holley’s old school where developers have already applied for the credit.
“It won’t just be gone,” Zanner said, “But it creates uncertainty.”
The tax credit has been used for 491 properties in New York State from 2002 through 2016. Those credits added up to $680 million for the projects, which have generated more than $4 billion in new state taxes and 52,000 new jobs, according to Ryan Silva, executive director of the NYS Economic Development Council.
He sent a letter last week to the Orleans EDA and other members of the NYS Economic Development Council. Silva, in his letter, said reducing or eliminating the historic tax credit “is not the right approach.”
MEDINA – The Canal Village Farmers’ Market in Medina is well into its second Winter Market season and this year will begin a new holiday tradition, a Holiday market this Saturday.
“Our market continues to grow and develop,” said Gail Miller, the market manager. “Last year, we began a successful winter market and this year as part of the effort to grow that market, we’re adding a special Holiday Market on December 16.”
Market volunteer, Stacy Knights Pellicano, came to Miller with the idea of a special holiday market.
“It’s a concept we were playing around with this past summer as we were preparing for the winter market,” said Pellicano. “With the ever-growing popularity of Downtown Medina, a holiday market for the Canal Village Farmers’ Market would give a great opportunity to showcase all that Medina has to offer!”
The Winter Market is located on the same site as the market in summer (127 West Center St. across from the Post Office) and offers a surprising variety of products. So far, participating vendors include Human Farms & Greenhouse, Baker Farms, McB’s Hoof & Feather Farm, Stone Hollow Bakery, and Nice Farms.
“We offer Brussels sprouts, cabbage, winter squash, potatoes, garlic, onions, kale, eggs, bacon, local pork and sausage, locally raised chicken, duck, lamb, and goat; baked goods of all kinds including breads and scone, honey, jams and this Saturday we’ll have extra vendors and some Christmas treats,” Miller said.
Pellicano teamed with Nicole Goyette to organize the Canal Kids activities at the summer market. Pellicano said Santa will be making a special appearance at the market this Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
“Santa will be stopping by for a few photos and we’ll have hot chocolate and cookies for the kids,” she said. “We’re so lucky to have the best Christmastown USA in Downtown Medina and we hope to grow the Holiday Market tradition in the coming years.”
The market operates every Saturday morning thru May from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“We may take some time off in January – we’ll see what the weather brings,” Miller said. “Other than that, we’re always here!”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 December 2017 at 6:20 pm
Lyndonville woman sentenced to 9 months in jail for selling hydrocodone pills
ALBION – Two people pleaded guilty to felonies in Orleans County Court this afternoon.
One of the defendants opted to be sentenced right after her plea. Erlinda Rodriguez-Zuniga, 48, of South Lyndonville Road in Lyndonville admitted to having prescription hydrocodone pills and selling them.
She pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree. The charge normally carries a maximum of 1 ½ years in state prison.
As part of a plea deal, Rodriguez-Zuniga faced a maximum of one year in jail. Sara Seldon, acting County Court judge, gave Rodriguez-Zuniga nine months in the local jail. Rodriguez-Zuniga has already served 131 days.
She apologized to the community and her family for the crime. She also had to pay $50 in restitution to the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, as well as a $375 court surcharge.
Rodriguez-Zuniga faces separate proceeding with U.S. federal probation. She has been on probation after she allegedly smuggled 400 pounds of pot from Mexico in 2013.
In another case, a Cazenovia man pleaded guilty to felony driving while intoxicated and could face up to 6 months in jail and 5 years of probation when he is sentenced on March 12.
Michael E. McKee, 30, of Cazenovia was charged on July 14 in Carlton and had a 0.29 percent Blood Alcohol Content, nearly four times the legal limit.
McKee has a prior DWI in 2012. As part of a plea deal today, he could be forced to pay a fine between $1,000 and $5,000, a state surcharge and will likely be required to have an interlock ignition device in any vehicle he drives for up to a year.
ALBION – The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force charged an Albion man with one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a class B felony.
Kenneth L. Thompson, 52, of 135 North Main St., Room 3, allegedly had crack cocaine packaged for sale in his room, the Task Force said today. Thompson was charged on Friday after an investigation into the sale and distribution of crack cocaine. Thompson is currently on New York State Parole for a previous drug conviction.
The Task Force worked with the Albion Police Department and NYS Division of Parole in the investigation.
Thompson was arraigned by Albion Town Justice Joseph Fuller, who had Thompson committed to the Orleans County Jail without bail due to his previous criminal history. Thompson is to appear in Town Court at 9 a.m. on Dec. 13.
A parole detainer has been filed with the County Jail by the NYS Division of Parole. The Task Force said additional charges are pending in the case.
(Update 3:42 p.m.) Thompson appeared in Orleans County Court this afternoon on a bail hearing. Sara Sheldon, the acting County Court judge, set bail at $50,000, which was the requested amount by District Attorney Joe Cardone. The DA said Thompson has five prior felonies, several misdemeanor crimes, and previous probation and parole revocations.
Sheldon agreed to the $50,000 bail, citing Thompson’s criminal history as well as out-of-state ties in Florida.
