ALBION – Orleans County 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 Thanksgiving Crackdown from Wednesday through Sunday. Bower is also the county’s Stop DWI Coordinator
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. 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 percent or higher.
The key to keeping yourself and others safe on the highway is to “Have A Plan.” People who drink alcohol should:
• Plan a safe way to get home.
• Call for a ride from a sober friend, family member, taxi, public transportation, or Uber.
Provided image: New York has new service branch-specific license plates available for the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marines.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that new service branch-specific license plates are available for the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marines.
The new custom plates, made available for the first time in New York, join a number of others offered in the Veteran and Military series, including the Purple Heart Recipient, Vietnam Veteran and War on Terror Veteran license plates. The more than 770,000 veterans who call New York home will now be able to represent their branch of service on their license plates.
“New York is proud of the hundreds of thousands of honorable men and women who have fought to protect the freedom and values this state and nation were founded upon,” Governor Cuomo said. “With the launch of these new license plates, veterans can celebrate the unbreakable bonds formed with fellow service members, as we acknowledge their remarkable courage and service to our country.”
The branch specific plates are the newest offering in the Military and Veteran series of license plates. In order to purchase a custom plate, New Yorkers are required to validate their military service with a copy of their discharge papers (DD-214 or equivalent documentation) and mail a copy with a completed application, which can be found by clicking here.
These are some of the other license plates in the Veteran and Military series.
New York State has a long history of veterans distinguishing themselves through military service, dating back to the American Revolution in 1775 through the present day. New York was the first state to officially name its state militia the National Guard in 1862, and in 1903, the Dick Act required all states to follow suit and also call their militia the National Guard. Decades later, Congress changed a law barring women from serving in the Guard, and just two days after the law passed, the first woman to join the National Guard was a member of the New York National Guard’s 106th Tactical Hospital in 1956.
The launch of these new plates supports the Governor’s commitment to create opportunities to honor and acknowledge men and women of service. The license plates offer New York veterans the opportunity to proudly display their branch of service and celebrate their dedication to protecting New York State. To learn more about these and other military plates that are currently offered, visit the Department of Motor Vehicles website by clicking here.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, issued this statement: “Our veterans have made a tremendous sacrifice for our country and our state. This is an opportunity for each of them to be recognized for the commitment they’ve made for all of us. As the start of a new session approaches I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass more legislation that will inevitably improve the lives of our veterans across the state.”
ALBION – U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand will be in Albion on Monday to visit Charles D’Amico High School to announce her bipartisan legislation, the 21st Century Strengthening Hands On Programs that Cultivate Learning Approaches for Successful Students Act.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
This bill would direct federal funding to high-tech training and education programs in high schools and institutions of higher education, which would give more students the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to get good-paying jobs in the high-tech manufacturing sector. U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) is a cosponsor of this bill.
Technologies like 3D printers, laser cutters, and computerized machine tools are transforming American manufacturing and increasing the need for specialized training for manufacturing jobs, Gillibrand said.
To prepare our students with the skills needed for high-tech jobs, this legislation would amend the Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act to give greater priority to funding maker education, the development of makerspaces, and training for teachers in the application of maker education.
Career and Technical Education programs at the high school and community college level provide training and education for in-demand, good-paying jobs in a variety of industries from manufacturing to health care to computer programming. There were an estimated 377,000 students enrolled in CTE high school and post-secondary programs in New York State from 2015 to 2016. During this same period, close to 500 high school students in Orleans County participated in career and technical education, according to Gillibrand’s office.
This investment in vocational education would give more students the technical skills needed for good-paying jobs, offering hands-on learning experiences for students to use high-tech industrial tools to create and innovate, Gillibrand said. This approach to technical education will offer more opportunities to inspire the next generation of manufacturing workers and entrepreneurs.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 November 2017 at 3:32 pm
HOLLEY – The Holley Rotary Club is trying to raise $3,000 in a “Christmas Miracles” fund to help needy families in the community purchase presents and essential items for their children.
The Rotary Club donates thousands of dollars to families in need during the holiday season, said Rotary Club member Brian McKeon.
“This year we are looking to our community to assist us in doubling the funds we normally donate to help make twice as many Christmas Miracles come true for families in need,” he said. “Whether through illness or personal tragedy these folks find themselves unable to afford basic items that we may take for granted and are unable to afford gifts for their children or a nice Christmas dinner.”
The Rotary Club has set a $3,000 fund-raising goal and has reached $660 so far. Click here to see the fundraiser on Facebook.
“Your donation, of any amount, will help to brighten their holiday season and let them know that our Holley/Clarendon community truly cares about one another,” McKeon said. “We urge you to donate and take part in this effort, it’ll make you feel good!”
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced the formation of the New York State Suicide Prevention Task Force that includes leaders from state agencies, local governments, not-for-profit groups, and other recognized experts in suicide prevention. The creation of the Task Force was first announced in Governor Cuomo’s 2017 State of the State.
“The rise in the number of suicides nationwide is unacceptable, and New York will continue to make suicide awareness and prevention a top priority until we put an end to this epidemic,” Governor Cuomo said. “The Suicide Prevention Task Force will focus on high-risk communities and groups to build on our efforts to address this challenge, and help build a stronger, healthier New York for all.”
The Task Force will be co-chaired by Christopher Tavella, PhD, Executive Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health, and Peter Wyman, PhD, Professor Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. A full list of Task Force members can be found by clicking here.
Task Force members will examine and evaluate current suicide prevention programs services, and policies. Members will then make recommendations to increase access, awareness, and support for children, adolescents and adults in need of assistance. The Task Force will also explore methods to address and prevent bullying and cyber-bullying, which negatively impact an individual’s mental health and in some cases have caused a number of children and young adults to take their own lives.
A Focus on High Risk Groups
The Task Force will focus on suicide prevention targeting high-risk demographic groups and special populations, including members of the LGBT community, veterans, individuals with mental illness, and individuals struggling with alcohol and drug use. Veterans in New York State represent more than 15 percent of suicides, while nationally, LGBT adolescents are four times more likely to have attempted suicide than their non-LGBT peers.
Other high risk populations include middle-aged men and Latina adolescents.
New York has the fifth largest total number of suicides in the nation, with 1,652 in 2015, and it is estimated that for every suicide death there are 25 non-fatal attempts. In 2014, there were more than 21,000 hospitalizations and emergency department visits for self-inflicted injuries in New York State, and adolescents made up a disproportionately high number of these injuries.
The formation of this Task Force makes good on the Governor’s promise to prioritize suicide prevention and address the need for increased awareness of support services in every community across the state.
Ann Marie T. Sullivan, M.D., Commissioner of the NYS Office of Mental Health, said, “With a problem as complex as suicide, it is critical to have a well-coordinated, collective effort that includes our health and behavioral healthcare systems, as well as our schools, communities and other stakeholders. The Governor’s Task Force will help us to collaborate and share the best available information and practices.”
State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said, “The sad reality is that suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people and it is a tragedy that reverberates throughout the entire community. Through our continuing partnership with the Office of Mental Health and now with the Suicide Prevention Task Force, we can—and have to—reduce the number of suicides and promote mental health across the state.”
State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II said, “Our Troopers witness the heartbreak and devastation left behind when a person chooses to take their own life. We are committed to working with our task force partners to examine the causes and find solutions that will help support those who are in need of assistance.”
Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez said, “Sadly, for many people, suicide and substance use disorders are linked, and the approach to their care needs to reflect this reality. The NYS Suicide Prevention Task Force will strengthen our ability to provide the comprehensive care that vulnerable New Yorkers need.”
OMH’s Suicide Prevention Office was created in 2014 to coordinate all OMH-sponsored suicide prevention activities. The SPO also funds the Suicide Prevention Center of New York, which provides free or low-cost educational and training sessions to individuals, agencies, schools and community groups to raise awareness and reduce the incidence of suicide in New York. More information is available by clicking here.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 19 November 2017 at 9:40 am
KNOWLESVILLE – Orleans County 4-Hers and Cloverbuds spent Saturday morning in the Trolley Building and Education Center on the 4-H Fairgrounds creating projects to enter in this year’s Holiday Faire set for Saturday, Dec. 2.
Cloverbud Adele Mathes of Barre makes “pumpkins” from fabric and toilet paper rolls at the Trolley Building.
Holiday Workshop helps participants to learn new project skills and have fun. Their projects will be part of the Holiday Faire from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 at the Trolley Building on the 4-H Fairgrounds. The event showcases projects with holiday themes and allows members of the 4-H community to share project work and participate in fun activities.
Trinity Haight, a fifth-grader at Albion Central School, works on cutting out a wooden sword. Toys are one of 11 different classes of projects for Holiday Faire.
Fresh cut holiday greens were turned into decorated swags by 4-Hers and Cloverbuds.
Participants made paper craft decorations which looked like snowmen, peacocks, penguins and cardinals.
Kendyll Kidney, a fifth-grader at Lyndonville Central School, works on a cut-out felt snowflake which will become a tree ornament. Kendyll said she likes Holiday Workshop because she enjoys working on craft projects.
Olivia Kroening, 12, of Medina paints a holiday wooden sign. Olivia said she enjoys making projects at Holiday Workshop. She said this year, she especially enjoyed the fresh greens workshop.
Ornaments painted by siblings Charlotte and Jackson McGrath will be shown during the annual 4-H Holiday Faire on Dec. 2.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 November 2017 at 9:09 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Ducks enjoy the pond by Holley’s Canal Park this afternoon.
Another lakeshore flood warning has been issued for Orleans County. The warning is in effect from 5 a.m. Sunday through 1 a.m. Monday and includes Orleans, Niagara, Monroe and Wayne counties.
Very strong northwest winds will develop behind a cold front tonight and continue through Sunday and into Sunday night, the National Weather Service in Buffalo said.
Lake Ontario is currently 16 inches higher than it was a year ago, according to the National Weather Service. The lake is forecast to drop 7 inches in the next month.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 November 2017 at 8:00 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Tree-cutting crews from Mohawk Valley Materials in Utica worked along the north side of Erie Canal embankment in Holley this afternoon. They are shown working on the section between the lift bridge and Bennetts Corners Road.
MVM started clearing trees in Medina last month and is working eastward to Fairport. The State Canal Corporation is paying the company $2.6 million to remove trees on 145 acres of canal property.
MVM has several powerful pieces of machinery to cut down and move trees.
The Canal Corporation is having the trees removed because it worries the tree roots make the canal banks vulnerable to leaks. The trees have roots that can burrow into the soil, going under the towpath and reaching the canal walls. That can result in leaks and weaken the walls, Canal Corp. officials said.
MVM hauled away some of the trees and wood chips. This photo shows wood chips being sprayed on the north canal bank.
There was a long line of vehicles and machinery on the north side of the canal in Holley while the trees were being cleared. The contractor won’t be touching any trees on privately owned land.
The tree removal is phase one of a vegetation management project. The strip of land near the towpath will eventually be mow-able. The stumps will be removed and grass seed will be spread.
“The (trees’) removal will restore the integrity of the embankments and improve the Canal Corporation’s ability to properly manage their condition, keeping the communities that surround the canal safe from potential flooding due to structural failures,” the Canal Corp. states on its website.
The fallen trees are lined up near the towpath in Holley.
“This type of vegetation can provide pathways for seepage, which can potentially weaken embankments and result in failure, leading to flooding of lands surrounding the canal,” the Canal Corp. stated. “Furthermore, the heavy vegetation prevents Canal employees and other inspectors from being able to thoroughly monitor the integrity of the Canal’s embankments.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 November 2017 at 6:05 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Pete Kaiser secures an angel to a tree at State Street Park in Medina this morning. Kaiser heads up the decorating effort for the Medina Lions Club.
For about 30 years, the Lions have been decorating State Street Park. They display Christmas trees, set up a Nativity scene and put out other signs of the upcoming holiday season.
“It is our gift to the village,” said Lions Club member Don Colquhoun.
The Lions Club was helped by local churches this morning, and also received money from the Decorate Medina Committee to spruce up some of the decorations at the park.
Pete Kaiser climbed a ladder to tie the angel to the tree. Many of the cut-out animals and other decorations face the angel, which has a light on it at night.
Lions Club members Bernie Froman, left, and Don Colquhoun secure some of the decorations to the ground.
These volunteers carry a large decoration of a Christmas present near the front of the park by Route 31.
These Lions Club members set up a big Advent wreath. They include, from left: Bob Holtz, Ross Thompson and Ken Dunham.
Many Christmas trees with lights are set up in the park on the east side of the village.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 18 November 2017 at 10:14 am
“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 3, Issue 47
Following the passing of New York’s amendment that extended voting rights to women in 1917, the subsequent election involving the question of whether Albion would remain a “wet” or “dry” town was decided by the female vote.
Although the vote was later deemed invalid, the local temperance organizations mobilized a sufficient number of new voters to end the sale of alcohol in Orleans County, even if only for a brief moment.
This Thomas Nast cartoon appeared in Harper’s Weekly on March 21, 1874 and depicted the debaucheries commonly associated with the saloon. A man of the middle-class accepts a drink of rum from the bartender who is depicted as death. The man’s young daughter pleads for her father to come home while his son looks on with concern and a man lays to the right, passed out in the corner of the room.
In the distance is the man’s home and his wife, dressed in black, weeps behind her children. On the floor sits a hat, a broken bottle, a brick, and a revolver, all symbolic of the violence commonly associated with alcohol consumption. In the background a man watches through a doorway as men brawl with one another, one man ready to strike another in the head with a bottle.
Local temperance movements grew out of the reform activity of the early 19th century commonly associated with the Second Great Awakening that flooded through Western New York. Members of the upper and middle classes went to battle against the intemperate behavior of the lower, wage-earning and unskilled laborers who flooded the region to toil along the canal and in the quarries. In Orleans County, the early arrival of Irish and German immigrants and later the Polish and Italians bred contempt against groups of people who were perceived a prone to consuming alcohol.
In the early 1870s, Albion had three active temperance organizations, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, Albion Temperance League, and Drunkard’s Reform Association. The Albion Temperance League organized around 1874, holding meetings at the Free Methodist Church, where Edwin R. Reynolds was selected as the organization’s permanent president. Other prominent local residents joined the ranks as officers, including John G. Sawyer, Arad Thomas, Joseph Cornell, Ezra T. Coan, and Free Methodist minister Alanson K. Bacon. In the latter half of the 1870s, Medina boasted 6 active temperance societies with 840 members, nearly 1/5 of the village’s total population.
Drunkards posed concerns for local residents, unable to work, engaging in violence, and abandoning wives and children. On July 30, 1882, Isaac Harrington of Medina was riding a train to Albion when the conductor removed him from the car on account of his intoxication. Harrington passed out on the tracks and was run over by a passing locomotive shortly after. A month later, John Mack of Kendall travelled to Albion to catch a glimpse of Jumbo the elephant’s visit to the area. Instead of focusing on the visit, he fancied a nip of the bottle, fell off a dock, and drowned in the canal.
Excessive drinking had the potential to affect all members of the family, not just the individual. In 1879, Albion papers reported a nine-year-old boy who was wandering drunk through the village streets, though there was no further report of the young man’s parents. Medina reported a similar occurrence the previous year when a 13-year-old boy was found drunk with whiskey in his coat pocket. Three years later, Nicholas Gavin, a farmer from Albion, was enjoying a few drinks at a saloon downtown before venturing home for the evening. Drunk and befuddled, he drove his buggy over the Main Street bridge, turned onto the tow-path and travelled a short distance to the east before steering his horse into the canal. His body was discovered beneath the frozen water the following morning; he left a wife and five children to mourn his death.
Perhaps one of the most shocking stories of the late 19th century was the case of James O’Connell of Fletcher Chapel. The violence-prone farmer went on a week-long binge, much to the disappointment of his wife. On January 16, 1896 he told his wife he would visit the priest at Medina to “sign the pledge” and give up drinking. Instead, he visited a gun store in Medina and purchased a .22 revolver, returned home, and shot his wife in the head. Although she survived the incident, she lived the remainder of her life with the bullet in her skull and O’Connell spent eight years in Auburn Prison for the deed.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 November 2017 at 9:43 am
ALBION – Mckenzie Olmstead plays Junie B. Jones in the Albion Middle School production of “The Adventures of Junie B. Jones.”
The school performed the show on Friday evening and has shows today at noon and 7 p.m. in the Middle School Auditorium. Tickets are available at the door.
Junie B. is a first grader with friendly and bright personality. A cast of 22 puts on the show that lasts more than 2 hours.
Russell Kingdollar III plays Sheldon, who provides a lot of comic relief during the show.
Olivia Miller plays May, Junie B’s rival. Myleigh Miller, right, is the teacher, “Mrs.”
Leah Kania is Lucille, Junie B’s spoiled best friend in kindergarten. Lucille is rich, beautiful and wears fancy clothes. By the first grade, Junie B. and Lucille aren’t such close friends.
Brian Kozody plays Grandpa Frank Miller. (Kozody is married to Carrie Kozody, director of the show.) Grandpa is Junie B’s favorite babysitter. She helps him with some household projects, including fixing the upstairs toilet.
Emilie Sitzer plays José, another one of Junie B’s close friends.
Natalie Baron is Grace, another close friend of Junie B. Grace is a very fast runner and wears high-top sneakers. Unlike Junie B., Grace speaks with proper grammar and is very well-behaved.
Christopher Sacco has the role of Handsome Warren.
Faith Bennett, center, plays Annabell (Pink Fluffy Girl) and Ashleigh Mowatt, right, is Herb, one of Junie B’s best friends.
3 from Rochester jailed after stealing from Kohl’s, fleeing police
Three residents of Rochester are in custody, charged with felony larceny and misdemeanor conspiracy after allegedly stealing $2,200 in merchandise from Kohl’s Department Store in Batavia on Friday and then leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase into Orleans County.
Charged are Davion Z. Jackson, 23, of Curlew Street; Jeremy L. Siplin, 40, of Lakeview Street; and Shabre A. Young, 25, of Fulton Avenue.
Young, the driver of an SUV, is also charged with reckless endangerment in the first degree, unlawfully fleeing police, reckless driving, aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, speeding, speeding in zone, speeding in a school zone, speeding in a work zone, moving from lane unsafely, no turn signal, failure to keep right, and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.
The thefts were reported at 1:31 p.m. Deputies were informed the suspects had fled in a tan Ford van. A short time later, the vehicle was spotted on Route 98 by Deputy Andrew Hale and Trooper Mitch Hamilton.
The peace officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Young allegedly hit the gas rather than stop and headed north on Route 98.
Young allegedly attempted to elude capture, hitting speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.
During the pursuit, suspects reportedly discarded stolen items from the windows of the vehicle.
At Route 98 and Lime Kiln Road in Albion, Young reportedly attempted to negotiate a turn at a high speed. The van struck a utility pole, shearing it off. Two occupants allegedly fled on foot but were apprehended quickly in close proximity to the vehicle.
Young was transported to UMMC in Batavia and subsequently released.
The suspects were arraigned in Town of Batavia Court. Jackson was jailed on $20,000 cash bail, $30,000 bond; Young on $10,000 bail, $15,000 bond; and Siplin was ordered held without bail.
Additional charges may be pending in Orleans County.
The incident was investigated by deputies Andrew Hale and Joseph Loftus with assistance from other members of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, including investigator Chris Parker and Investigator James Diehl. The State Police, Batavia PD, Albion PD, and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office also assisted.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 November 2017 at 6:01 pm
MEDINA – The first 5 minutes when someone has started massive bleeding are absolutely critical – stopping that bleeding can be the difference between life and death.
Medina Memorial Hospital has joined a national awareness campaign about “Stop the Bleed.” The effort was launched by the White House in October 2015. The national effort wants to train bystanders to be more equipped and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.
Bystanders could find themselves the first on the scene of critical injuries at car accidents or a shooting. There are numerous other possibilities: a neighbor injured by a chainsaw or by a hedge trimmer, or someone who slips on ice, or a child injured at a youth sporting event.
Mackenzie Smith, the Emergency Room director at Medina Memorial Hospital and stroke coordinator, is leading the “Stop the Bleed” program for Medina. She is willing to meet with residents and community groups in a one-hour training.
Three actions that could save a life include:
• Apply pressure with hands.
• Apply dressing and press.
• Apply tourniquets if the bleeding doesn’t stop. The tourniquet may be applied and secured over clothing. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, place a second tourniquet closer to the torso from the first tourniquet. (A belt could be used as a tourniquet.)
“It can happen so quickly and so innocently,” Smith said about the incidents. “We need to be prepared.”
To contact Smith, call the hospital at (585) 798-2000.
For more information about “Stop the Bleed,” click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 November 2017 at 2:55 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
BARRE – A high-speed chase that started in Batavia ended at about 1:45 p.m. when a van hit a utility pole at the corner of Route 98 and Lime Kiln Road in Barre.
There were three people in the van who are accused of being shoplifters from Kohl’s in Batavia. The driver of the vehicle was being transported to a hospital by Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance. She didn’t have life-threatening injuries. The two passengers were also being checked out by paramedics on scene.
Undersheriff Chris Bourke said the accused shoplifters threw many of the clothes and stolen merchandise out of the vehicle during a high-speed chase that went about 15 miles along Route 98.
The vehicle exceeded 120 miles per hour.
Albion Police and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. The Albion Police were getting ready to place spike strips on Route 98 when the vehicle crashed, Police Chief Roland Nenni said.
National Grid arrived just before 2:30 p.m. in response to the snapped utility pole. Albion and Barre firefighters are providing traffic control while a section of Route 98 is shut down.
The front windshield of the van is smashed, as well as the front end of the vehicle after hitting the utility pole.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the chase and crash, including the State Police, Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Albion Police Department, and a state conservation officer.
File photo by Tom Rivers: These turkeys were part of the 2014 meat auction at the 4-H Fair in Knowlesville. The cost of a turkey has dropped compared to Thanksgiving a year ago.
Press Release, NY Farm Bureau
The 2017 Market Basket Survey reveals a nearly 10% price decrease for the average Thanksgiving Day dinner over last year’s meal, according to New York Farm Bureau. The average total price this year, which includes a 16-pound turkey, is $44.74. This is a $1.89 decrease over last year’s survey of $46.63.
Turkey prices are about $1.34 per pound in New York State, down more than 9 percent on average in this informal survey compared to 2016. This drop in price is reflected in national numbers.
According to the USDA, wholesale whole turkey prices fell in 2017 and have remained below historical averages since January. Lower retail turkey prices are a result from continued large inventory in cold storage, which is up almost double digits since last year.
The New York numbers also reflect slightly higher pumpkin prices. A wet season led to a smaller pumpkin crop than what we saw last year in New York, though there is no national supply problem due to abundance in pumpkin production in other states that supply pie mix manufacturers. The increase may be attributed to higher production costs. In addition, milk prices have remained low throughout 2017. While this continues to be tough on farmers, consumers have benefited with lower whole milk prices.
New York Farm Bureau’s volunteer shoppers sampled prices in different regions of the state trying to get the best prices available, but they do not use promotional coupons or special deals such as “buy one-get one free.”
The shopping list includes 12 Thanksgiving food items ranging from turkey and rolls to fresh carrots and celery to pumpkin pie mix, enough to feed 10 people around the dinner table.
“The dinner price has dropped for a second consecutive year which means New Yorkers can continue to enjoy a reasonably priced Thanksgiving meal,” said Phyllis Couture, chairwoman of New York Farm Bureau’s Promotion and Education Committee. “While farmers continue to struggle with lower commodity prices across the board, American consumers benefit from lower prices at the cash register. Much of this is due to New York farmers who work hard to produce an abundance of healthy, nutritious food. They take pride in knowing their products help make for a joyous and affordable holiday season.”
“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 3, Issue 47
