It is with great enthusiasm that Mercy Flight Inc. announces a major EMS helicopter acquisition: three new 2017 Bell 429 helicopters. This significant fleet upgrade will help sustain Mercy Flight’s commitment to bringing expert and unparalleled medical care with rapid response for many years to come.
In late October 2017, Mercy Flight signed a Purchase Agreement and placed a deposit with Bell Helicopter for the new helicopters. This opportunity was made possible through a combined $23 million long-term lending effort from the USDA Rural Development Department and M&T Bank. These joint 20-year loans from the USDA and M&T Bank create an affordable option that will allow Mercy Flight to replace its four aging 1980s model BK-117 helicopters. The helicopters are slated to be completed and delivered ready for EMS operations in the late Spring of 2018.
“These Bell 429s will represent a significant step in our goal to remain Western New York’s independent, nonprofit provider of emergency air medical services for many years to come,” said Mercy Flight’s Founding President and CEO Douglas Baker. “Our current BK-117 helicopters have been pillars of our operation for a number of years, but this creative financing opportunity provided to us by the USDA’s Rural Development team and M&T Bank will allow us to retire these aging aircraft and replace them with more reliable, modern equipment.”
“USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities program is designed to assist nonprofit organizations just like Mercy Flight – with equipment like this,” said USDA Rural Development Loan Technician Sandra Snyder. “This funding builds on the USDA’s continued investment and commitment in rural communities throughout New York. While the added features, expanded service range, increased speed and state of the art capabilities of these new and dependable airframes are impressive, we at Rural Development in NY also believe the pilots, emergency technicians, dispatchers and ground teams are equally impressive.”
In 2010, Mercy Flight similarly collaborated with the USDA and M&T Bank for joint loans for the organization’s first Bell 429 helicopter. This aircraft has since proven its merit, as has Bell Helicopter’s customer service. Mercy Flight is looking forward to performing its lifesaving, nonprofit mission while flying exclusively Bell 429 helicopters.
“Mercy Flight’s decision to upgrade their existing fleet to all Bell 429’s reflects both the tremendous capabilities of the aircraft and the unrivaled support Bell Helicopter is known for,” said Ron Orndoff, Bell Helicopter Regional Sales Manager. “Their fleet of four aircraft will bring the total to 21 Bell 429’s operating in the Northeast U.S., representing every mission segment.”
Mercy Flight serves the Western New York Community and beyond with its fleet of five helicopters, twenty ambulances, six paramedic fly cars, and exclusive use of a dedicated Learjet to transport patients in need nationwide. Since 1981, Mercy Flight has safely completed more than 27,000 patient missions, including scene emergencies and inter-hospital transfers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 November 2017 at 9:42 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Sarah Gatti, a planner in the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development, was named the county’s “Employee of the Year” today.
ALBION – The Orleans County “Employee of the Year” enjoys working with data and creating multi-layered maps to helps residents know the zoning and other characteristics of their property.
Sarah Gatti is a planner with the Orleans County Department of Planning and Department. She joined the county 2 ½ years ago and has worked on numerous projects, including the consolidation of the county’s agricultural districts into one county-wide district. That effort involved three mailers to property owners – 1,000 letters each time.
Gatti sent the letters and had categorize the results. The county-wide district has made the ag districts more efficient and much easier for farmers to manage, especially when the land in multiple districts, said Jim Bensley, director of the Planning and Development Department.
He also praised Gatti for creating “Map Orleans” – a free-, intuitive, on-line mapping tool on the county website. It allows the public to see aerial views of all parcels in the county, and see, in graphic form, information about legislative representatives, zoning districts, bus routes, garbage collection days, and lots of environmental data.
“It’s a wealth of knowledge for current and prospective residents and developers,” Bensley said in a letter, nominating Gatti for employee of the year.
She also generated a workbook for the County Emergency Management Office to help with documenting the flooding that occurred along the Lake Ontario shoreline this past spring on both private and public land.
The county’s Planning and Development Department is working on a comprehensive plan update in western Orleans County. The department has sent out surveys and is compiling that feedback. Gatti, again, has been instrumental in the effort, Bensley said.
Gatti, in her first year on the job, also created a map of local farm markets and produce stands.
Bensley praised Gatti for tackling many of the tasks “with remarkable speed and precision.”
Gatti was picked employee of the year by a committee in the Employee Assistance Program. The committee chose from employees of the month, including October 2016, Danielle Champeney (social services); November, John Rich (public health); December, Julie Papalia and Jennifer Hazel (social services).
January 2017, Connie Ferris (public health); February, Scott Dugan; March, Sarah Gatti (planning); April, IMA employees in social services, Mary Barnard, Marilea Greean, Julianne McGrath, Julie Papalia, Christine Pask, Angel Slick, Jennifer Szalay and Lisa Thrash; May, N/A; June, Amberlyn Robinson and Liz Milazzo (social services); July, Patricia Eick (emergency management); August, Elizabeth Liebert (mental health); and September, Rose Michaels.
Provided photo: Sarah Gatti, center, is congratulated on her award by, from left: County Legislator Ken DeRoller, Legislator Lynne Johnson, Personnel Director Jack Welch and Legislature Chairman John DeFilipps.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 November 2017 at 2:56 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: Joe Gehl, a Korean War veteran, is shown with the Honor Guard during the Albion Strawberry Festival parade in June 2015. Gehl will be one of the speakers during Saturday’s Veterans Day program.
ALBION – The Veterans Day program in Orleans County has usually included several speeches from local and state politicians.
The event on Saturday won’t include any remarks from political figures. This time the program exclusively features comments from veterans.
The service is at 11 a.m. outside the County Veterans Service Agency, 13996 Route 31 West.
Earl Schmidt, the Vetetrans Service Agency director, will give the welcome and lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Brad Smith, an Iraq War veteran from Albion, will give the invocation.
There will then be short speeches from veterans who served in the current wars to a veteran who fought in World War II.
The lineup of featured veterans giving speeches includes Henry Wagner of Holley, World War II; Joe Gehl of Albion, Korean War; Ray Smeal of Medina, Vietnam War; Steve Goodrich of Lyndonville, Desert Storm; Joshua Fleck of Holley, Iraq War; Nancy Traxler of Waterport, Afghanistan War.
The Veterans Day observance will also include a rifle salute from Color Guard members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign War.
Refreshments will be provided by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 November 2017 at 9:54 am
Outside-village residents would see about $2 increase in tax rate
Photos by Tom Rivers: Paul Bishop, associate principal with the Center for Governmental Research, goes over a list of options for law enforcement services in Orleans County during a meeting Wednesday at Hoag Library in Albion.
ALBION – A committee looking at law enforcement options in Orleans County said one way to increase efficiencies would be to dissolve the village police departments and have the Sheriff’s Office assume the service in the villages.
That would result in a significant tax reduction in the village, $6 to $8 per $1,000 of assessed property in Albion and Medina, while raising the county taxes about $2 per $1,000.
There were two public meetings on Wednesday about the study. A steering committee that includes local law enforcement leaders and elected officials has been working with CGR in Rochester to examine the costs of local law enforcement and see if there are ways to improve efficiencies and reduce costs.
Orleans County municipalities spend about $6.5 million annually for law enforcement with road patrols and other services. About half of that is spent at the Sheriff’s Office. The Village of Albion spends $1.36 million, Medina pays $1.3 million, Holley spends about $300,000 and Lyndonville pays about $30,000 for a part-time officer.
There are 52 full-time officers or deputies in the county, 21 part-time. That doesn’t include State Police.
Paul Bishop, an associate principal with CGR, has been working on the study with a steering committee since August 2016. He presented five options for law enforcement in the county during the two public meetings on Wednesday.
About 60 people, including many law enforcement professionals and elected officials, attended the meeting in Albion. There was also a meeting later about the report in Holley.
Abolishing village police departments would require a referendum at each village. Bishop said the police unions will likely fight the changes and elected officials may not embrace them, either.
“It becomes a community issue to decide what you do moving forward,” he told about 60 people at a public meeting at the Hoag Library. After the 5:30 p.m. meeting in Albion, Bishop and the committee then had a 7:30 p.m. meeting in Holley to go over some of the options in the report. (There is a 5:30 p.m. meeting Nov. 15 at Medina High School Auditorium and a 7 p.m. meeting on Nov. 21 at Lyndonville High School Auditorium.)
Here are the five options presented by the committee:
• Status Quo – No changes with village police departments continuing to be the primary patrol in their villages. The costs will continue to rise, collectively increasing by about $1 million every 5 years, Bishop said.
“The burden on taxpayers, particularly in the villages, will increase,” Bishop said.
• Expanded Collaboration – The remaining departments remain intact but share resources for evidence storage, central booking and holding, and training and tools.
Pete Sidari, an Albion village trustee, raises his hand to ask a question. Sidari said some “hidden costs” may mean the projected savings won’t be as high.
• Villages Scale Back – Albion and Medina both have two officers on night shifts, and Holley has one officer committed overnights. However, there are few calls between 2 and 8 a.m. on weekdays. One option would be for Albion and Medina to have only one officer working during that low-call volume five days a week. Holley could not have an officer at those hours. There are existing resources to help the villages with the Sheriff’s Office and State Police during the overnight.
That would save Albion and Medina about $100,000 a year. The savings wouldn’t be very dramatic in Holley because that department covers many of its shifts with part-time officers.
Kevin Sheehan, a former Albion village trustee, said having only one officer on duty puts the officer at risk. He said he favors paying for two officers at all times, even during the overnight, to improve safety for the responding officers.
• Villages Contract with County – The villages could abolish their departments and contract with the Sheriff’s Office for dedicated patrols and service within the villages. Bishop said residents would notice little change, but would see about $250,000 in savings in the Village of Albion, for example, and about $200,000 in Medina.
The staffing levels could all remain the same. Because deputies at the Sheriff’s Office are paid less than the Albion and Medina police officers, that’s where the villages would see a financial savings, Bishop said.
With the contract option, some higher paid supervisors at the village departments could be reassigned as investigators or in other positions that pay less.
Holley and Lyndonville, because they use part-time staff, would actually have to spend more if they contracted with the Sheriff’s Office because deputies are full-time with benefits.
In the contract option, the villages would pay for patrol cars and capital costs. The villages would still bear much of the expense of the operation, but the law enforcement officers would be county employees managed by the sheriff or an official in the Sheriff’s Office.
“We’d be giving up our ownership and have very little say,” said Pete Sidari, a trustee on the Albion Village Board.
If Albion was able to see a $250,000 savings in the contract option, that would represent about a 10 percent tax cut.
Paul Bishop stands near a slide that shows a breakdown of each law enforcement entity in the county.
• Single Agency – If the Sheriff’s Office did all of the local law enforcement, the headquarters would be in Albion with zone offices in Medina and Holley. Medina and Holley could lease the space to the county or offer the substations for free as an incentive for a law enforcement presence, Bishop said.
Each zone would have a lieutenant, and the the number of law enforcement officers would remain the same as today. Bishop said residents would see little change in service. The current Albion, Medina and Holley police would have expanded patrols to just beyond the village lines where there is a lot of commercial activity. The patrols would ultimately be focused on demand for service, which would still likely be concentrated at the villages.
The steering committee expects there would be improved service and response times with no municipal boundary constraints. There could also be better training and specialization with the county-wide force as the single entity.
There would be a tax shift with this option, with the villages seeing about $3 million in costs moved to the county. That would have a dramatic impact on the Albion tax rate, dropping it from near $18 to about $10. In medina, it would fall from near $18 to about $11, and Holley’s would fall from about $16 to $11. Lyndonville wouldn’t see much change in its rate, which is about $14.
The county tax rate would increase about $2. So the village savings should factor in their high county taxes. In Albion, where the tax rate would drop about $8, the total impact would be about a $6 decrease in the tax rate because of the higher county taxes. For a homeowner with an $80,000 house, that would represent $480 in tax savings.
Bishop said the county might want to ease so of that tax shift so it doesn’t hit the outside-village residents so hard. The county could stop sharing sales tax with the villages or reduce it.
The four villages collectively receive $379,265 in sales tax out of about $16 million in the county.
Any changes that result in abolishing a village police department will be subject to a public referendum, and many more public meetings, Bishop said.
CGR did a survey of the attendees at the meeting to see how many would be interested in a single law enforcement entity for the county. There were 60 people in attendance, and many were elected officials or law enforcement officers. About 60 percent said they were interested in the single entity.
“This is just the start of the conversation,” Bishop said.
Press Release, Medina Fire Department, Steve Cooley, public information officer
MEDINA – On Wednesday at 7:58 p.m., the Village of Medina Fire Department along with assistance from the Ridgeway and Lyndonville were dispatched to 101 Elizabeth St. for a reported house fire.
While en route, Medina Engine 11 was updated by a Ridgeway fire officer that all occupants were out of the structure and the upstairs occupant had reported the fire was in the kitchen.
Engine 11 arrived on scene to find smoke coming from the entry door to the upstairs apartment. Crews encountered heavy smoke midway up the staircase but were able to quickly locate the fire and contain it to the room of origin.
The upper apartment suffered smoke damage throughout with the downstairs apartment sustaining water damage. Crews were on scene for 2 1/2 hours, and one firefighter received minor injuries.
Village of Medina fire investigators found the cause of the fire to be unattended cooking. Both tenants will be seeking shelter elsewhere for the time being, one with family and the other tenant will be housed with assistance from the Red Cross.
Thanks to all our mutual aid partners, our police department, the public safety dispatchers as well as the staff from the County Emergency Management Office.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2017 at 10:13 pm
Provided photos
ROCHESTER – Ariana Star Grosskopf, 3, of Albion was given a big send off today from the staff at Unity Hospital’s Golisano Restorative Neurology & Rehabilitation Center.
Ariana was severely injured on Aug. 30 in a 3-car crash in Spencerport on Route 31, just before Route 531. In the following weeks, members of the community rallied to help the family as Ariana went through multiple surgeries and recovery. She suffered fractures to her face and has needed facial reconstruction surgery.
Ariana is pictured with some of the nurses and staff at Unity Health. After weeks of inpatient rehab, she was discharged this morning. Ariana and her mother, Renee Miens, met reporters at 11 a.m. in Rochester for news coverage about Ariana’s recovery and return home.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2017 at 9:42 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – A fire in an upper apartment at Medina was confined to the kitchen, although smoke filled much of the apartment.
Firefighters were dispatched to 101 Elizabeth St., just before 8 p.m.
It took about 10 minutes to put out the fire. Firefighters then worked to ventilate the apartment to get out the thick smoke.
Firefighters at the scene weren’t sure how many people lived in the apartment. The residents will likely have to find another place to stay for at least tonight, a Medina firefighter said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2017 at 7:48 pm
BARRE – The Town of Barre, which had the only three-person race for town supervisor in Orleans County, led the 10 towns for voter turnout during Tuesday’s election.
In Barre, 48.4 percent of eligible voters went to the polls. Sean Pogue, Robin Nacca and Cyndi Van Lieshout all were on the ballot to be town supervisor. Pogue won and will succeed Mark Chamberlain, who is retiring from the post.
Carlton had the second highest turnout at 47.0 percent. The highway superintendent race was the most hotly contested in Carlton with highway employee Kurt VanWyke defeating his boss, David Krull, for the top job.
Kendall, which had a hard-fought race for town clerk with Amy Richardson winning re-election, had the third highest turnout at 44.8 percent, above Murray and Gaines which had fierce battles for town supervisor.
There were five towns that topped a turnout of 40 percent. The county rate was 38.2 percent on Tuesday (8,693 voters out of 22,739 registered).
The last local election was two years ago and the turnout then was also 38.2 percent. The race for sheriff highlighted that election. Two years ago Yates topped the towns in turnout at 50.2 percent. That was the election when Jim Simon won town supervisor in a write-in campaign, defeating the incumbent. Simon was unopposed on Tuesday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2017 at 2:20 pm
Lakeshore flood watch issued again for Orleans, southshore
The nice fall-like temperatures will take a plunge Thursday night and stay cold on Friday, when the high temperature is forecast to only reach 27 degrees.
The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a lakeshore flood watch from Thursday evening through Friday afternoon for Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, northern Cayuga, Oswego and Jefferson counties.
Rain showers late Thursday afternoon and early evening are expected to change to snow showers by Thursday night as temperatures fall rapidly from the 40s into the 20s.
A flash freeze is possible Thursday evening and overnight, meaning wet road surfaces may quickly turn to black ice, resulting in dangerous travel conditions, the Weather Service said. Bridges, overpasses, and any elevated surfaces are especially susceptible to flash freezing.
Snow squalls are also possible Thursday night, which may result in minimal snow accumulations, but produce localized poor visibility and slick roads, resulting in dangerous travel conditions.
The lakeshore flood watch was issued because strong northwest winds will develop behind a cold front Thursday evening and continue into Friday. The strong winds and building wave action will combine with above normal lake levels to increase shoreline erosion.
BATAVIA – Genesee Community College will hold a Veterans Day ceremony on Friday at the Batavia campus. The event at noon will be live-streamed at all of GCC’s seven campus centers, including in Albion and Medina, as well as on-line.
“Our intention is to celebrate as a community,” said James Simon, associate dean at Medina and Albion Campus Centers, and who is also a U.S. Veteran serving 22 years in the U.S. Air Force. “Live-streaming the ceremony is one way in which we can all be united in recognition of our common admiration and appreciation for all of the veterans and their families in our lives, both past and present. We sincerely hope the community will join us in some fashion on this special day.”
The Honor Ceremony will be emceed by Simon and will include Assemblyman Steven M. Hawley who will deliver opening remarks.
Guest speakers include a reading by Benjamin Spaulding, a GCC student who served in the Marine Corp.
The Genesee County Joint Honor Guard will perform a salute to the flag and the Batavia High School Chorus will also be featured.
Representatives from the Veterans One-stop Center of WNY, Inc. (VOC of WNY) will be onsite welcoming veterans and their families and providing services and opportunities information
A special lunch for all veterans in attendance will be served at 1:15 p.m. in the Conable Technology Building.
For more information on live-streaming the event, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2017 at 9:41 am
Orleans County overwhelmingly voted against a Constitutional Convention on Tuesday, rejecting it in a 7,439-930 vote.
That 89 percent opposition topped the 83 percent state-wide. A state has a proposition every 20 years for a Constitutional Convention. Voters have now opposed a convention the past four votes – 2017, 1997, 1977 and 1957.
A proposal to forfeit pensions for elected officials who commit felonies directly related to their job also had strong support throughout the state. Orleans County voters voted in favor of the proposal, 6,529-1,734. That’s 79 percent in support of the measure in Orleans.
A third proposition appears to have narrowly passed state-wide. The proposition asked voters to approve a 250-acre land bank that would give communities in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks far more flexibility to tackle local public works projects. Orleans County narrowly was against the position, with 4,029 opposed and 3,990 in favor.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 November 2017 at 11:27 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Sandy Church, center, is pictured with his wife Diane Church and Charlie Nesbitt, the former state assemblyman, during a celebration at the Black North Inn.
Orleans County voters picked Sanford Church, an Albion attorney and the county’s current public defender, to be the next county judge.
Church received 57 percent of the vote against Tonia Ettinger, an Orleans County native who currently works an attorney for the Legal Aid Society in Rochester.
Church received 4,564 votes to 3,419 for Ettinger. Church had the Republican line and Ettinger ran with the Democratic and Conservative lines.
Church follows James Punch, who retired after nearly 27 years as the county judge. Church, during a victory celebration at the Black North Inn, said the court has been running well and doesn’t need any major changes.
“The court system isn’t broken,” he said. “I’m confident I can keep it going.”
Church was backed by the Orleans County Bar Association and numerous attorneys who live and work in the county.
“He certainly had the backing of the legal community and that tells you something about what the people who have to practice in front of him think about him,” said Charlie Nesbitt, the former state assemblyman who helped Church with the campaign.
Nesbitt has known Church for many years and said the newly elected judge has the perfect temperament for a judge. Church is low-key and weighs the facts, Nesbitt said.
“He is almost perfectly qualified to be the judge,” Nesbitt said. “He has experience in all of the courts and he has a judicial temperament.”
Ettinger was grateful for the chance run in the election and give county residents a choice for the 10-year position.
“Thank you – two small words that hardly seem sufficient,” she said in a statement. “Thank you to Allen Lofthouse (Conservative Party Chair) and Jeanne Crane (Democratic Party Chair) and all the members of both committees for believing in me from the start. Thank you to the two parties for coming together in pursuit of a common goal.
“Too often in elections there is no choice. I am proud, honored and grateful to have been the one to offer the voters a choice. Thank you to my fiancé Paul, my son Blake and the rest of my family, especially my mother for always inspiring me to stand up for what I believe in even in the path of adversity.
“Thank you to my friends, both old and new, for encouraging and supporting me along the way. Thank you to the people who have fought and continue to fight protecting our right to vote. Finally and most importantly thank you to the voters of Orleans County. I could not have made it through this journey without your support. I am incredibly inspired by the complete strangers who offered their support and those that registered to vote for the first time to vote for me. Thank you.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 November 2017 at 9:52 pm
MURRAY – Murray residents will have to wait a week to find out the winner of the race for town supervisor because the election is too close to call.
Joe Sidonio leads Robert Miller, 558-542, with 80 absentee ballots to be counted.
It feels like déjà vu from the Republican primary when Sidonio had a 7-vote lead when the polls closed. Miller, however, emerged the victor when the absentees were counted, getting 19 to Sidonio’s 5.
Sidonio had a rematch today under the Conservative and Independence parties. (The incumbent town supervisor, John Morriss, didn’t seek re-election.)
Some other results in Murray include Michael Mele, 801 votes, and Paul Hendel, 723, being elected as councilman. Michael Whalen received 225 under the Conservative line.
Tonia Ettinger and Sanford Church both received 509 votes in Murray for Orleans County judge, which is a county-wide race.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 November 2017 at 9:39 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Joe Grube and Lorraine Oakley write down election results as they are announced at Gaines Town Hall.
GAINES – The Town of Gaines elected a new town supervisor and a Republican team during today’s eletion.
Joe Grube defeated incumbent Carol Culhane for town supervisor, 412-347. Culhane has been in the job for about six years.
Grube ran under the Republican, Democratic and Independence lines. Culhane ran under the Conservative and independent “All of Gaines” lines.
Grube will be joined in the town hall by his running mates, which include Susan Heard for town clerk, Tyler Allport and Jim Kirby for Town Board, and Bruce Schmidt for town justice.
Kirby was re-elected to councilman 444 votes and Allport, making his first political campaign, was elected with 367. They topped incumbent Susan Smith, 305, and Joyce Riley, a Democrat, with 253.
Bruce Schmidt was re-elected as town justice with 452 votes to Toni Plummer’s 259.
In the race for Orleans County judge, Sanford Church received 451 votes to 294 for Tonia Ettinger. In the lone contested race for county legislator, Don Allport received 428 votes to lead Al Capurso with 258. Both are countywide races and there are nine other towns to include in the final tally.
