By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2024 at 4:32 pm
MEDINA – The Village Board met on Monday with representatives from the Barton & Loguidice engineering firm to try to reach an affordable solution for adding space to the Medina fire station.
The village has a new ladder truck coming in December 2025. That truck is about 2 feet taller than the current one from 1995 that is 10 feet, 4 inches. The fire hall bays only have about two inches of clearance for the current ladder truck.
Medina needs about two more feet of height to accommodate the new truck, which also will be longer than the current truck.
Village officials were looking to put an addition of the fire hall with two bays, for the ladder truck and a fire engine. The four ambulances would stay in the current fire hall and the space currently for ambulances could be used for meeting space or possibly for police cars.
Medina officials were expecting the project to cost about $4.5 million. The estimates from Barton & Loguidice put the cost at about $6.1 million.
Mayor Marguerite Sherman said that is much too costly for the village. The Village Board hasn’t set a number on what the community can afford, but Sherman is seeking a project well under the $6.1 million.
Barton & Loguidice had three representatives meet with the board on Monday, and they take a tour of the fire station. Matt Fuller, a B & L vice president, said the company will present three options for the village, possibly by next week.
B & L will look at the feasibility and cost of lowering the entrance of the existing fire hall by about two feet. That would also mean lowering the driveway and possible other alterations to the building, including to the garage door and adding a step or two to stairs inside.
B & L will also do an estimate for a one-bay addition and a two-bay addition. The addition would be a metal building with a façade that could be brick to help blend in with the overall fire station complex, said Jeremy Hughes, B & L regional business development manager.
Barton & Loguidice officials take measurements of the driveway leading to the fire hall. The village will have a new ladder truck that is too tall to fit in the current bays of the fire hall. One possibility could be digging down into the concrete in the driveway and inside the fire hall to create more clearance for the truck to fit in the fire hall.
Sherman said the village doesn’t have deep pockets and is feeling the financial pinch.
“We need to look at everything,” she said in considering options to accommodate the new fire truck and consider repairs to the existing building.
The village has been hunting for grants for the building project and also the new fire truck but nothing has been committed so far.
Fuller, the VP for B & L, said municipal buildings don’t tend to secure grant funding, but there may be funds to help with the $1.7 million fire truck.
Fire Chief Matt Jackson said Medina considered ordering a similar-size ladder truck but those smaller ladder trucks are special order and a higher cost.
The Village Board on June 26 accepted the bid for $1,698,995 from Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisc. to build the new fire truck with a 100-foot-long ladder. The truck will replace a 29-year-old ladder truck with a 75-foot ladder.
Barton & Loguidice representatives at left and the village officials at right, including current mayor Marguerite Sherman and former Mayor Mike Sidari, look into a manhole at what’s below this space by the fire station.
About a year ago Chief Jackson welcomed the public to an open house to show how the current concrete floors in the 1930s fire hall are uneven and sinking. One component of the building project called for taking out the old concrete floors and putting down new concrete.
The total scope of the initial project included:
An addition to the fire hall that would be approximately 62 feet, 8 inches by 88 feet, 8 inches.
A new public entry, radio room/office, laundry room, EMS room, restrooms, Decon room, gear room, mechanical room, tool room, and apparatus bay with the existing apparatus bay being repurposed to house the village ambulances.
A mezzanine space to be located along the perimeter of the new apparatus bay with file storage and office space accessed from the existing building second floor hallway.
A new air and vapor barrier membrane and new exterior cladding system to be installed over the existing concrete masonry unit wall construction of the existing fire station, and the existing overhead sectional doors to be relocated and replaced allowing for adequate clearances around the ambulance apparatus bay.
The renewal of the building’s existing façade will result in creating a weather tight envelope while simultaneously allowing the cladding system of the addition to carry over creating a cohesive look to the updated facility.
The existing concrete slab in the existing ambulance apparatus bay to be replaced, including the installation of new trench drainage and epoxy floor finish.
The outdated emergency generator located south of the alley to be replaced and upgraded to accommodate the fire station and addition.
Sherman said the village needs to determine “needs versus wants” with the project.
“I would like to see some ‘bare bones’ options, as well as some choices,” she advised the B & L team.
The tour included a walk through in the basement, with B & L seeing whether the floor above could be lowered.
MEDINA – Orleans/Niagara BOCES students brought home many medals at the New York State SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Championships last week in Syracuse.
It was an incredible opportunity for students to showcase their talents and skills as they competed against other career and technical education students from across the state and participated in leadership workshops.
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. Their mission is to empower its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens. Gold medalists have the option of competing at the national level at the world’s largest gathering of America’s future skilled workforce in Atlanta, Georgia at the end of June.
The four students in center won first place in the Health Knowledge Bowl. They include Layne Hodgins – Medina, Brookelyn Nawotka – Medina, Kiran Lennox – Albion and Grace Walker – Roy-Hart.
Students at the Orleans Career Technical Education Center in Medina who placed in the top three include:
Austin Gardner of Lyndonville, Gold, Electronics Technology in the Electricity/Electronics program
Dakota Gilhousen of Lockport, Gold, CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer in the Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering program
Madison Davis of Lyndonville, Gold, Health Occupations Professional Portfolio in the Allied Health program
Grace Walker of Roy-Hart, Layne Hodgins of Medina, Kiran Lennox of Albion and Brooklyn Nawotka of Medina, Gold, Health Knowledge Bowl in Allied Health program
Gabrielle Rosenbeck of Newfane, Sahara Holland of Barker, and Shianne Beauman of Roy-Hart, Gold, Crime Scene Investigation in Security & Law Enforcement program
Javier Hamilton of Lockport, Silver, Technical Drafting in Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering program
Caleb Joseph of Newfane, Silver, Technical Computer Applications in Computer Technology program
Kelsey Lemoi of Medina, Silver in Basic Health Care Skills in Allied Health program
Garrett Armenia of Roy-Hart, Silver, Internet of Things in Computer Technology program
Charlie LaGreca of Barker, Silver, HVAC and Refrigeration. He is in the HVAC and Refrigeration program which is held at the Niagara site for BOCES.
Sam Bruning of Roy-Hart, Riley Bloomingdale of Roy-Hart & Andrew Kimball of Newfane, Bronze, Advanced Manufacturing Technology in Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering program.
Abigayle Wright from Medina also will represent OCTEC as a New York State SkillsUSA Officer. Her position will be determined at National SkillsUSA Championship.
These students from Lyndonville won gold at the New York State SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Championships. Austin Gardner, left, took first in Electronics Technology while Madison Davis was tops for Health Occupations Professional Portfolio.
By Mary Richards, FNP, Oak Orchard Health at Warsaw
When it comes to your health, you have choices. Choices as to who will be your primary care provider. At which location? With what specialty? And what support services, if any?
More often you will see Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP) as one of those options and they are a great choice, especially at Oak Orchard Health.
What is a Family Nurse Practitioner?
An FNP is a nurse practitioner who specializes in family medicine, treating people of all ages. They have a master’s degree in nursing which consists of 6+ years of education from starting as an RN to completing an FNP program. I chose to focus on family medicine because I wanted to have long-lasting relationships with my patients. I worked as a Registered Nurse for many years before returning to complete a Master’s degree. FNPs must have board certification to practice.
I have been a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) for 25 years and work at Oak Orchard’s Warsaw location. Nurse practitioners are at all our health centers. Before becoming an FNP, I was an RN at a local hospital in the intensive care unit where I had a good connection with patients. I often found that patients had a lot of trust in nurses and developed good relationships. Many times patients were hospitalized for illnesses that could be prevented. These situations motivated me to do more for patients and family medicine was the answer.
Family nurse practitioners fit right in with our community health center.
FNPs can care for your entire family – from newborns to seniors. That fits right in with our core values at Oak Orchard Health – we care for everyone. Our focus is on people of all ages, no matter what their insurance status is. And we have medical providers that could work anywhere but choose a community health center.
Treating the whole family has many benefits. Understanding family dynamics can often be helpful when caring for people across the lifespans. For instance, if parents are having a hard time, then it stands to reason that their children may too. Understanding those connections helps me treat everyone. It’s a holistic approach to medicine. I enjoy caring for the pediatric patients of parents I cared for in childhood.
A team approach to care at Oak Orchard Health
As a Family Nurse Practitioner, I am part of a team with MDs, RNs, LPNs, MAs, Care Managers, therapists, and front-end staff to name a few. We are focused on achieving the best patient care goals whether it’s preventive measures or providing solutions for various diseases. Our care managers and therapists are here for a mental health crisis. We have a telehealth service with specialists within and outside our area. You do not have to leave our health center or your home to engage with these enhanced services. We strive to make it easier for patients to access healthcare.
And my team helps make it easier for me to provide the best care to our patients. I count on every member of my team to help deliver high-quality, individualized care for our patients. Our team approach also helps us develop medical solutions that fit our patient’s needs. Working in rural areas, we understand that there are barriers to care such as transportation, food insecurity, housing issues, and health insurance. At Oak Orchard Health, we have that covered. The team here can make those barriers less of a hurdle.
Caring for people across the lifespan
Family Nurse Practitioners care for all ages. Given their nursing backgrounds, they often already have experience listening to and educating patients.A big plus! Being sensitive, responding to their needs, and educating them to help them stay healthy. Customizing programs that fit their lifestyle is key with my patients.
Looking for a primary care provider?
If you need a primary care provider, call Oak Orchard Health and see which provider is right for you. Visit our website to find out more. www.OakOrchardHealth.org and give us a call at (585) 589-5613.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2024 at 1:11 pm
Photos submitted by John Dieter, Scoutmaster of Troop 35
RIDGEWAY – Boy Scouts and parents from Troop 35 in Medina this past Saturday organized a garbage cleanup at the Canal Culvert, the spot where the road goes under the canal on Culvert Road.
Scouts picked up litter at the Culvert, and also along the towpaths both east and west to the nearest canal bridges.
Several bags of garbage, plastic chairs, and a bicycle were removed from canal banks. This event was part of the Canal Sweep cleanup program that is held annually.
Press Release, New York Power Authority and New York State Canal Corp.
The New York Power Authority and New York State Canal Corp. announced its annual fall fishing program was honored this month with an Engineering Excellence Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) New York.
The fall fishing program received a Diamond Award in the category of Water Resources for its strategic use of canal infrastructure that allows regulated flows of water from the Erie Canal into Lake Ontario tributaries.
The enhanced flows, through deliberate releases of canal water, improve spawning conditions, expand angling opportunities, and enrich the world-class fishing destinations in Monroe, Orleans and Niagara counties.
“The construction of the Erie Canal has long been viewed as an engineering marvel and, as we look ahead to the canal’s third century of operation, the fall fishing program is an excellent example of how we are using canal infrastructure and its water in a different way to benefit more than just mariners,” NYPA President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said. “As we prepare for the fifth season of the program, the recognition from the American Council of Engineering Companies, both at the state and national levels, reaffirms how thoughtful engineering adjustments play a key role in our operations that allow the canal to be a driver of economic activity today and in the future.”
New York State Canal Corp. Director Brian U. Stratton said, “As we approach the Erie Canal’s bicentennial, the prestigious awards from both the New York and national chapters of the American Council of Engineering Companies confirms the historic waterway’s continued impact and influence on our state. Through the fall fishing program, we are strategically adjusting century-old water management control gates along the western Erie Canal to improve conditions for both fish and anglers, and that, in turn supports the local canalside economies and boosts tourism.”
The fall fishing program is one of 124 projects from across the state that encompasses both the public and private sector that was recognized with an Engineering Excellence Award this year. Annually, more than 50 ACEC New York member firms submit projects that are judged on a rigorous set of criteria, which includes complexity, innovation and value to society.
In addition to receiving recognition from ACEC New York, the fall fishing program will also be honored with a National Recognition Award in the American Council of Engineering Companies 2024 Engineering Excellence Awards competition. The national award will be presented in May.
In 2023, the fall fishing program and Orleans County were recognized with an “Excellence in Tourism Marketing” award from the New York State Tourism Industry Association for the “More Water = More Fish” campaign. The collaborative effort raises awareness of the program and aims boost regional tourism.
Each fall through early December, the program supplies four Lake Ontario tributaries with elevated flows to improve conditions for fish, thereby enticing more salmon, steelhead and brown trout to enter and remain in these streams. The north flowing tributaries include Sandy Creek and Oak Orchard Creek, the premier streams of Orleans and Monroe counties, along with Eighteenmile Creek of Niagara County and Johnson Creek of Niagara and Orleans counties.
As the upcoming season approaches, the Canal Corp. will update its fall fishing webpage to provide anglers with the program’s latest news and information.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 30 April 2024 at 7:25 am
MEDINA – Orleans Community Health is asking the community to join with them in paying tribute to local veterans.
A year and a half ago, the hospital formed a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee to do internal education, and decided to include the community.
In March, to celebrate Women’s History Month, they created a wall of honor in the hospital lobby, where anyone from the hospital or in the community could write the name of a special woman on a slip of paper and post it on a wall of windows.
“For everyone who walked in the lobby, that was the first thing they saw,” said Scott Robinson, director of Marketing, Communication and Outreach at Community Partners. “Chances are, everyone who comes into a hospital is not in the best mood, and this is a chance to brighten their day and showcase people who deserve to be highlighted.”
For the next month, the public is asked to write down the name of a late veteran, with a picture if possible, who deserves to be remembered.
“The intention behind this display is to sincerely honor the memory of friends, family and others who have served the nation and are no longer with us,” Robinson said. “That said, we also want to ensure that no one is overlooked or forgotten. We have a deep admiration for anyone who has served or is currently serving our country in the Armed Forces, and we’ll be working on a future display that honors all veterans and those in active duty.”
Names and photos can be sent to Kristin Grose at KGrose@medinamemorial.org or brought to her at the hospital.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 30 April 2024 at 7:17 am
Bryan McDowell of Lyndonville, lead pastor at Oak Orchard Assembly of God on Ridge Road, submitted this photo his wife Whitney took of two swans and their newly-hatched babies behind the Yates Community Library in Lyndonville.
LYNDONVILLE – Bryan McDowell, his wife Whitney and their children often take walks down to the pond behind Yates Community Library.
They have been keeping an eye on a mother swan, which has been sitting on her eggs for a number of weeks, while the male swan keeps a close watch from nearby.
On Monday, Pastor McDowell was working when his wife and kids walked down and discovered some of the eggs had hatched.
“Our 3-year-old daughter Aurora said, ‘They are so cute, I wish I could pet them,’” McDowell said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2024 at 6:58 am
Provided photos
ALBION – Leo Gotte, left, and Graham Kirby crossed over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts on Monday evening with Troop 164 in Albion.
Both boys earned Cub Scouts’ highest honor, the Arrow of Light. Both boys were in Troop 164’s first kindergarten Lions den which started with a few dozen scouts. On Monday, they are 5th graders moving up. Covid took a hit to scouts’ participation. Leo and Graham were praised for sticking with Scouts when some of the activities were derailed from Covid.
This group photo shows Cub Scout Troop 164 and Boy Scout Troop 164 with Cub Scout leaders Ben Metcalf and Justin Kirby, and Boy Scout leaders Jeff Braley and Dan Flanagan. Leo and Graham both crossed the bridge to Boy Scouts.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 April 2024 at 9:55 pm
State funding for local arts sees big increase from the $70K in 2019, and $210K in 2023
Photos by Tom Rivers: Mary Jo Whitman (speaking in front at right) and Jodi Fisher (left), co-coordinators of the Statewide Community Regrant Program for GO Art!, announce the awards in Orleans County during a program Saturday at Hoag Library in Albion.
ALBION – The arts and cultural scene in Genesee and Orleans counties is getting a big funding boost through the Statewide Community Regrant Program.
GO Art! announced $336,000 in grants for artists and community events that celebrate the arts in 2024. That is up from $210,000 in 2023, and well above the $70,000 that was available for the two counties in 2019.
This year there will be $210,151 for programs and artists in Genesee County, and $125,849 in Orleans County. GO Art! tends to divvy up the funds in a 60-40 split. Genesee gets more because it has more people than Orleans – 58,388 compared to 40,343.
Mary Jo Whitman, co-coordinator of the community grants program for GO Art!, said the big increase in state funding will allow for more murals, more support for concerts, and more creative projects to build stronger connections locally.
She is hopeful the state won’t cut back on the new higher funding limit, but she said the amounts are unknown in the future.
Although Go Art! was able to fund more projects and programs in 2024, Whitman said there were some proposals that didn’t get funding because there wasn’t enough money for every project. She would like to see more arts funding in the future because there is a demand for it.
“We are investing in projects, people and the future of our two counties,” she said Saturday at Hoag Library in Albion, where the Orleans grants were announced.
The Community Arts (REACH) grants provide seed money to individual artists, collectives and arts organizations for projects and activities that enable Genesee and Orleans counties communities to experience and engage with the performing, literary, media and visual arts.
The grants include the following:
ORLEANS COUNTY
E-Yah-Pah-Hah Wind Quintet: $5,000 for Classical Music Series in Albion Community
Barre Betterment Committee: $1,000 for Square Dance at the Town Park
Laura Jackett with fiscal sponsor, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina: $5,000 for Art Workshops at the Libraries
Rob Klino from Friends of Boxwood accepts the grant for the organization dedicated to Medina’s historic cemetery. Boxwood will rededicate a restored stained-glass window in the chapel on May 18 and will put on its Boxwood at Night event on Oct. 5.
Julie Berry with community partner, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee: $5,000 for Live Jazz Swing Bands for Community Social Dances
Friends of Orleans County Marine Parks: $5,000 for OONA Summer Concert Series
Community Action of Orleans & Genesee: $3,000 for “Community Action Helping People Change Lives,” a mural on the building at Main Street Corner Thrifts, Gifts and More
Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum: $1,000 for “Capture the Light”
Albion Merchants Association: $4,000 for Albion Merchants Association’s 2024 Event Season
Lakeshore Arts Incorporated: $1,331 for Lakeshore Fine Craft Workshops
Tegan Leach with community partner, Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension: $4,519 for “Transforming Natural Fibers through Spinning and Dyeing”
Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events: $5,000 for Village of Albion Summer Festival featuring Rock the Park
Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension: $1,799 for Craig Wilkins and Craig Wilkins Band – Senior Lunch performance at Orleans County 4-H Fair
Lee-Whedon Memorial Library: $5,000 for Finally Fridays! concert series
Yates Community Library: $5,000 for Yates Community Library – More Than Just Books summer concert series
Friends of Boxwood Cemetery: $5,000 for Boxwood at Night
The Cobblestone Society: $5,000 for the Cobblestone Museum Arts Series
Lyndonville Lions Club: $5,000 for “I Hear the Music”
Village of Holley: $3,000 for Village of Holley Canal concert series
Community Free Library: $5,000 for Continuation of Myron Holley Erie Canal Mural, with new mural by Arthur Barnes
Care Net Center of Greater Orleans: $5,000 for “Artists and Their Styles”
C.W. “Bill” Lattin with community partner, The Cobblestone Society: $5,000 for reprint and additions to his book, “Architecture Destroyed in Orleans County, N.Y.”
Village of Holley: $2,000 for festival series
Canalside Radio Inc.: $5,000 for “Harmonizing Communities: The Canalside Radio Initiative”
William Schutt with fiscal sponsor, Village of Albion: $5,000 for “Lighting the Erie Canal,” a lamppost made from old steel from the Main Street lift bridge
Village of Albion: $5,000 for Village of Albion Summer Concert Series
Hoag Library of the Swan Library Association: $5,000 for Hoag Music Series
Michelle Cryer with community partner, Town of Carlton: $5,000 for Carlton Mural at the Cove
Arthur Barnes stands next to this painting which he will do large scale on the back of Community Free Library in Holley. He will paint it to blend with a canal mural done last year by Tony Barry. Barnes said this will be his sixth mural in Orleans County. The first five were all Erie Canal scenes.
GENESEE COUNTY
Batavia Concert Band: $5,000 for Music in the Park Summer Concert Series
Holland Purchase Historical Society: $5,000 for HLOM Guest Speaker & Concert Series
Haxton Memorial Library: $5,000 for “Talented Thursdays”
Alexander Volunteer Fire Department Band: $4,837 for Alexander Volunteer Fire Department Community Performances
The Elba Betterment Committee: $4,550 for “EBC Presents….”
Oakfield Betterment Committee Inc: $5,000 for Oakfield Labor Daze
Genesee Chorale Inc.: $5,000 for Genesee Chorale Season’
Village of Bergen: $2,300 for Hickory Park Concert Series
Rebecca A O’Donnell with community partner, Warrior House of WNY INC: $4,000 for “Creative Community Connections at the Goose”
Batavia Business Improvement District: $5,000 for Jackson Square Concert Series
David F. Burke with Community Partner Warrior House of WNY INC: $2,500 for “Wings” Mural for The Goose Community Center
Heather Kathleen Davis with community partner St. Mark’s Episcopal Church: $3,100 for “Opera on the Oatka”
Genesee Symphony Orchestra: $5,000 for Genesee Symphony Orchestra’s 78th Season
Byron-Bergen Public Library: $5,000 for “Arts in our Community”
Mandy Taylor with community partner, City of Batavia Fire Department: $2,900 for “Main Street Fire Hydrant Murals”
Bergen Business and Civic Association: $5,000 for Bergen Park Festival
Woodward Memorial Library: $4,979 for “Art All Year, Take Two”
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church: $2,415 for “Music at St. Mark’s’”
Kathlyn Baker with Community Partner, Warrior House of WNY: $5,000 for “Art Exploration Project”
Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming OUT!: $5,000 for GLOW OUT! Pride Festival
Village of Corfu: $5,000 for Corfu Farmers Market Music Series
GLOW YMCA, Inc.: $1,000 for GLOW Corporate Street Beat
Gillam-Grant Community Center: $4,640 for “A Spectrum of Art”
The Batavia Players, Inc.: $5,000 for 2024 Season
Marianne Skye with community partner, Warrior House of WNY: $5,000 for “Groovy Moves-Family Music and Movement”
Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Incorporated: $4,710 for “Artful Observation: Inspired by Nature”
Joshua Lang with community partner, Batavia Concert Band: $2,500 for “Holst: Suite de Ballet movement 4”
Magen Peters with fiscal sponsor, Batavia Business Improvement District: $5,000 for “Fairy Doors of Downtown Batavia”
Lorie Longhany with community partner, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church: $4,000 for “The Joy Project”
Jennifer Grey with fiscal sponsor, Batavia Business Improvement District: $5,000 for “Summer Groove of Jackson Square”
Sara Tenney with fiscal sponsor, Batavia Business Improvement District: $5,000 for “Summer Sounds of Jackson Square”
Everpresent Church: $3,600 or “Take My Hand” Mural
Town and Country Garden Club of LeRoy: $5,000 for “Rooted Harmony: Artistic Benches Cultivating Community Connection”
LeRoy Historical Society: $4,305 for “Discovering LeRoy’s Ingham University: The First Woman’s University in the Country”
Jill Pettigrew with community partner, Village of Corfu: $5,000 for “Roadside Art Gallery’
Justin Benedict with community partner, Richmond Memorial Library: $5,000 for “The Nightroad Volume 1”
Andy Rich with community partner, Batavia Players: $5,000 for “Acting and Filmmaking Outside of Major Markets”
Hollwedel Memorial Public Library: $5,000 for “Shake on the Lake – Henry V”
James Lullo with Fiscal Sponsor, Batavia Players Inc.: $5,000 for “Kitty”
Brian Kemp with community partner, Batavia Business Improvement District: $5,000 for “2024 TableTopArtShow”
Oakfield Historical Society Inc.: $5,000 for “History Comes Alive”
Randy Reese of Medina accepts a grant for “Harmonizing Communities” initiative on Canalside Radio, which is currently available online. He announced it has been approved as an FM station at 107.9. Jodi Fisher, at right, helped present the grants on Saturday for GO Art!
Individual Artist Commission (RIPPLE) supports local, artist-initiated activity, and highlights the role of individual artists as important members of the community. The commission is for artistic projects with outstanding artistic merit that work within a community setting.
ORLEANS COUNTY
Patricia Greene: $2,500 for “Images of Beauty”
Eric Weatherbee: $2,500 for “The Humble Bard Presents”
GENESEE COUNTY
David F. Burke: $2,500 for “Extension to Harvester Center Hallway Mural”
Thom Jennings: $2,500 for “Missing Man – The Vince Welnick Story”
Joshua Lang: $2,500 for “Suite de Ballet Mvt 3”
Eric Zwieg: $2500 for The Family Model
The Arts Education Program (SPARK) is offered in two funding strands: K-12 In-School Projects and After-School and Community-based Learning. Emphasis is placed on the depth and quality of the creative process through which participants learn through or about the arts
ORLEANS COUNTY
Brandi Zavitz with community partner, Lyndonville Central School District: $5,000 for “Mural in Music Hallway”
Judd Sunshine for Erie Canal Songwriting Project with fourth-graders
GENESEE COUNTY
Linda Fix with fiscal sponsor, BCSD Foundation Community Schools: $5,000 for “#It Takes A Village”
Bart Dentino with community partner, Oakfield-Alabama Central School District: $4,815 for “The Spaces Between the Leaves”
Chris Humel with community partner, The Office For The Aging: $5,000 for “Cartooning For Seniors”
Renderings courtesy of Governor’s Office: A new visitors center about the Erie Canal is planned for Canalside in Buffalo. “Waterway of Change: A Complex Legacy of the Erie Canal” will share the story of the Erie Canal.
Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office
BUFFALO – Governor Kathy Hochul today announced plans for “Waterway of Change: A Complex Legacy of the Erie Canal,” a new Erie Canal bicentennial visitors experience at Canalside in Buffalo.
On May 7, after four years of construction in the Longshed, the replica Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief will move out to make way for interior construction and installation of the new experience in the building. Work will be completed in time for next year’s Erie Canal Bicentennial.
“Waterway of Change will share the remarkable story of the Erie Canal and the area now known as Canalside with visitors,” Governor Hochul said. “As the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal approaches in 2025, this visitors experience will draw more people to Buffalo’s waterfront and help them connect to its history in a new and participative way.”
The concept for the 2,900-square-foot Longshed, located at Canalside on the historic western terminus of the Erie Canal, is to create a visitors experience that acts as a gathering space and starting point for visitors beginning their Bicentennial Commemoration journey. Plans include visitors’ experiences that will explain and detail how Canalside’s timeline, from its beginnings as traditional homeland of the Haudenosaunee to the development of a rural village at the time the Erie Canal opened in 1825, to a thriving port and shipping hub at the end of the 19th century.
Waterway of Change will include interactive multimedia exhibits for visitors of all ages and abilities, sharing Buffalo’s Erie Canal story in an inclusive and diverse way through the use of short films, touch screens, audio, historical artifacts and dramatic lighting. A series of outdoor interpretive exhibits will also be created at towpaths along and around the canals.
The 2,900-square-foot Longshed will include interactive multimedia exhibits for visitors of all ages and abilities.
Local Projects, a multi-disciplinary exhibition and media design firm based in New York City, has been working with the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation to create the visitor experiences for the Longshed and Canalside. Other partnerships include exhibit fabrication, with Buffalo’s Hadley Exhibits, and project development with the Buffalo History Museum.
The museum is providing interpretive content and historical guidance through all phases of the project. The collaboration includes consulting with a diverse group of community stakeholders and subject matter experts to ensure Buffalo’s Erie Canal story is shared with visitors from multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Additionally, the content in the visitors’ experience will be utilized by schools to supplement their Erie Canal history curricula during visits to the Longshed. The content will meet New York State Education Department standards to broadly reach and resonate with Grade 4-12 educational experiences.
New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “On the eve of the Erie Canal’s 200-year anniversary milestone, we are thrilled to be working with Governor Hochul and our agency partners to bring to life Waterway of Change at Canalside in Buffalo. The Erie Canal holds a special significance in New York’s history, and this new interactive exhibit will tell the story of the canal and New York’s Queen City to visitors from near and far. Throughout the next two years and culminating with the 2025 World Canals Conference in Buffalo, the Canal Corporation is eager to celebrate the Erie Canal’s Bicentennial as we prepare for the next century of operations and opportunities along the entire New York State Canal System.”
While the anniversary of the bicentennial will likely be marked at events throughout New York State, Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation is planning a large celebration at Buffalo’s Canalside, which will also host the World Canals Conference in 2025. That event, first announced by Governor Hochul in June 2022, will bring together canal and inland waterway enthusiasts, professionals and scholars from around the world to learn about a variety of canal-related topics.
The event will highlight Buffalo’s transformed waterfront district, which has seen more than $400 million in new investment, including new hotels, a major sports arena, a children’s museum, retail shops and a re-created waterway on the footprint of the original Erie Canal in the Queen City. Today, the Buffalo waterfront attracts more than 1 million annual visitors.
In 2020, a wood frame structure at the northern end of the Central Wharf, now called the Longshed Building, was completed. The structure reflects on the history of the wharf location by incorporating elements from the Joy and Webster Storehouse that was situated on the site in the early 1800s. Work on the building, which incorporates select interior modifications to incorporate a small office, transient boater shower rooms, and public restrooms, is currently being completed.
Provided photo: Senator Rob Ortt and Regional Director of SUNY Brockport SBDC Lindsay Ward speak with local small business owners
Press Release, State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt
KENDALL – Today, New York State Senator Rob Ortt hosted a small business roundtable in partnership with SUNY Brockport Small Business Development Center Regional Director Lindsay Ward at The Grove 1848 in Kendall.
A variety of businesses and entrepreneurs were represented with backgrounds and interests including, realty, agriculture, retail, food service, healthcare, banking, among others attending the meeting to learn more about the successes and struggles of businesses around Orleans and Monroe counties.
“There is no better way to learn what business owners are dealing with, both good and bad, than hearing directly from them – I’d like to thank everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to join us this morning for a lively discussion on what is and what is not working for Western New York’s Business Climate,” Ortt said. “I’m always thankful to be able to gather with and hear from local businesses and deliver the latest news out of Albany and how legislative changes could or will directly affect their livelihood and bottom line.”
Participants talked about many concerns over running a business that include increased taxes, failure to address issues with unemployment insurance, staffing shortages and utility costs. Strict rules and regulations governing many businesses from the local level up to the state level remain chief among the top concerns of small business owners and entrepreneurs.
Senator Ortt introduced and continues to champion the Red Tape Reduction Act (S869). This legislation would require that when a rule is adopted that imposes a new administrative burden on a business, one or more existing rules must be amended or repealed to offset the cost of the new administrative burden. This would also require the identification of the rule to be repealed whenever a new rule is proposed.
There are many avenues business owners and entrepreneurs must navigate including the laws and regulations of their respective industry, securing loans to fund their business, in addition to hiring qualified and reliable people to help out. It can be an overwhelming task for any person to deal with, especially if this is their first time.
Thankfully, there are well qualified experts to help and offer guidance through many of the processes. The SUNY Brockport Small Business Development Center is one such place and Regional Director Lindsay Ward oversees and assists a large portion of Western New York businesses in an area serving Genesee, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, and Wayne counties with confidential business advisement at no charge.
“I would like to thank Senator Ortt for hosting the small business roundtable discussion with small businesses and entrepreneurs within Orleans and Monroe counties, and in partnership with the SUNY Brockport Small Business Development Center,” Ward said. “We are proud to share all the resources that our center offers to support entrepreneurs and small businesses across Western New York. I encourage anyone to feel free to reach out to our center anytime for assistance with their small business.”
TOWN OF ALABAMA – The U.S. Fish and WIldlife Service has announced its decision to pull a permit that would have allowed construction of an industrial wastewater and sewage pipeline through the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. The Tonawanda Seneca Nation, which opposes the pipeline, commended USFWS on its decision.
“This industrial wastewater pipeline through our ancestral lands threatened harm to the Refuge, our people, and our way of life,” said Chief Roger Hill of the Nation. “We asked the Fish and Wildlife Service to terminate this permit nearly two years ago, and only went to court when our repeated requests were denied. The Service made the right decision to pull this permit and protect the land and waters.”
The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1958 to support migratory waterfowl, maintain the health of Oak Orchard Creek and its floodplain and wetlands, preserve habitat, and enhance outdoor opportunities for local communities.
The Tonawanda Seneca Nation first called on USFWS to pull the permit in September 2022, citing fatal flaws in its issuance that included failure to consult with the Nation. USFWS refused the Nation’s request and allowed pipeline construction to begin in July 2023. Construction was halted in September 2023 following multiple spills of hundreds of gallons of drilling fluids onto federally protected land and wetlands, and the Nation filed suit against USFWS in federal court in November 2023.
Cleanup of the spills has taken more than seven months and included removal of more than 73 tons of contaminated drilling mud from wetlands in the Refuge, with engineers and state regulators acknowledging that some drilling mud cannot be removed and will likely remain in the environment permanently. The Nation’s lawsuit argues that the pipeline permit approval and subsequent drilling violated the National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act.
In its decision, USFWS found that “construction of [the pipeline] cannot be completed as originally permitted and… the environmental impacts extend beyond the permitted Right-Of-Way (ROW).” USFWS noted that termination of the permit would be effective as of June 24, 2024, and clarified that any further proposed pipeline construction would require the developer to file a new permit application.
The decision represents a stinging blow to developer Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC), which intended construction of the pipeline to draw industrial tenants to the proposed Western New York Science, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park (WNY STAMP).
While the agency has receivedc$100 million in state funding for WNY STAMP since 2005, including $56 million recently awarded by Governor Hochul, WNY STAMP remains unoccupied. Its sole tenant, Plug Power, has suspended construction of a facility there due to cash shortages and market conditions.
The Plug Power project has received state subsidies totalling $270 million, or $4 million per promised job. The project fails to meet baselines required by New York’s “Smart Growth” law, and both Plug Power and WNY STAMP were included in Western New York’s list of “Biggest Business Losers” by the Buffalo News in 2023.
According to a 2017 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation study, visitors coming to fish Oak Orchard Creek, Lake Ontario, and its tributaries in Orleans County bring $27 million to the region every year. Contamination caused by WNY STAMP would jeopardize these economic benefits.
The Tonawanda Seneca Nation, a federally recognized Indian Nation, has raised concerns about the WNY STAMP industrial mega site since its inception. The project poses an existential threat to the people and culture of the Nation, as well as threats to birds, fish, deer, water, and medicinal plants in the Big Woods that border WNY STAMP. Federal law requires robust consultation with the Nation on projects that affect it, and federal guidance directs agencies to aim for consensus with Indian Nations.
According to Chief Hill, “Protecting the land and water for future generations is one of our greatest responsibilities, and preventing this pipeline through the Refuge is an important step. But our Nation still faces a looming threat from the proposed STAMP industrial site and we hope to move forward collaboratively with the Fish and Wildlife Service and New York State to ensure potential impacts from heavy industry are fully analyzed and avoided before permits are issued. It shouldn’t take an environmental disaster for agencies to follow the law.”
Editor’s Note: The Genesee County Economic Development Center on April 25 announced it is working closely with the towns of Oakfield and Alabama, along with the village of Oakfield and regulatory agencies to construct a force main to accommodate the current projects at STAMP and a potential future project.
“As the Oakfield line cannot fully replace Orleans County line we will continue to pursue the force main to Oak Orchard Creek in the town of Shelby through a different construction method and we look forward to working with United States Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation as this process moves forward. The Oakfield plan alleviates the timing pressures for the build-out of the force main to Oak Orchard Creek.”
The GCEDC said it is in the process of submitting a new permit application to propose an open cut construction method which will avoid the types of incidents that resulted from the horizontal directional drilling.
Gov. Kathy Hochul on April 26 announced construction started for the Edwards Vacuum factory at STAMP. That $319 million facility will make technology that is a vital component to controlling the highly sensitive environment of semiconductor manufacturing processes, Hochul said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 April 2024 at 10:49 am
ALBION – The Albion Village Board adopted a $8,194,333 village budget for 2024-25 on Thursday that raises the tax rate by $1.27 – from $19.13 to $20.40 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The tax levy, what the village will collect in property taxes, increased by 6.6 percent or by $194,340 – from $2,923,473 to $3,117,813.
This is the first time the village tax rate tops $20. Medina a year ago was the first village where the tax rate went over $20. Medina went through reassessments last year and the new assessments added $100 million to Medina’s tax base, allowing that village to drop the tax rate from $21.16 to $13.97 with its new budget for 2024-25.
Albion doesn’t have the new reassessments on the official rolls yet. That will likely happen next year.
For the 2024-25 budget. Albion’s tax base shrunk slightly by less than 0.1 percent or by $74,424 – from $152,867,932 to $152,793,508.
The preliminary numbers for 2025-26 show a growth in the village tax base by about 40 percent or $62 million to $214.8 million. But the Village Board has to wait until next year to have those numbers, which will be finalized after the grievance process if property owners challenge their new assessments.
The village budget for 2024-25 totals $8,194,333 with $4,701,848 in the general fund, $2,068,150 in the water fund, and $1,424,335 in the sewer fund.
UPDATE at 1:10 p.m.: Albion Mayor Angel Javier Jr. said he did not vote for the budget that exceeded the tax cap. He said the village is headed towards consolidation with the Town of Albion “as village taxes exceed the state-mandated cap.”
He said village taxpayers will continue to see more tax increases, and higher fees – including water, sewer and fire protection.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 April 2024 at 8:35 am
Rate drops from $21.16 to $13.97 after tax base grew by $100 million
MEDINA – The Village Board adopted a $7,678,256 budget for the general fund on Thursday that will increase the amount of taxes collected by 3.1 percent. However, the tax rate will plunge more than $7 – from $21.16 to $13.97 per $1,000 of assessed properties.
The towns of Shelby and Ridgeway, where the village is located, both completed town-wide reassessments in 2023 and those new values take effect in the 2024-25 village budget.
The tax base increased by $100.5 million, going from $178,984,667 to $279,494,874. That is a 56.2 percent increase.
The tax rate dropped 34.0 percent or by $7.19.
During a budget public hearing on April 8, the budget was at a 34.9 percent tax increase or up by $1,320,759. The Village Board and the department heads shaved $1.2 million from that to try to get to a “minimal amount,” said Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman.
However, she said the board can only cut so much. The village will be looking for more revenues outside of the property tax. Medina has tried for years to get in increase in the local sales tax, but has been kept flat by the County Legislature since 2001.
“This board has had numerous discussions on the need to pursue additional funding sources while looking long-term on how to best to continue services while trying to keep the tax rate affordable,” Sherman said.
Overall spending in the general fund is at $7,678,256 – up $84,960 or by 1.1 percent. The water fund is up 4.1 percent or by $83,296 to $2,102,947. The sewer fund is down 3.1 percent or by $39,816 to $1,256,195.
Debbie Padoleski, retired village clerk and treasurer, was elected to the Village Board in March and started her term on April 1. She ran for the board partly due to the rising assessments in the village and potential for much higher tax bills.
Some residents will actually see lower tax bills with this village budget, depending on the percentage of increase in their reassessments, Padoleski said. But others will be paying more.
“While we were able to reduce the levy by $1.2 million from the proposed budget, our hands have been tied by several factors,” she said.
Union contracts push up labor costs, and Padoleski said the lack of an increase in the local sales tax strains the village budget. Medina gets $160,160 of the local sales tax total, which is expected to be near $25 million this year. That is less than 1 percent for Medina of the total in the county.
Padoleski also thinks the village isn’t properly treated by the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway with divvying up the tax burden at the town level. Village residents should be seeing more of a break in their town taxes, padoleski said.
Without some relief from the towns and county, Padoleski said the Village Board could face hard choices in the future about cutting some services.
“We are one step away from cutting services and while some of us are not yet ready to do that, I have been assured that we will continue to look for ways to cut costs, increase revenue and be open to different ways of doing business,” Padoleski said. “Our taxpayers need to be our main priority, always.”
Here are the village tax levies and tax rates in the past six budgets:
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 April 2024 at 7:09 am
The price for regular unleaded gas is up 7 cents in Orleans County in the past week, from $3.56 to $3.63 a gallon, AAA reported this morning. The price is now up 21 cents in the past three weeks in Orleans.
Nationally the average price is down 2 cents in the past week to $3.66, and in New York State the average increased 2 cents to $3.66.
Here are the average prices today for Western New York counties:
Orleans, $3.626
Genesee, $3.553
Wyoming, $3.620
Livingston, $3.622
Monroe, $3.648
Niagara, $3.539
Erie, $3.619
Chautauqua, $3.627
Cattaraugus, $3.557
Allegany, $3.643
AAA said gas demand fell slightly last week, meanwhile total domestic gasoline stocks also decreased slightly, according to new data from the Energy Information Administration.
“Lower demand and a drop in crude oil prices could push pump prices lower,” AAA said. “Domestic gasoline demand will pick back up as we get closer to Memorial Day weekend and the traditional start of summer driving season, which will likely come with an increase in prices at the pump.”
By Mary Richards, FNP, Oak Orchard Health at Warsaw
