By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 February 2024 at 8:44 pm
Greg Bennett and Jeff Holler will be lone names on ballot for March 19 election
ALBION – No additional candidates have emerged to run for the Albion Village Board. Today was the deadline for candidates to file petitions to run as independent candidates. No one submitted petitions by 5 p.m. today, said Tracy VanSkiver, the village clerk-treasurer.
Two candidates were previously endorsed. Greg Bennett and Jeff Holler both secured the Repulbican endorsement on Jan. 29, and Bennett also was backed by the Democrats on Jan. 23.
Bennett and Holler will appear unopposed on the March 19 ballot.
Bennett works as a locksmith at the Albion Correctional Facility. He has been there nearly five years. Previously, he worked a decade for Baxter Healthcare in Medina. He also has been a long-time youth baseball coach.
Holler worked as an executive chef for 25 years, and then head cook for 13 years at the Orleans Correctional Facility. Since he retired in 2014, he has been a very active member at the Masonic Lodge. He also has been a busy volunteer for the Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries, especially with the efforts to cook Thanksgiving meals and also an Easter egg hunt and prize giveaway.
Holler and Bennett are running for four-year terms for positions that are currently filled by Chris Barry and David Buczek, who aren’t running in next month’s election. Barry has been on the board nearly four years while Buczek was appointed in December by Mayor Angel Javier Jr. He is filling the remainder of Zack Burgess’s term.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 February 2024 at 8:04 pm
MEDINA – The Village of Medina has seven candidates who will be on the ballot for three positions in the March 19 election.
That is a far cry from recent elections where candidates have been unopposed.
Medina will have a new mayor on April 1 because Mike Sidari isn’t seeking re-election after 8 years.
He was elected in 2016, running with Marguerite Sherman and Tim Elliott. This time, Sherman is running for mayor with Elliott again seeking trustee. Sherman is recently retired as a special education teacher and Elliott is an entrepreneur who currently works for LynOaken Farms.
They are joined on “The Village Party” by Debbie Padoleski for a trustee position. Padoleski retired in June 2021 after 41 years in Medina’s clerk’s office, including the final eight years as clerk/treasurer.
Three other candidates are running as a team with “Roots of the Past, Eyes on the Future Party.” Michael Maak, a retired captain in the Medina Fire Department, is running for mayor. Maak has previously made unsuccessful bids for election as Ridgeway town supervisor and county legislator.
He is joined by Mat “Austin” Mosher and Jeffrey Pasnik who want to be trustees. Mosher is a former Medina firefighter and Pasnik is a council rep for North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters in Cheektowaga.
Mark Prawel, a retired Medina police officer, also turned in petitions to run as a trustee under the “United Party.”
The terms on the board are all for two years. Candidates needed to turn in petitions signed by at least 100 registered voters in the village to be on the ballot. Today at 5 p.m. was the deadline to submit petitions.
Provided photo: Johnny Vidal, outreach peer specialist, and Erin Phelps, Harm Reduction coordinator/case manager, stand next to UConnectCare’s mobile unit that travels to different locations in Genesee and Orleans counties to help those struggling with substance use disorder.
BATAVIA – A federal grant to provide harm reduction, treatment and/or recovery support services is empowering UConnectCare (formerly Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse) to meet those struggling with substance use disorder “where they’re at.”
The nonprofit agency has begun an Open Access program that will operate three days per week at The Recovery Station, 5256 Clinton St. Rd., Batavia, as well as a Harm Reduction Mobile Outreach unit that will travel to several locations in the two counties five days per week.
“Both programs reflect the agency’s goal of “meeting them where they’re at, without judgment,” said Erin Phelps, Harm Reduction coordinator/case manager. “Those seeking services will be greeted by a trained Peer Advocate to assist in developing a plan for the next steps and answer questions regarding recovery.”
Phelps and Amy Kabel, project director, emphasized that services will be available to residents, even if they’re not ready for agency intervention.
“Harm reduction is about keeping people alive and being ready to help them when they’re ready,” Phelps said, prompting Kabel to add, “or maybe they never are.”
Walk-ins are welcome to utilize Open Access. The program’s hours of service are 3-7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays at The Recovery Station.
The mobile unit will be set up in front of Genesee County Mental Health on the first and third Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at Orleans County Mental Health on the second and fourth Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It also will go to Medina, Le Roy, Lyndonville and other venues in the Batavia area each month.
Johnny Vidal, outreach peer specialist, and Felicia Maybee, Open Access counselor, are part of the team that works on the mobile unit.
Phelps said harm reduction is a “compassionate approach to drug use,” focusing on positive change and safety without requiring that individuals stop using drugs as a precondition for support. Services include peer support, case management, transportation, naloxone training, fentanyl test strips, care/hygiene kits and parent/family support.
She added that a national harm reduction exchange event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 15 at a site to be determined.
Treatment evaluations will be available to provide referrals to the appropriate harm reduction support, recovery support and/or treatment, such as detox, inpatient or outpatient.
For more information about the program, opioid overdose prevention training and to see the mobile unit schedule, go to www.uconnectcare.org or the UConnectCare or The Recovery Station Facebook pages, or send an email to harmreduction@uconnectcare.org.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 February 2024 at 2:14 pm
Orleans County sees 50% jump to $233 million; Statewide farm economy at $8 billion
File photo by Tom Rivers: The mucklands in Barre and Clarendon provide fertile soil for onions, one of many crop grown in a diversified agricultural economy in Orleans County.
The federal ag census, which track’s the farm economy every five years, came out today and the numbers for 2022 and much bigger than the previous census for 2017.
In Orleans County, receipts for farm products sold totaled $233.63 million, up 50.4 percent from the $155.28 million in 2017, a growth of $78.35 million. That includes sales of fruit, vegetables, milk, livestock and other farm products.
Statewide the ag revenue was $8.04 billion in 2022, up by 49.7 percent from the $5.369 billion in 2017.
The revenue went up dramatically, and so did farm expenses. In Orleans County, production costs went up about $60 million from $119.00 million in 2017 to $179.90 million in 2022, a 51.2 percent hike, according to the ag census.
Statewide production costs increased by $1.85 billion from $4.33 billion in 2017 to $6.18 billion in 2022, up by 42.7 percent.
A snapshot of Orleans County’s ag economy in 2022 includes:
444 farms (498 in 2017)
130,055 land in agriculture (129,573 in 2017)
average size of farm – 293 acres (260 in 2017)
estimated value of land and buildings – $1.416 billion
33 farms at more than 1,000 acres, but 140 are 10 to 49 acres, and 131 are 50 to 179 acres.
132 farms sell less than $2,500, while 126 sell $100,000 or more.
ALBION – The Orleans County Youth Board today announced it is extending the deadline for youth service program and project funding applications to March 1.
The reason for this extension is to give youth organizations more time to review different funding opportunities since the New York State Office of Children and Family Services made three new funding sources available in 2024.
According to Orleans County Chief Administrative Officer Jack Welch, the Youth Development Program has historically been the main source of funding. This year there are three additional funding sources available for Orleans County – Youth Sports and Educational Opportunity Funding, Youth Sports Education Funding Infrastructure and Youth Team Sports Allocation.
“The Youth Board wanted to ensure that there was no confusion as to which funding allocation each agency was applying for so the deadline was extended,” Welch said. “Hopefully this will provide potential applicants more time to review all the funding opportunities, understand the different requirements for each, and ultimately maximize their funding requests for the benefit of the youth they serve.”
Applications and the required documents for each funding allocation may be found on our Youth Bureau website by clicking here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 February 2024 at 9:13 am
MEDINA – The Village Board is considering how to name three roads in the Medina Business Park, whether those street names should honor people who helped shape the community or instead be more generic and just state “Commerce Way.”
One of the three roads will likely be named for Pride Pak, a Canadian company that built a vegetable processing facility at the park in 2016. There already is a sign declaring the small street “Pride Pak Road.” That street could eventually extend farther back into the business park.
Medina Mayor Mike Sidari said Pride Pak Road was never officially formalized by a village resolution. He would prefer it to be “Pride Pak Way” to be consistent with Marcia Tuohey Way, a road leading into the business park off Bates Road.
Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans Economic Development Agency, said the understanding when Pride Pak came to Medina was the road would carry the Pride Pak name.
Pride Pak Road which leads to the Pride Pak vegetable processing facility hasn’t been officially named in a formal resolution by the Medina Village Board. The board is considering making it “Pride Pak Way” to stay consistent with the naming for other roads in the Medina Business Park. Marcia Tuohey Way is a road leading into the park off Bates Road.
Village Board members wondered if that name should stay if Pride Pak changed ownership and there was a different name for the facility. In that case, the road name could always be modified, board members said. Pride Pak lists the address of its Medina business as 11531 Maple Ridge Rd.
The names for the two other roads leading into the park from Maple Ridge are very much open-ended with no expectations from a business for an official name.
Village Board members are considering “Owen’s Way” for the roadway between Pride Pak and Cobblestone Inn & Suites. Owen Toale retired from the Village Board last March after 12 years, including several years as the deputy mayor. He also was publisher of the former Journal-Register newspaper and has been an active volunteer with the veterans’ van service that takes veterans to medical appointments.
Village Trustee Tim Elliott said he appreciates Toale’s service to the community, but Elliott wants to hear suggestions from the Planning Board and Village Historian Todd Bensley. Elliott would prefer names with deeper historical roots.
Courtesy of Orleans EDA: This map from the Orleans Economic Development shows three roads to the Medina Business Park along Maple Ridge Road that need official names. There is a road on the west side of Pride Pak, then one in between Pride Pak and the hotel, and then another road in between Takeform and BMP.
The next road, the short street between Takeform and BMP, could be Commerce Way, but village officials are open to suggestions.
They heard ideas from the crowd on Monday evening: John Kennedy Way for a Medina mayor in the 1960s, Charles Howard for a Medina native who started a Santa Claus school in Albion, Medal of Honor recipient Forrest Vosler from Lyndonville, the Sawyer family who were influential in the ethanol plant in Medina, and Medal of Honor recipient John Butts of Medina.
Mayor Sidari said the board is open to more ideas for naming the street names.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 12 February 2024 at 9:29 pm
MEDINA – An inspirational book for young girls was introduced at Author’s Note on Saturday, in a timely presentation for Valentine’s Day.
“Love is in the Air” is a children’s book written by Buffalo author Dee Romito, who wanted to show the world “a girl can do anything, and should never give up her dreams.”
The book features Nancy Harkness Love, who wanted to learn to fly in an age when women weren’t allowed to even vote.
Romito said she has researched women’s rights and she wanted to tell Love’s story.
Photo from Wikipedia: Nancy Harkness Love was a pioneering woman pilot during the 1930s and 1940s. She is shown here in the cockpit of her PT-19 Fairchild. She also piloted a B-17 Flying Fortress.
“Here’s a woman who was going to do it anyway, and that fascinated me,” Romito said. “Nancy loved adventure and had a big imagination. One day a pilot buzzed their barn and she went right over and paid for a plane ride. The pilot was charging a penny a pound. As soon as Nancy turned 16, she started flying lessons.”
According to Wikipedia, Love earned her pilot’s license within a week. She worked as a test pilot and air racer in the 1930s and during World War II she convinced the U.S. Army Air Forces to set up a group of female pilots to ferry aircraft from factories to air bases.
Romito thought it was especially suitable to launch her book for Valentine’s Day, with the pilot’s name being “Love.”
The pioneering pilot became a member of the Women’s Air Force (WAF), but that group shut down after World War II and the women never got their due, said Romito, who has 11 books published on various interests, including three non-fiction series.
“Love is in the Air” is meant to convey a simple message – “Each one of us can do small things to make a difference, and that’s what Nancy did.”
The book sells for $18.99 and is available at Author’s Note and many other indie book stores.
She is already working on her next book, “Last Plastic Straw.”
POTSDAM – Katelyn Spierdowis of Albion received a bachelor of science degree with great distinction in civil engineering from Clarkson University on Dec. 16, 2023.
As a private, national research university with its main campus at Potsdam, Clarkson is a leader in technological education and sustainable economic development through teaching, scholarship, research and innovation.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 February 2024 at 5:59 pm
The average price for regular unleaded gas went up 5 cents nationally in the past week, while it was unchanged in New York State and dropped a penny in Orleans County, AAA reported today.
The national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.20, up five cents from last Monday. One year ago, the price was $3.42. In New York, the average price of $3.28 today compares to $3.53 a year ago.
In Orleans County, the average price is $3.38, compared to $3.39 a week ago.
AAA issued this statement about gas prices:
“Since last week, the national average for a gallon of gas has risen another five cents as we begin to see an increase in demand trends, higher costs for oil, and routine refinery maintenance.
“We are entering the time of year where pump prices begin to heat up, typically peaking around July, but unless there is a major shock to the global oil market that causes prices to spike, the national average will likely continue its slow upward trend with a few flat days or even small price dips along the way.”
Here are the average prices today in Western New York counties:
Provided photo: A group of middle school boys and 6th grade teacher Dustin Gardner found lots of trash and also a ski, a bat, golf balls and 13 dollars during last year’s Canal Clean Sweep in April. Holley had more than 100 students help with the annual spring trash pickup.
Registration has opened for Canal Clean Sweep 2024 with trash pickups welcomed from April 19-21.
Parks & Trails New York, in partnership with the NYS Canal Corporation, is organizing the 19th annual Canal Clean Sweep in celebration of Earth Day.
Community service clubs, co-workers at a business or organization, Scouts or even families are encouraged to register for a spot or section of the canal. Or they can check back later to register as a volunteer for a public event. Use the Event Finder Map on Parks & Trails website.
Most events will occur on Earth Day weekend. However, volunteers can pick another day if it works better.
Click here to fill out a form to register a Canal Clean Sweep event, indicating the clean-up location, how many volunteers are expected, and what t-shirt sizes are needed.
After registering for a Canal Clean Sweep event (click here), Parks & Trails will provide more information and materials.
Last year, not-for-profit organizations, civic groups, businesses, and social clubs took part in more than 130 events along the Canal System and the Canalway Trail as 2,700 volunteers helped pick up nearly 1,500 bags of garbage.
Assemblyman Mike Norris (R,C-Lockport) joined his colleagues today to call for a rollback of the state’s mandate that school districts convert school bus fleets to zero-emission buses in July 1, 2027 until July 1, 2045.
At $300,000 to $400,000 per electric bus, the cost to replace buses (which cost around $125,000 to $150,000) will skyrocket. According to the Empire Center for Public Policy, the cost for replacing existing fleets with all-electric school buses would cost between $8 billion and $15.25 billion more – and less than 10% may be available in combined aid from the state and federal governments to offset the burden on taxpayers.
“Between the exasperated financial difficulties of the pandemic and recession, coupled with the proposed cuts from the governor’s budget, this is no time to force our schools to make such an exorbitant expense,” said Norris, who is a sponsor of the bill to roll back the implementation (A.8447). “Though we all want to protect our environment, it is essential that taxpayers are able to absorb the costs at a sustainable rate. It’s clear this is not smart growth. It’s not sustainable and it should be reconsidered.”
Norris stated that the estimated costs from the Empire Center were the upfront purchase prices for the school buses alone – and not other associated costs that would be needed to operate and maintain all electric-fleets. For example, the school district would need to build a charging substation and set aside funds for parts and repairs that could further add up.
Norris said the all-electric school bus plan would put the burden on local taxpayers.
“Homeowners, particularly seniors living on fixed incomes, are already really pinched and making difficult choices,” he said. “This is not the time to add more to anyone’s burden. Rolling back this plan is the smart thing to do.”
Assemblyman Mike Norris’s 144th Assembly District includes portions of Erie and Niagara counties. His district previously included part of Orleans County.
Photo by Tom Rivers: These apples are in a bin at Kirby Farms in Brockport last fall.
Press Release, Orleans County Department of Planning and Development
ALBION – The Orleans County Agricultural District No. 1 is Orleans County’s only Agricultural District that covers over 118,000 acres or approximately 48% of the land mass of the county.
Orleans County is currently undergoing an eight-year review of the Orleans County Agricultural District No. 1. During this process, landowners must affirm in writing their intent to be included in the agricultural district.
All currently included landowners will receive notification of the review and the forms should be returned by March 31.
Agricultural Districts are established by New York State Agriculture and Markets Law to provide for the protection of agricultural lands. The law was enacted to allow for the creation of a local mechanism to ensure agricultural land remains a viable segment of the local and state economies as well as an environmental resource.
Agriculture is the dominant industry in Orleans County and as such, the Orleans County Agricultural District No. 1 is important to maintaining our economic base.
Agricultural districts do not have to be made up completely of farmland. However, they must contain a predominance of viable farmland. At the same time, the rural nature of an area is protected when viable farmland is included in the agricultural district.
The County Agricultural Farmland Protection Board, formed by the Legislature, is given the job of making recommendations concerning the effect of new water lines on land in an Agricultural District. Undeveloped land that is included in an agricultural district is not able to connect to new water lines for non-agricultural use because of the potential adverse effects on agriculture. Existing homes, residences, and farms within an agricultural district are not prohibited from connecting to new water lines.
For more information about agricultural districts or the ongoing review of the Orleans County Agricultural District No. 1, please contact Corey Winters (Planner, Orleans County Department of Planning & Development) at (585) 589-3197.
Sadly, the name selected for this young person was not recorded on this studio photograph.
Our first names can reveal a lot about us – the era we were born in, ethnicity,
or religious background, for example. We tend to make assumptions about people based on their first names.
Faced with this responsibility, it is no wonder that expectant parents find that selecting a name for their newborn is a daunting prospect. Some prospective parents already have a favorite name in mind.
For the others, there are so many choices: family names, historical names, currently popular names, old fashioned names, or names associated with nationality or religion.
Will we name him Henry or Michael or Landon or Louis?
Should she be called Jordan or Aoife or Carol or Lydia or Emmalyn or Elizabeth?
Suggestions for names may of course be found in baby name books but as local historians can attest, older graveyards are a rich source of unique and melodious first names.
Thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers, burials at these cemeteries have been listed, a painstaking process. They have since been digitized and may be accessed from the comforts of home by clicking here.
Not surprisingly, there are many instances of demure and virtuous first names, for girls, of course: Charity, Content, Mercy, Patience, Thankful or Virtue.
There are many strong, aspirational name choices for the boys: Deliverance, Freelove, Noble, Philander or Victory.
Here is a list of possible first name choices, all found in the smaller rural cemeteries of Orleans County:
