Orleans County designated as Medical Underserved Area
Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office
Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced the New York State Healthcare Workers for Our Future Scholarship.
This new scholarship program provides a two-year full cost of attendance scholarship to approximately 500 New York State students seeking to earn their associate or bachelor’s degree as a Registered Nurse, Respiratory Therapist, Clinical Laboratory Technologist, Radiologic Technologist, or Surgical Technologist. The scholarship supports and empowers future healthcare workers who are committed to providing critical healthcare services in under and unserved communities throughout New York State.
“The Healthcare Workers for Our Future scholarship is an investment in New York’s future and a bold step toward ensuring every community has access to high-quality health care,” Governor Hochul said. “By providing hundreds of students with scholarships to pursue a degree in essential health care fields, we are addressing staffing needs in communities where it’s needed most while also opening doors to higher education for aspiring students.”
Selected recipients will receive a scholarship for up to two years of full-time study at any SUNY, CUNY, or New York State accredited college in an approved associate or bachelor’s degree program, which includes the following:
Tuition: The cost of tuition, not to exceed the cost of in-state tuition at a SUNY college or the actual cost of tuition, whichever is less.
Non-tuition Costs: Room and board and allowances for books, supplies, and transportation up to the average cost at SUNY colleges.
Living Costs: Students living on campus will receive room and board up to the average cost at SUNY colleges. Commuter students will receive a commuter allowance.
The scholarships will be awarded to approximately 500 students randomly selected through a lottery drawing. To enter the Healthcare Workers for Our Future Scholarship drawing, participants can complete an online entry form. Recipients of the scholarship must agree to work in an underserved area in NYS as Registered Nurses, Respiratory Therapists, Clinical Laboratory Technologists, Radiologic Technologists, or Surgical Technologists for two years upon graduation.
Editor’s Note: Orleans County is a designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) for Mental Health and Primary Care, and is designated as a “Medical Underserved Area.”
For the scholarship application, complete program rules and FAQs, visit ny.gov/healthcareworkers. The deadline to apply is June 24. Applicants must currently live in New York State and agree to pursue an associate or bachelor’s degree in one of the approved fields of study.
Student awardees will be able to complete their programs with a flexible schedule, either part-time or full-time. Scholarships will cover tuition, room and board, and other fees at any New York State SUNY, CUNY, or NYS accredited college, equal to four full-time semesters and not to exceed the average cost of attendance equal to that of a state-operated SUNY college. Awards will be pro-rated for recipients attending less than full-time.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 May 2024 at 7:45 am
The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a special weather statement this morning, saying patchy, dense fog will affect areas north of the Thruway to Lake Ontario.
That includes Orleans, Niagara, Monroe, northern Erie, Genesee, Wayne, Oswego and northern Cayuga counties. Those areas could see a reduction in visibility to a half a mile or less.
“Roadways that may be impacted by dense fog, but not limited to include Interstate 90, Interstate 190 and Route 104,” the Weather Service said. “Visibility can change quickly on roadways.”
The fog may persist until 10 a.m. The day will become mostly cloudy with a high near 70.
On Thursday, it will be mostly sunny with a high near 64, followed by a part sunny Friday with a high near 71, and then a cloudy Saturday with a high near 65.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2024 at 8:10 pm
ALBION – The Albion and Gaines town boards, and the Albion Village Board met this evening at the Albion Village Office to redo their votes from April 24 when the three municipalities voted to form the Albion Joint Fire District.
The boards again voted in favor of the joint fire district. However, the vote this evening doesn’t name five fire commissioners. They were to serve from July 1 until an election in December.
The three boards are expected to appoint the temporary commissioners in the near future. The Albion and Gaines boards will each get two representatives with one from the village to be named by the Albion Village Board.
The five commissioners named on April 24 include Al Cheverie and Gary Mumford to represent the Town of Gaines. The Village of Albion had one representative, former village trustee David Buczek. The Town of Albion had two representatives, Chuck Nesbitt and Jeremy Babcock. Cheverie and Babcock are current members of the Albion Fire Department.
Joyce Riley, deputy mayor for the village, said the names were suggested by fire department leaders. Some community members want the boards to pick the representatives, Riley said.
“The people spoke and we listened,” she said after a 6-minute meeting at the Village Office.
The boards are discussing the process of appointing people, whether there will be applications from community members or recommendations from the fire department, or other ways.
There was some criticism in the community since the April 24 meeting that the village was only to have one representative, but more than one of the five initial appointees were village residents.
Richard Remley, the Albion town supervisor, said he isn’t committed to having the town’s two representatives both live outside the village in the town. Part of the village is in the town of Albion, and another part is in the town of Gaines.
“The quality of the person is more important to me than the residence,” Remley said after this evening’s meeting.
He would like to have some of the initial commissioners be familiar with the workings of as fire department, fire equipment and apparatus.
The Albion and Gaines boards vote this evening to form the joint fire district starts the 30-day clock to force a permissive referendum for residents who want to bring the issue to a public vote. Some residents have been vocal about their concern with a much bigger budget for fire protection, something Albion Fire Department officials say is needed whether it’s through a fire district or the current model.
The community has been getting fire protection from the Albion Fire Department. The towns of Albion and Gaines pay the village a fire protection contract for the service outside the village.
The new joint district will be its own taxing entity, with its own elected fire commissioners. It will replace the current setup where the Albion Fire Department is part of the Albion village budget, with the Albion Village Board serving as a commissioners overseeing the department and determining its funding.
The new joint fire protection district would likely have an annual budget of about $750,000 to $850,000. That is more than double the current $350,000 for the fire department.
That amount is much too low and doesn’t include any money for reserve funds to help pay for fire trucks and equipment, John Papponetti, the deputy fire chief, said during a public hearing on April 24 at the LGI in the high school.
With an $850,000 budget the tax rates for fire protection would change from the current 93 cents per $1,000 in Albion and 80 cents in Gaines to about $2.00 for the two towns and village, according to the presentation from Papponetti.
If the joint district stands – with or without a referendum – it would take effect on Jan. 1. That’s when it would start with its own budget, and the joint district would own the fire trucks and equipment. The village is keeping the fire hall on Platt Street and will lease the space to the fire district.
The first five commissioners are expected to serve about six months. If the joint fire district goes forward, there will be an election for five fire commissioners in December. In that first election, the candidate with the most votes gets a five-year term, then the fourth most gets four years, down to the candidate with the fifth-most votes getting a one-year term.
After that first election, there will be an election for just one position for a five-year term in the following years.
The three municipal boards this evening also voted to empower the joint fire district to have the power to acquire real property or easements without permission of the Albion Village Board, the Albion Town Board or the Gaines Town Board.
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.”
By Mary Richards, FNP, Oak Orchard Health at Warsaw
