Press Release, Rochester Area Community Foundation

In an effort to expand its support for the Greater Rochester-Finger Lakes region and tackle what is called the “Rural Blindspot,” Rochester Area Community Foundation awarded more than $146,000 to 11 nonprofits serving Orleans County.

“The Rural Blindspot” is an insight coined in the Stanford Social Innovation Review indicating that communities where people live farther apart are often overlooked in grantmaking when compared to their more populated neighbors, even when the need for resources is great. According to the data, these rural communities are some of the least likely to both apply for and receive funding to address inequities.

For the Community Foundation, equitable grantmaking means unlocking the potential for those who have had less access to the resources needed to thrive. It means strengthening relationships with community partners who have their finger on the pulse of resident needs. Orleans County has dedicated nonprofits, kind neighbors, and deep roots, but faces a childhood poverty level of 20 percent.

“The Community Foundation service area covers eight counties in our region, not just Monroe,” says Senior Program Officer Sara Bukowiec. “This dedicated funding was part of an intentional shift in our approach to make our grantmaking opportunities more inclusive of rural counties.”

The Foundation historically received few applications from counties like Orleans, but suspected this underrepresented the community’s need for resources and support. In response, the Foundation set aside money and spread the word to nonprofits, community leaders, and chambers of commerce across Genesee, Livingston, and Orleans counties that at least $50,000 in grants would be available for each county. A two-part application process made it easier for nonprofits to apply and for the Foundation to spot opportunities for collaboration and to combine funding from multiple sources.

Twenty-two letters of intent seeking a total of $462,077 were received from nonprofits serving Orleans County, which clearly outlined the need for investment. The uptick in applications and diverse sources of funding identified to satisfy 11 of these requests bolstered the Foundation’s new regional approach.

Community Foundation funding for this grantmaking initiative came from its Community Impact Fund, which pools contributions from more than 100 permanent funds established specifically to support changing community needs, along with dollars from the Greater Rochester Women’s Fund, The Sarah Collins Fund, Fox-Knoeferl Family Fund, VJ Stanley Sr. Fund, Robert C. and Jane K. Stevens Legacy Fund, and Edward R. Lane Fund.

Grants supporting Orleans County include:

• Alianza Agrícola Inc. * : Provides transportation for immigrant farmworker families to various events and activities to increase participation and engagement across a five-county service area. $50,000
• Arc GLOW * : Provides transportation for an estimated 40 children, with and without disabilities, to Camp Rainbow in Lyndonville for a five-week summer camp where kids can grow emotionally and physically through inclusive outdoor experiences. $19,700
• Cancer Support Community Rochester * : The “Mapping My Journey in Rural Communities” outreach program will provide cancer screening and support services to underserved groups in Orleans, Livingston, and Genesee counties. $5,000
• First Presbyterian Church Albion: To provide free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and high school equivalency exam preparation to serve the Spanish-speaking migrant agricultural worker community. $3,500
• Genesee Country Village & Museum *: The Rural School Admission Support program provides subsidized, reduced-rate, and/or fully-funded in-person educational opportunities to schools with financial need. $7,500
• Hands 4 Hope Street Ministry: This Albion-based program helps maintain personal hygiene and dignity by providing laundry products to all clients, many of whom are burdened by the costs associated with public laundromats. $2,560
• Orleans County Adult Learning Services: Supports advertising and outreach materials to increase community awareness of its free adult and childhood literacy tutoring services. $3,000
• P.Raising Kids Child Care Center: To purchase outdoor storage in order to free up space for play and learning inside this center in Medina where kids of any economic situation can grow and flourish. $4,600
• PathStone Foundation: Addresses critical building improvements to the domestic violence shelter, built around 1900, that supports Orleans and other nearby counties. Work will include painting, plumbing, and security measures in order to continue providing a safe and supportive environment for survivors. $20,500
• United Way of Orleans County: To commission a Housing Action Strategy in coordination with key stakeholders, with the goal of increasing the availability of affordable housing over three years and focusing on low-to-moderate income residents. $10,000
• Visually Impaired Advancement * : Supports a part-time outreach staff position to provide 2-1-1 navigational services and outreach in Orleans and Genesee counties. $20,000

* Grants that also support Livingston County and/or Genesee County.

Orleans among 7 counties suing after change from 1 county, 1 vote that defined WROTB’s first 50 years

ALBION – A State Supreme Court judge ruled today that a lawsuit can proceed that challenges a new weighted voting system for the 15 counties and cities of Rochester and Buffalo which make up the ownership of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.

The first 50 years of WROTB, each entity had the same vote or 1 vote for each municipality, regardless of the population.

But the state budget approved about a year ago included legislation that implemented a new weighted voting system. It gives 99 votes total, with more populous municipalities getting more votes. Erie County gets the most with 24 votes while the four smallest counties: Orleans, Wyoming, Seneca and Schuyler get 1 each.

Here is the breakdown of votes per municipality:

• Erie County: 24
• Monroe County: 20
• City of Buffalo: 10
• City of Rochester and Niagara: 8
• Chautauqua: 5
• Oswego: 4
• Steuben, Wayne, Cattaraugus, Cayuga: 3
• Livingston and Genesee: 2
• Wyoming, Orleans, Seneca, Schuyler: 1

Six of the counties filed a lawsuit against Gov. Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, the State Senate and State Assembly.

The counties in the lawsuit are all Republican-led and include Orleans, Genesee, Niagara, Livingston, Wyoming and Seneca. Oswego also was added to the lawsuit today.

The lawsuit was filed in September in Orleans County, and that’s where a motion of dismiss the case was heard today by Judge Frank Caruso.

Joe Terragnoli, representing the Attorney General’s Office, appeared in court today with Dennis Vacco representing the seven counties.

Vacco said the case is a very important challenge, showing smaller rural counties standing up to a “power grab” imposed by the state.

“I’m a little emotional about it because I think they receive these types of shenanigans from Albany all the time,” Vacco, a former state attorney general, told the judge in court this afternoon.

The municipalities in WROTB fronted the money to start WROTB in 1973, which has returned about $245 million in profits to the municipalities. Terragnoli said the initial funding to start WROTB has been paid back – many times – to the counties.

“It’s been a very lucrative deal,” he said. “They gave loans and they were paid in full.”

That contribution never guaranteed an equal vote for perpetuity. The money didn’t purchase voting rights, Terragnoli said.

The state has the right to restructure the board with a weighted vote, he said.

Vacco said the smaller counties never would have put up the money if they had such a small voice at the board table.

He said the change could harm the smaller counties economically, especially if the four members with the most votes – Erie, Monroe, Rochester and Buffalo – get together and make a decision that could hurt the payouts to the other counties. Vacco said the four larger municipalities could go on a hiring spree, approve a capital project the others oppose, or even sell Batavia Downs.

The racetrack in Batavia has 912 video gaming machines that generate about $7 million in profits each month. WROTB also has nine OTB branches and 24 EZ Bet locations.

Vacco also said the legislation approved in May 2023 specifically targeted WROTB and not the other regional OTBs in the state – Capital OTB, Catskill OTB, Nassau OTB and Suffolk OTB.

Terragnoli acknowledged the legislation, pushed by State Sen. Tim Kennedy of South Buffalo, was partly in response to allegations of mismanagement by WROTB. The organization was faulted in an audit by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who said the organization’s leadership did not properly account for $120,000 worth of sports and event tickets purchased by the company. Kennedy and others have characterized the accounting error as “corruption.”

WROTB has said there are tighter controls now for how those tickets are distributed.

The state comptroller and state attorney general also have challenged WROTB for providing fully paid health insurance coverage to some part-time board members. The organization has put an end to health benefits for new board appointees.

Terragnoli said the WROTB board didn’t do enough to self correct, which prompted the legislation with the weighted voting for the board. That legislation also removed all the board members at the time with the 15 counties and two cities to appoint either the same representatives or new ones. (Orleans County opted to reappoint Ed Morgan to the role.)

Terragnoli said the counties that have sued the state over the changes with the board at WROTB are now claiming they could be hurt financially.

“Where was the concern when the comptroller’s report came out?” he said in court about the misused tickets and perks intended for Batavia Downs customers.

Vacco also said the legislation championed by State Sen. Tim Kennedy twice failed to get through the Legislature on its own merits. It only passed when it was lumped into the state budget vote in an act of “subterfuge.”

The legislation would needed a two-thirds majority vote if it had been a standalone bill, Vacco said. It didn’t get the two-thirds threshold as part of the state budget, which is another reason the weighted-voting change should be negated, he said.

Vacco said the counties will wait for the state to file its response to today’s ruling. There also could be an evidentiary hearing in one of the next steps with the case.

Press Release, Albion Police Department

Cooper W. Karas

ALBION – The Albion Police Department is asking for your help with locating Cooper W. Karas, age 21.

Cooper was last seen on Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the Village of Albion where he dropped his dog off to his grandparents for them to care for it.

Cooper has a mental health history and is believed he may harm himself.  Cooper was reported missing from Greece, NY on March 25.

He may possibly be in Orleans County, Genesee County or Monroe County area.

He was last seen wearing black sweatpants, black Northface jacket and bright green crocs.

Cooper is known to be operating a Grey 2013 Volkswagen Jetta with NY Registration KEC4445.

If you have any information regarding Cooper’s location or safety, please call Orleans County Dispatch at 585-589-5527, the Albion Police Department at 585-589-5627 or Greece Police Department at 585-581-4033.

UPDATE at 7:58 a.m. on March 28: Shirley Nigro, Cooper’s grandmother, said he was seen in the Dennis, Massachusetts area on Wednesday at about 9 a.m.

‘It’s not a matter of if people will come. It’s how many.’

This slide was part of a presentation from Justin Niederhofer, the Orleans County Emergency Management director.

ALBION – A once-in-a-century phenomenon on April 8, a total eclipse, could bring huge crowds to Orleans County, congesting roads and overwhelming local emergency response resources.

Or, it may be much ado about nothing.

Local officials are planning for a busy day in the county and trying to have personnel in place to respond to multiple emergencies.

“Who knows what this could be?” Sheriff Chris Bourke said during Tuesday evening’s meeting of the Orleans County Association of Municipalities. “It could be a big nothing.”

Photos by Tom Rivers: Sheriff Chris Bourke said the Sheriff’s oOffice will have 15 patrol cars in service during the eclipse as well as its marine patrol.

The Sheriff’s Office will double patrols on Friday, April 5, and will continue that extra presence until after the eclipse on Monday, April 8. Albion, Holley and Medina police also will have more officers working during the eclipse.

Bourke said there will be increased traffic volume that day, but just how many is unknown. If the forecast shows clear skies on April 8, Bourke said the county will definitely feel an impact from many visitors and “eclipse chasers.”

There are many eclipse activities planned in Orleans County leading up to April 8 and also during the historic day. The last total eclipse in Orleans County was in 1925.

But Bourke said there are major events planned in Niagara and Monroe counties, and Orleans will see a lot of traffic as people head to and leave those events.

Justin Neiderhofer, the county’s emergency management director, said the buzz leading uo to the eclipse reminds many of Y2K, when many people predicted chaos with computer systems when the year changed from 1999 to 2000. That proved to be a lot of fear over not much impact, he said.

“I know this feels like Y2K,” he told county legislators during their meeting on Tuesday. “We’re preparing for the worst.”

Orleans is in the path of totality for the eclipse, beginning around 3:20 p.m. Part of south Orleans in Barre and Clarendon is on the center line with maximum duration of the eclipse, about four minutes.

“It’s not a matter of if people will come,” Niederhofer said. “It’s how many.”

The 911 communications center will be fully staffed with three dispatchers for the day and afternoon shifts from Friday through Monday.

Cell phones could be unreliable on April 8 because the network may exceed capacity, Niederhofer said.

Justin Neiderhofer discusses the preparation of local law enforcement and first responders for the upcoming eclipse on April 8, which is expected to bring many visitors to the county.

Medina Fire Department will have all four of its ambulances in service. The County Legislature approved spending up to $12,000 to have two other ambulances in service for Orleans County that day. Those ambulances will be assigned by the state Department of Health Bureau of Emergency Services.

There are events tied to the eclipse planned at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds, Cobblestone Museum, Kendall Fire Department, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, Hurd Orchards, Oak Orchard Canoe and Kayak and skydiving at Pine Hill Airport. There are still camping opportunities with sites still available at Big Guys in Holley and the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville.

Neiderhofer said other communities in the United States where there has been a total eclipse experienced traffic congestion for 12 hours after the eclipse, when there is a mass exit from the visitors to leave.

“It’s hard to plan for something when you don’t know what will happen,” Niederhofer said.

But he noted the local law enforcement, EMS and other first responders are ready if needed.

“Don’t expect the normal traffic in the afternoon,” said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer. “It may be difficult to traverse.”

The County Legislature in August approved spending $9,045 from its contingency fund to buy 25,000 eclipse glasses with the Orleans County tourism logo. Those glasses are available at local libraries and the Kendall Town Hall. The glasses are Orleans County-branded that are ISO certified and are safe for direct solar viewing of the eclipse.

ALBION – An Albion man pleaded guilty to five crimes today in Orleans County Court and faces a maximum of five years in prison, plus five years of post-release supervision when he is sentenced on May 29.

Alexander Gelo

Alexander C. Gelo, 32, was wanted on a warrant when he charged following a traffic stop on Feb. 28, 2023 on Ridge Road in the Town of Gaines. The warrant stemmed from an incident that occurred on Feb. 14, 2023 when Gelo allegedly made threats to physically harm a witness in a criminal proceeding against Gelo.

Today in court Gelo pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, a charge that carries 3 ½ to 15 years in prison. Gelo admitted in court today to having a loaded 9 mm handgun.

He also pleaded guilty to the following charges:

• Menacing in the second degree for displaying a semiautomatic handgun to a person on Sept. 19, 2022 with the intent to scare the person, causing a reasonable fear for safety.
• Criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree for having someone else’s Bank of America credit card on Sept. 21, 2022 with the intent of using to benefit himself.
• Aggravated harassment in the second degree for using Facebook messenger on Feb. 11, 2023 to send threatening messages to a woman.
• Assault in the third degree for hitting a woman in the head with a hammer on April 23, 2023.

Gelo will be held in the Orleans County Jail without bail until sentencing.

In another case in county court today, Garrett Strickland, 31, was sentenced to six months in the county jail for violating his probation.

Strickland, 31, of Medina admitted he didn’t notify probation of a change in his address to Holley, missed several probation appointments and consumed alcohol. He was on probation for bail jumping in Genesee County.

Press Release, First Presbyterian Church of Holley

Philip Benier

HOLLEY – The First Presbyterian Church of Holley is pleased to announce they have called Rev. S. Philip Benier to serve as our pastor beginning April 7.

Rev. Benier has led numerous worship services at the church during the past year and a half as a Pulpit Supply from the Presbytery of Genesee Valley so he is not “new” to Holley.  Rev. Benier is a graduate of Brite Divinity School, Ft. Worth, Texas and worked as the assistant to the Director of the Presbyterian Night Shelter, handling all grant information as well as filing and providing presentations on homelessness in that Texas community.

He served a congregation in Toledo, Ohio prior to coming to the Rochester area where he was associated with Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church in Brighton. His previous background is in banking for 17 years and then he worked in healthcare, assisting individuals with special needs to provide them with the best of care.

The Holley church looks forward to our partnership with Rev. S. Philip Benier and invite everyone to join us on any Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m.  We’re the brick church at the traffic light.  The address is 34 E. Albion Street, Holley.

Come get to know us as we strive to achieve our mission statement: “We are a God-loving, deeply rooted, compassionate, inclusive, charitable church, a symbol of hope, growing in service to our Holley community and beyond.”

Provided photo: State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt speaks during a news conference in Albany, highlighting a housing legislative package.

Press Release, State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt

ALBANY – Senate Republican Leader Robert Ortt and members of the Senate Republican Conference on Tuesday unveiled a comprehensive package of legislation designed to incentivize home ownership, improve access to affordable housing options in communities and help protect homeowners against “squatters.”

The package includes tax credits and incentives, removes regulatory burdens, and incentivizes new construction, as well as continued investment and improvements in existing housing stock.

In addition, it will directly address the recent increase in outrageous cases of “squatters” who inhabit a home without permission from the law-abiding, taxpaying property owners who actually own the home.

“Housing affordability is one of the biggest issues facing our state,” Ortt said. “Our conference has a plan to revitalize our existing housing stock by removing blight from our communities and replacing it with good quality housing units, to work with local communities on what housing strategies are best for them, to expand and create incentives for development, and to establish means-testing for rent-regulated housing to ensure that affordable housing units are occupied by those who truly need them.”

Included in the package unveiled today are proposals that would:

• Create a first-time homebuyer tax credit to give new homeowners an income tax credit based on their local property taxes, making the American dream more affordable for New Yorkers (S.8826, Helming);
• Create a home renovation tax exemption to provide five years of property tax relief to homeowners who invest in their property. This will incentivize the revitalization of our existing housing stock, bringing abandoned and dilapidated homes back to life and expanding the housing stock of the future (S.8838, Helming);
• Establish a housing infrastructure tax credit to provide a credit of up to ten percent of costs for infrastructure projects related to the construction of new homes or multiple dwellings (S.8578, Helming);
• Establish a tax credit of up to $2,000 to incentivize the installation of manufactured homes and the expansion of manufactured home communities to provide more affordable housing opportunities (S.8458, Helming);
• Provide means-testing for rent-regulated housing to ensure that affordable housing units are occupied by those who need them (S.8887, Martins);
• Create a Local Housing Task Force to bring together local government officials, state agencies, and stakeholders to develop best practices to incentivize housing development and address state regulation that prevents development (S.8896, Martins);
• Extend the successful 421-a tax incentive for developers (S.7560, Palumbo);
• Establish the crime of squatting as criminal trespass in the third degree (S.5979, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick); and
• Expedite the method where a property owner may evict a squatter from residential property (S.8867, Mattera).

Press Release, Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

BASOM – To celebrate spring and the return of migratory birds, the Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge kicks off the season this Saturday with its annual Eagle Watch.

Visitors are able to stop by the refuge’s Cayuga Overlook on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to see and learn about bald eagles from the volunteers of the Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. The Cayuga Overlook is located on Lewiston Road in the Town of Alabama, and offers excellent viewing of resident bald eagles flying near their nest.

The spot is a haven for wildlife photographers. Herons, geese, swans, birds of prey, and many varieties of ducks can also be seen at this location, which offers parking. Cayuga Overlook is open from dawn to dusk daily.

A free program on bluebirds is also offered Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon at the refuge’s visitors’ center at 1101 Casey Rd., Basom. Carl Zenger, who maintains the bluebird, purple martin, and kestrel nesting colonies at the refuge, will share his knowledge from years of bluebird data collection.

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge includes 10,283 acres of federally protected lands at the intersection of Niagara, Genesee and Orleans counties. In 1973, the Oak Orchard Creek Marsh section was designated a National Natural Landmark.

The refuge is also a National Audubon Society Important Bird Area that supports approximately 266 species of birds, 42 species of mammals, plus reptiles, fish, amphibians, and insects. The refuge includes forests, grasslands, walking trails, a visitors’ center, exhibits, and a nature store, visited by 50,000 – 75,000 people each year.

For more information, go to finwr.org or call the refuge visitors’ center at 585-948-5445. The visitors’ center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Walk will be Sept. 7, starting at State Street Park in Medina

Provided photo: Medina Mayor Mike Sidari joins Nicole Tuohey and her mother Mary Lou Tuohey in cutting symbolic elephant links to start the Orleans County Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sept. 9, 2023 at State Street Park in Medina. Nicole sold the elephant links for $1 and she raised about $2,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association Western New York Chapter.

Press Release, WNY Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association

MEDINA – The Western New York Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association is excited to announce that Pam Canham and Mary Lou Tuohey will serve as co-chairs of the 2024 Orleans County Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Canham is retired from the Orleans County Office for the Aging and Tuohey owns Case-Nic Cookies in Medina.

“I learned both professionally and personally, Alzheimer’s disease affects us all,” Canham said. “I’ve had many family members with dementia and it definitely makes caring for them even harder. My goal is to help eradicate this disease so my children do not have to become the caregiver of someone with dementia.”

“I am excited to once again participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. I walk in honor, memory and support of my mom, dad and two aunts who all passed from Alzheimer’s,” Tuohey said. “Remember those who forget to remember…”

The Orleans County Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7, at State Street Park in Medina.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research programs. The Alzheimer’s Association provides 24/7 care and support to those living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, and accelerating critical research to combat this devastating disease.

According to the latest Alzheimer’s Association Facts and Figures report, nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends provide unpaid care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In New York State alone, there are more than 426,000 people living with the disease, along with 543,000 caregivers.

To register and receive the latest updates on this year’s Orleans County Walk to End Alzheimer’s, visit: alz.org/WNYWalk.

Andrea Newman selling posters of painting as fundraiser for Holley festivals

HOLLEY – Andrea Newman, an artist from Holley, created a painting celebrating the upcoming solar eclipse. Holley is in the path of totality and very close to the center line of the eclipse. (The center line will pass over neighboring Brockport.)

Andrea Newman

Newman’s acrylic painting on canvas shows Holley’s lift bridge over a shallow Erie Canal. At about 3:20 p.m. on April 8, Holley will be in darkness as the sun is blocked by the moon. Totality will last for almost four minutes.

It is a rare event. Orleans County was last in a total eclipse in 1925.

“I’m excited,” Newman said today. “It’s going to be a great day.”

Newman was asked by Holley Mayor Mark Bower to create a painting commemorating the eclipse. Bower saw an eclipse poster featuring the Erie Canal with many of the canal towns listed on the border of the poster. He was disappointed Holley wasn’t included.

He reached out to Newman, a former Holley Board of Education member who works as an artist. She also is an adjunct communications professor at SUNY Brockport.

She is happy to help the Holley community celebrate the eclipse. She is selling posters of the painting as well as digital downloads through her Etsy site (click here). Proceeds will be donated to the village to go towards community festivals.

Newman experimented for a few days on creating a silhouette for the painting. She settled on the lift bridge for the scene in Holley, because she said the lift bridge is such an iconic landmark.

“It’s going to be a monumental day,” she said about April 8. “It’s so cool it’s coming right this way.”

MEDINA – Orleans Community Health is proud to announce an unprecedented achievement in patient satisfaction with the release of its fourth quarter 2023 survey results.

Garnering responses from 49 patients, the survey achieved an exceptional overall score of 4.98 out of 5, surpassing the previous high of 4.84. This milestone comes during a year when Orleans Community Health received more than 300 surveys, according to Scott Robinson, director of marketing at Orleans Community Health.

The fourth-quarter survey, designed to gauge patient satisfaction across various facets of care and service delivery, reflects the collective efforts of the Orleans Community Health team, Robinson said. Patients overwhelmingly praised the care and services they were being provided.

“This survey was designed with a focus on providing the best care to patients,” Robinson added. “These results are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who consistently strive to deliver the highest standard of care to our patients.”

Kim Gray, chief nursing officer at Orleans Community Health, said surpassing their previously high score is a testament to their continuous efforts to improve and enhance the patient experience.

“We are immensely proud of our team’s dedication to providing compassionate, high-quality care to every patient who walks through our doors,” Gray said.

Robinson added that Orleans Community Health remains dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous improvements, leveraging patient feedback to drive positive change and innovation in healthcare delivery. The organization looks forward to building upon it success and further elevating the patient experience in the coming months.

By Dr. Robert Ford, Chief of Optometry, Oak Orchard Health

As you may know by now, a rare total solar eclipse will happen Monday, April 8, 2024, and the Western New York region is one of the best places to experience it. Our region is in the path of totality—a narrow band of area across Earth where the moon briefly covers all but a thin disk of sunlight around its edges. The excitement begins at 2:07 p.m., when the moon begins to cover the sun, at 3:20 p.m., the total eclipse will begin and last for about 3 minutes. It is a spectacular moment to witness as day turns into night in a matter of seconds and the stars begin to shine.

The dark side of looking at the sun

The only safe way to view the event is with special solar viewing glasses. They are made with filters that block Ultraviolet—or UV—light. And it is best to plan to wear special viewing glasses for the entire event rather than risk any exposure.

UV sunlight can burn your eyes’ retinas in less than a minute or two. Even a partially concealed sun is unsafe to view with the naked eye. Even though daylight will begin to dim, the ultraviolet rays will still be just as strong. The same is true when it is cloudy or you’re wearing sunglasses or looking through your home’s or vehicle’s windows.

Oak Orchard Health has safety glasses for viewing

Oak Orchard Health will be giving away ISO Certified eclipse viewing glasses to their current patients in our offices starting April 2. They are appropriate for adults and children. Limited supply is available and there is no cost.

You can also find places to purchase special eclipse viewing glasses by Googling The American Astronomical Society, a trusted organization, or see if your local library has them available, as the organization StarNet Libraries has distributed millions of the special viewing glasses to libraries around the U.S.

Precautions about other devices

If you are taking photos with your phone or camera, you still need to wear your viewing glasses. But there are certain devices that are unsafe to view the eclipse through even if you are wearing your viewing glasses: telescopes and binoculars. This is because such devices use magnifying lenses that will ruin the protective structure of the viewing glasses and damage your eyes anyway.

Watching out for kids

As for young children, remember to protect their eyes as well as your own. Providing them with viewing glasses can still be risky unless you control every second of your children’s behavior. So, the safest way for children to view an eclipse is indoors, on a television or computer screen, to be sure their eyes are never exposed to harmful rays. If your children are a bit older—teenagers—and want to experience the eclipse outdoors, just make sure they know to wear those special viewing glasses even as daylight dims. They may think, like other folks, that it is safe to look directly when it is not.

What to do about accidental exposure

After the eclipse, if you or a loved one have accidentally viewed direct sunlight and notice blurred or distorted vision, a change in the way you see colors, a blind spot, or a headache—usually within a few hours or the next day—make an appointment with an eye doctor right away. We have openings at our Brockport office. Just call (585) 637-3905 extension 3.

Sometimes, the symptoms of sun damage will go away after a few weeks or months. Sometimes, that damage is permanent.

For more on eclipse viewing safety, visit aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/solar-eclipse-eye-safety

Oak Orchard Health has a comprehensive Eye Department that includes two experienced Optometrists and a full suite of eyewear including contact lenses.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Mike Sidari enjoys some punch during a brief reception at Monday’s Village Board meeting, his last time presiding over the Village Board meeting as mayor. He is chatting with Gabrielle Barone, center, and Debbie Padoleski.

Barone is vice president for business development for the Orleans Economic Development Agency. She said she frequently reached out to Sidari about possible business projects in Medina. Padoleski is retired as Medina’s village clerk/treasurer. She was elected trustee last week and starts April 1 on the Village Board.

Sidari has been Medina mayor the past eight years, and was a trustee for two years before that. Sidari opted not to seek re-election last week. Marguerite Sherman, the current deputy mayor, starts her term on April 1. There will be a 5 p.m. swearing-in that day for Sherman and the new trustees, Mark Prawel and Padoleski.

There will be an open house on Thursday from 1 to 4 p.m. for people to stop by and see Sidari at the village clerk’s office at 119 Park Ave.

Mike Sidari, center, reads a statement near the end of the Village Board meeting on Monday at the senior center. From left include trustees Jess Marciano, Marguerite Sherman, Tim Elliott and Diana Baker.

Sidari has been mayor during a time of several major business projects in Medina, as well as several community initiatives including a new dog park, skate park, an upgraded Pine Street Park with a splash pad, and much improved Boxwood Cemetery.

Sidari also helped Medina with the successful application for a $4.5 NY Forward grant from the state for downtown and waterfront projects. The state is expected to soon announce how that grant will be spent in the community.

The mayor said people have often remarked about Medina’s success during his tenure as mayor, with many telling him he was doing a great job. He was quick to respond it’s been a team effort in Medina.

“The one thing I can lay claim to is surrounding myself with some of the best trustees, department heads, workforce, committee members and business owners that a mayor can ask for,” he said, reading from his statement. “There are too many people that have contributed to the village, I can only say a general sincere heart felt public thank you to all of you. Your efforts and forward thinking made my job easier to navigate.”

The trustees may have disagreed, but Sidari said all were focused on reaching a resolution that was best for the village.

“I can honestly say all of them had the best interest in this place we call home,” he said. “It has been said that a political is in this for himself, a public servant is in this for the people. All of us have been public servants for the people of Medina.”

He encouraged residents to become active in the village.

“There are many opportunities to volunteer,” Sidari said. “If someone is thinking about throwing their hat in for a board position, get involved in a committee or two, come to board meetings and learn how things get done.”

Sidari said he made a promise to himself when he was elected mayor eight years was to do his best for the village “and try not to get too many people made at me. I hope in the eyes of the community I kept that promise.”

Sidari said he is available to help the new board during the transition to a new administration.

“Remember, it’s a must that all of you work together.”

He thanked his wife Brenda to putting up with all the meetings, phone calls and emails day and night.

The Village Board members and the crowd at the meeting stand and applaud Mike Sidari near the end of Monday’s Village Board meeting.

He was praised by department heads for his leadership while they managed their departments with planning projects, handling personnel issues and adhering to budgets.

Code Enforcement Officer Dan Gardner, Police Chief Todd Draper, Fire Chief Matt Jackson, DPW Superintendent Jason Watts and Village Clerk/Treasurer Jada Burgess all commended Sidari for his work as mayor.

They also praised Tim Elliott for his eight years of service as a village trustee. He lost a close election last week.

Jada Burgess said she witnessed Sidari’s dedication to the village, and praised him for “serving with integrity, knowledge and always being available to the taxpayers.”

The mayor worked with volunteers to implement improvements to the parks, including a skate park, new basketball court, a splash pad and now the early stages of an inclusive playground at Skate Street Park.

“His motto hasn’t ever been ‘I did this,’” Burgess said. “It has been, ‘We did this,’ knowing that the members of this community are what continues to move Medina forward in a  positive direction.”

Burgess thanked Sidari for helping her grow in her position as clerk-treasurer for the village.

She also praised Trustee Elliott for his service on the board.

“His insight has been refreshing, often bringing an out-of-the-box thinking which is beneficial to the board,” Burgess said about Elliott.