By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 October 2023 at 11:37 am
Children walked with mules pulling boats in canal’s boom days
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Graham Kirby, 10, of Albion served as a hoggee on Saturday in a boat captained by Veronica Morgan of Albion.
Morgan put together a program, “I was a hoggee on the Erie Canal.” She wanted to spotlight the role of hoggees, who were children who walked with mules that pulled boats on the canal.
The Orleans County Historical Association assisted Morgan with the event that included activities at the Gaines Basin cobblestone schoolhouse as well as the boat rides from the canal, going from near the Gaines Basin Road bridge to near the lift bridge in Eagle Harbor.
Graham Kirby looks to the boat captain to see if he is needed for any task. The hoggees would get the captain food and be sent for other chores on the boat when they weren’t outside walking with mules.
Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County historian, was in the canal boat and shared stories and history of the canal in Gaines and Eagle Harbor during the 40-minute boat ride. Lattin is also Graham Kirby’s grandfather.
Lattin said Eagle Harbor is largely a “ghost town” now compared to the 1800s and early 1900s when it had its own grocery store, and other merchants who were coopers and blacksmiths.
Eagle Harbor also had the third golf course in the United States, a 6-hole course north of the canal that operated from 1898 to about 1940.
Lattin shared how Gaines has the northernmost point of the canal, endured a big flood in 1927 when there was a breach on the waterway. The section also has a widewaters east of Eagle Harbor where boats could turn around. The widewaters was especially needed in the early days of the canal when it was only 40 feet wide and difficult for boats to change directions.
Arthur Barnes does a pen and ink drawing of the a log cabin behind the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse on Saturday.
The schoolhouse was open for people to relax and tour on Saturday. The school was built in 1832 and is among the oldest cobblestone structures in the region.
It served as a school until 1942. Bill Lattin said there used to be 144 schools in the county. After decentralization, the number of school districts dropped to five.
Veronica Morgan captains the boat. She steered it about 65 miles from Macedon for the event on Saturday.
She wants to offer the hoggee program again in 2025, on the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal and also Orleans County.
Morgan works as a lift bridge operator in Brockport.
The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council supported the hoggee program on Saturday, covering the cost for the boat rides and other entertainers.
The boat approaches the lift bridge in Eagle Harbor. The boat rides on Saturday were for about 40 minutes, from Gaines Basin to Eagle Harbor and then back.
Graham Kirby sounds a horn, which hoggees did to let the lift bridge operator know a boat was approaching. The horn is in the schoolhouse’s collection of artifacts.
Good morning! Grab your favorite cup. Fill it up. And let’s start this week right… TOGETHER!!!
With those words I started filming my first “Refill with Randy” video back in October 2019. Now, 4 years, 80 videos, 100s of blog posts, and over 2,000 cups of coffee later I thought I would look back and share a little about my “Refill with Randy” journey and why I still believe that having a conversation with someone over a cup of coffee is much more conducive to creating a culture of true connection and understanding than debating topics over social media. Trust me, I know from experience.
So, back in July 2019, I took a leap of faith and stepped out of my position as Lead Pastor of the Albion Free Methodist Church to start the non-profit Go Scatter Ministries. The problem was that I wasn’t quite sure what that would entail or even how I would make a living. All I knew for sure was that I felt God leading me to expand my territory while at the same time remaining in the community I had grown to live and care about since moving here in 2004. Over the past four years I have been blessed with the opportunity to connect with many folks from around Orleans County through my various roles as evangelist, preacher, teacher, Chaplain, Bereavement Coordinator, etc. but also by simply drinking coffee and engaging in conversation with others… often strangers… at least at first.
It was this idea that inspired me to start recording “Refill with Randy” with the premise that I would talk about a topic or interview a person or organization that I found inspirational all while enjoying a cup of coffee along with the viewer. I initially launched the videos in November 2019 with one being posted each weekday morning on Facebook and, for the few non-FB users, YouTube. After a few weeks I realized how much work it was to record, edit, produce, and post the videos and changed the frequency to once a week on Wednesday mornings. Even then I looked at the views and likes and thought it was a lot of effort with little reward until, that is, I started receiving analytics from Facebook.
The stats showed that in the first month the videos had been shared over 14,000 times in 32 countries. I wondered if this was a mistake until I started receiving calls and messages from pastors in other countries that led the way to me producing ministry training videos that were translated into Swahili and other local dialects to be used in Kenya in addition to being invited to speak at conferences over Zoom in Africa and India. Imagine that, drinking coffee and talking about social and spiritual topics that I thought might appeal to those who already knew me in the vicinity led to reaching thousands in other countries that I did not know.
So somehow Refill had a global appeal, but I didn’t want to trade that for local connections so I simply started frequenting local coffee shops. I initially found a group of men and women, mostly retired, that frequented Tim Hortons most mornings. The great thing about this group was that they talked a lot about everything from politics to religion, often from opposite sides of the fence, and yet they could still joke with one another and would make it back the next day to continue the conversation over a hot cup of dark roast. In 2020 I was interviewed on The Family Life Network and it was this experience that led me to share that more problems could be worked out in our world if there were more coffee shops and less 24-hour news networks.
The real gift for me was that I have made some great friends over the years that I still get together with to this day and that includes a special group of guys and girls from ARC. Jonathan Doherty was someone I got to know a while back when I was part of a Men’s Group that met at Dunkin Donuts. I invited him to join my group of friends and he eventually invited me to join his group of friends. Even though Jonathan is no longer with us his memory lives on as the ARC Self-Advocates continue to meet every 2nd Monday & Tuesday from 10:45-11:45am at Tim Hortons and you are all invited to join us!
So that’s my Refill journey in a nutshell. I came. I saw. I coffeed. Let’s grab a cup together sometime and chat.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2023 at 8:22 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Orleans County Courthouse dome is lighted up in purple this month in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.
There were 348 cases were reported to the Orleans County Domestic Violence Unit in 2022, and 222 cases were reported to the Orleans County Domestic Violence Unit from Jan. 1 to Sept. 15, 2023.
Provided photo: County Legislator Fred Miller on Tuesday presented a proclamation to Judianne Gearing, Domestic Violence Supervisor (left), and Kelley Ortiz, Domestic Violence Services Coordinator.
“Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behavior that may include physical, emotional, psychological, economic, or sexual abuse, perpetrated by an intimate partner over another, to establish and maintain power and control,” according to the proclamation from the county. “Domestic violence is the major cause of injury to women, resulting in more injuries to women then auto accidents, muggings and rapes combined.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2023 at 9:56 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion eighth-grade students in Kamie Feder’s art class completed a revamp of the canal mural on the north side of the Albion fire hall.
The students and their teacher finished the job on Thursday after several days of painting in 80-degree weather.
The mural was 25 years old and was originally painted by Corinne Toenniessen for her Girl Scout Gold Award in 1998. She received some design help from local artist Terri Wood.
The paint became faded over the years and was given a fresh coat in the same design. The new project added “Welcome to Albion” above the 36-foot-long painting.
Feder and the students added a cat on the boat in appreciation for a neighborhood cat that seemed to be watching their work this week.
The students and Mrs. Feder paid tribute to Toenniessen and Wood for the original mural.
The other lower corner notes the students stepped up to give the mural a facelift in 2023.
Toenniessen, now Corinne Upcraft, is a teacher at the Mexico Academy and school district, north of Syracuse. She posted this message today on the Orleans Hub Facebook page:
“I cannot begin to express how beautiful this turned out and how much it means to me that Albion teachers and students have worked on this project.
“It feels like a lifetime ago when I completed this project, and as a teacher now myself I love that current students are still learning about the history of our town and actively participating in that history.
“As a 17-year-old kid, I didn’t even think about whether that mural would still be there 25 years later, but I’m so glad it is and that it continues to be a beautiful welcome point for people coming in to my wonderful hometown.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 6 October 2023 at 10:40 pm
Event also honors those lost to cancer, and highlights local services for those fighting the disease
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Joyce Chizick of Lyndonville won this basket just brought to her by volunteer Cora Young at For Women Only. Chizick and her friend Christine Krisher have attended many For Women Only events together in past years.
LYNDONVILLE – A crowd filled White Birch Golf Course Thursday night for the first For Women Only event since Covid.
The purpose of the event, which has been a popular sell-out for many years, is to celebrate cancer survivors, honor those lost and support cancer services in Orleans County.
Joyce Chizick and Christine Krisher were two of the guests who love coming to the event. Friends since 1976 when Chizick designed a float for the bicentennial, they both know people who had cancer and want to support cancer services in Orleans County.
Twin sisters Darlene Rich and Charlene Pratt of Medina have rarely missed an event in recent years.
“We’ve been to every one except 2006, the year I was diagnosed with breast cancer,” Rich said. “We don’t miss Treasure Island either. We are so lucky to have a community hospital, and attending these events is a good way to support it.”
Lori Condo, assistant comptroller at Orleans Community Health, welcomed the crowd and introduced guest speakers.
The name and picture of Medina native Sherri Boyle was one of those shown on the screen during For Women Only. Boyle died in 2022 at the age of 61 from a rare breast cancer. Pictures also honored cancer survivors.
Kim Gray, chief nursing officer and director of surgical services, shared the pride she takes in her job at Medina Memorial Hospital, taking care of the people in the community she has known since she was a kid. A 20-year employee, she praised all the services offered at the hospital, including surgical, diagnostic testing, and, coming in the next few months, multiple therapies, including pulmonary function testing by the Respiratory Department.
“Orleans Community Health is a pillar of health and wellness in our community,” Gray said.
Lead technologist and technical director of echocardiology at the hospital, Rhonda Woody, is a 26-year employee of the hospital. She was recently honored by Buffalo Business First as one of their 25 “Excellence in Health Care” recipients.
Artist Carol Culhane, right, watches as Devon Heveron of Lyndonville writes her grandmother’s name on a leaf to place on the Tree of Life that Culhane designed. The framed tree will be hung in the hospital lobby.
“Our hospital is doing very well by leaps and bounds,” Woody said.
She praised the addition of cardiologist Dr. Harry McCrea and the fact that each and every department at Orleans Community Health is accredited. She added the hospital has the very best equipment available and can stand up to any hospital in the city. She urged everyone to bring their doctors’ scripts to Medina Memorial Hospital.
Danielle Figura, director of Orleans County Mental Health, added her support for women battling cancer. Her mother is a 23-year cancer survivor, she said.
“Every time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women,” Figura said. “Women don’t need to find their voice. They need to be empowered to use it.”
Maegan Suhr of Lyndonville told her story of her daughter being diagnosed with brain cancer when she was 4 months old. That was about seven years ago.
A special education teacher and mother of two, Suhr said there is so little done to raise awareness of childhood cancer.
“Last month was Childhood Cancer Month, and you saw nothing about it,” she said. “It’s not pretty to talk about. It’s an ugly and tragic disease. It changes you forever.”
When her daughter had been lethargic and not feeling well, Maegan and her husband Joe Suhr took her to the doctor, who said the tests and scans would not take long and they could be on their way.
“Five minutes later he rushed into the room and said, ‘Your daughter has a softball-size tumor on her brain.’ Hours later she was in surgery.”
Suhr recalls signing the consent form acknowledging that the treatment they would give her could also kill her. Six months later, there was another surgery, followed by five months of chemo.
“She spent the next few months in and out of the hospital,” Suhr said. “She went from 12-month-old sized clothes to six months.”
At the age of 14 months, Suhr said her daughter turned the corner. She had an amazing team of doctors, but she still faces multiple problems seven years later.
“Nothing in life prepared me for the last few years,” Suhr said. “You never expect to hear your child has cancer. My hope is I can spread awareness and our collective resources can make the government give more than four percent to research of childhood cancer.”
(Left) Medina native Mercedes Wilson, cancer survivor and TV host, made a return appearance as keynote speaker at For Women Only on Thursday night. (Right) Lori Condo, assistant comptroller at Orleans Community Health, welcomes guests to the first For Women Only since Covid at White Birch Golf Course Thursday night.
She urged everyone to support cancer services, lend a hand to families dealing with it and donate.
Mercedes Wilson is a return speaker to For Women Only, having been the keynote speaker at the last event in 2019. A breast cancer survivor, author, entrepreneur and host of 7Life with WKBW Channel 7, she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer when she was just 28 years old.
“That changed everything,” she said. “I was newly divorced with two children.”
She faced eight rounds of chemo, during which she lost her hair, her hands and feet turned black – and everything hurt, she said.
She had her first of three surgeries on Dec. 20, 2011.
During the experience, Wilson said she learned life is lived in relationships.
“You have to love, shatter glass ceilings and connect,” she said. “Breast cancer showed me the definition of love. If you find a way to give back, that can be your act of love.”
Her glass ceiling came from a relationship with a co-host with whom they couldn’t agree on anything. But that worked it out and now are on friendly terms.
“That kind of relationship causes you to grow,” she said.
She said people are meant to connect. Positive relationships that add value to your life mean you have someone to laugh with.
“Hug someone tonight. Shake someone’s hand before you leave,” she urged.
Before the evening ended, a tribute was paid to Cindy Perry, who headed Community Partners and organized For Women Only for many years. She is out of town, but will be presented with a gift when she returns. She was also assisted by Nicole Helsdon, who was in attendance.
Other special features were honoring cancer survivors and remembering those lost by showing their name and picture on a giant screen, and a Tree of Life designed by local artist Carol Culhane. Attendees could write the name of a cancer patient on a leaf and stick it on the tree. The framed tree will be hung in the lobby of the hospital.
Maegan Suhr of Lyndonville shares about her daughter surviving brain cancer after being diagnosed seven years ago.
The evening also included hors ‘d oeuvres, a 50-50 drawing and basket raffle.
Vendors who participated were Orleans Community Health, Genesee and Orleans County Health Department, Hospice of Orleans, Orleans County Mental Health Department, GOWN Cancer Services Program, Barbara’s Wreaths and Things and Bomb Party (Techelle Stephens).
For Women Only was generously sponsored by Baxter Healthcare, Takeform, Nesbitt Fruit Farms, Plummer Orchards, Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Kristine Hydock, Partyka Farms and the ACT Program.
Special thanks is also owed to supporters Carol Culhane, Case-Nic Cookies, Lori Condo, Megan Johnson , Amanda Luckman, Erica Chutko, Jeannie Wodo, Scott Robinson, Eli Howard and everyone who donated baskets and raffle items.
Condo informed the women that the profits from the event would benefit cancer services programs at the hospital.
The trees are turning beautiful colors…and the leaves are falling onto everything! Before you just blow or rake those leaves into bags or to the street, STOP! There is an alternative that will improve the environment, save you money, beautify your yard, and save pollinators & other important creatures – LEAVE THE LEAVES!
According to US EPA reports we have 40 million acres of lawn in the United States making it the number one crop! The US EPA estimates that leaves and other yard debris make up 13% of our solid waste that goes to landfills. By keeping our leaves, we are reducing the solid waste in landfills and the methane they create. Think of it as recycling in place.
Now, leaving the leaves doesn’t mean you have to just leave them where they lay, though you could, but they may not be in the best location to provide all these benefits. The optimal action you can take is to rake your leaves into garden beds or other plantings as mulch up to about 6 inches deep.
Over time the leaf mulch breaks down into the perfect fertilizer. Also you can rake them into deeper circle-piles around established trees as mulch. The mulch helps to retain moisture and to reduce run-off from sudden rains.
If you have extra leaves from sidewalks or driveways, leaves can be composted in a bin or pile in a corner of your yard. A light layer of leaves can be left on grass where it will break down into fertilizer as well. All of which saves you money next year on buying mulch and fertilizers, plus it beautifies your yard – two for one!
There are exceptions, however. Black Walnut leaves and Pine Needles can inhibit desired plant growth and alter soil chemistry, so those are best kept out of your garden beds.
You may have mowed the leaves laying on the lawn in the past, which is another alternative, however leaves are a vital wildlife habitat providing food, shelter and nests for many species. Toads, turtles, birds, butterflies in their various stages, fireflies, and bumblebees are among them. Most butterflies and moths do not migrate like the Monarch, most of them live their entire life cycle in a yard!
By leaving a layer of leaves around trees, it creates a “soft landing” for insects that drop from the tree to the ground where they overwinter. Swallowtail butterflies and Luna moths use leaves to attach their cocoons.
Wooly bear caterpillars, which will become Isabella Tiger Moths next spring, overwinter best underneath a pile of leaves. Firefly larvae and Bumblebee queens overwinter a couple of inches under the surface of the soil and need the leaves as insulation to survive.
The larvae and insects that overwinter may even become food for baby birds next spring! If you have the space, a brush shelter with some fallen branches and a pile of leaves is a great space for insect eating animals like salamanders, toads, box turtles, and chipmunks to overwinter.
So when it’s time to rake your lawn, be a hero to wildlife and the environment by keeping leaves away from curbside pickup – Leave the Leaves!
For more information about Leaving the Leaves, check out National Wildlife Foundation, Xerces.org, and Cooperative Extension.
Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) are offering their final 2023 free drive-thru rabies vaccination clinics in October. Funding for the rabies clinics are provided by the New York State Department of Health.
The Genesee County Rabies Vaccination Clinic will be held on Thursday, Oct. 12, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 East Main Street, Batavia)
The Orleans County Rabies Vaccination Clinic will be held on Saturday, Oct. 21, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Orleans County Fairgrounds (12690 State Route 31, Albion)
Vaccinations are free for dogs, cats and ferrets. Animals must be at least 3 months old. Each animal must be leashed or crated and accompanied by an adult who can control the animal. Limit 4 pets per car.
“We encourage all Genesee and Orleans County residents to take advantage of our last rabies immunization clinics of 2023 and ensure their pets are protected against rabies,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for GO Health. “Rabies continues to be a serious public health concern in both Genesee and Orleans Counties and is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. Please leave wildlife alone and do not feed, touch, or adopt wild animals, stray dogs or cats.”
For more information on GO Health’s programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org. You can also contact your respective health department:
Melissa Kate Miller, left, and Kristin Brandt will be featured on Monday at Yates Community Library.
LYNDONVILLE – The Erie Canal Traveling Museum will be the first of two featured programs at Yates Community Library in downtown Lyndonville on Columbus Day, Monday. The program begins at 11 a.m.
Gathered over decades, fascinating tools and other artifacts used in everyday life in our area in the early-to-mid-1800s will be on display. Presenter Melissa Kate Miller will shed light on how they were used, and attendees can get a hands-on look at the artifacts.
“Different Perspectives On The Erie Canal,” presented by Kristin Brandt, will be the second feature of the day (also observed as Indigenous Peoples’ Day), starting at 1 p.m.
This program will explore the differences and disputes between the local Native Americans known as the Haudenosaunee, and New York Governor DeWitt Clinton at the time of Canal construction. Respect for nature and the plant life native to the Canal corridor will also be explored.
Both programs are encouraged for ages 8 and up, and are free of charge. This programming has been made possible by the generous support of Humanities New York and Arts for Learning WNY. The library will provide snacks and water for attendees, between the two programs. For more information, please call the library at (585) 765-9041.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 6 October 2023 at 9:14 am
Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) These sound bowls emit different frequencies when rubbed by a special mallet, as demonstrated by holistic healer Cassandra Boring. (Right) Cassandra Boring performs Reiki in her Sandstone Holistic Healing Center, which includes this bed with lighted crystals, used to relieve stress, anxiety and acute pain.
MEDINA – Cassandra Boring, one of the owners of Mystic Dragon’s Lair, a metaphysical New Age store at 339 Main St., has also recently opened a new business, Sandstone Holistic Healing Center.
Boring has wanted to help heal people her entire life, she said. She wanted to go to medical school, but with two kids (now three) and a full-time job, she couldn’t keep a high enough grade point average. She did, however, graduate from Brockport State College, earning degrees in biology and criminal justice with a minor in sociology and forensics, as well as a second dual in biology and sociology with a minor in chemistry.
Cassandra Boring holds a stack of her certifications in different forms of holistic healing. She sits next to a selenite stone from Morocco, used to cleanse negative energy from a space and change it into positive.
“When I started Mystic Dragon’s Lair, I realized there were other ways I could help people,” Boring said.
The store sells jewels, incense, crystals and jewelry.
Mystic Dragon’s Lair and Sandstone Holistic Healing Center are located in the building where her father, Scott Wengewicz, opened Patriot Guns last November. He is also the Shelby town supervisor.
When Boring decided to open a holistic healing center, she began studying various forms of healing and has been certified in a dozen different fields, including traditional and Shamanic Reiki, crystal light therapy, sound therapy and Rife ray therapy.
Boring explained that holistic healing is a supplemental way for people to enhance their healing when traditional medicine does not do enough for them.
“If I can find something natural to help me, I’d rather do that than take another medication,” she said.
Reiki is a Japanese energy healing method which claims to help cleanse and align the seven chakras of the body. Boring said the body has 122 energy points total and when they are all working properly, we feel good.
Crystal light bed uses a light bed that emits frequencies through vogue quartz crystals to aid in reducing stress, anxiety and acute pain. It targets the mind, body and spirit.
Often in sessions, Boring said she may see spirit animals or other spiritual signs that have connections to the client.
She said the crystal light bed helps align the chakras.
“They are like a gear system,” she said. “If one is out of line, they don’t work.”
She said the therapy was first used on veterans for PTSD and pain.
She also performs animal Reiki, which helps animals in times of stress or transition. Boring said animals can benefit from Reiki just as people can.
Lights of all colors are used for crystal light therapy, as shown here by Cassandra Boring.
Boring is particularly excited about the Rife machine. She explained it was founded in the 1930s by Royal Raymond Rife to help his patients with cancer. He did a study on 16 people, of which 14 had immediate results and the other two had positive results later with more treatment. It has been found to work on other illnesses as well.
Boring said everything has its own frequency, and by using a Rife machine, those frequencies can be used to target unhealthy cells, causing them to divide and explode.
She also has singing bowls and tongue drums for sound therapy.
Aromatherapy can be added during sessions to make people feel calm and relaxed, Boring said.
The healing center is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Walk-ins are welcome, but Boring advises making an appointment by calling (585) 318-4565.
She stresses that her healing methods aren’t intended to replace traditional treatments, but to offer a supplemental treatment that might help.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2023 at 10:11 pm
Photo by Claire Squicciarini
POINT BREEZE – The Oak Orchard Lighthouse Association paid tribute to a key leader in the organization this evening by lighting up the outside of the lighthouse at Point Breeze.
The group wanted to honor the late Dick Anderson. He passed away just over a year ago on Oct. 3, 2022.
He was president of the Lighthouse Association for several years, and was instrumental in raising funds for the lighthouse and keeping it accessible to the community.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2023 at 7:30 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jack Welch was officially appointed as the county’s chief administrative officer on March 25, 2020. He agreed to a five-year extension last week.
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has extended the contract with its chief administrative officer for another five years.
Jack Welch has served in the role as head of the county government since March 25, 2020. He was previously the county’s director of personnel and self-insurance since 2004.
Welch also serves as the county’s budget officer. The county budget for 2023 totals $93 million. There are about 440 county employees in more than 20 departments.
Lynne Johnson, the Legislature chairwoman, praised Welch for seeing the county government through the Covid-19 crisis and helping push through capital projects, in addition to the day-to-day demands of the position.
“The Legislature is thrilled with the job Jack has done,” Johnson said. “At the end of the day county government is about providing services to people while minimizing the burden on taxpayers. On that measurement, I think Orleans County would be at the top of the list of any best-run counties in New York. That’s how strongly we feel about Jack and his leadership.”
The current salary for the CAO is $127,040. The position is within the Management Compensation Plan that calls for 2 percent increases for 2024 and then in 2025.
The county faces many challenges “and things never get easier,” Johnson said. “But we have the right guy in Jack Welch to work with a Legislature to meet these challenges.”
Welch, a Holley resident, was praised by County Legislator Fred Miller for being “super organized and very timely.” Miller is the lone Democrat on the County Legislature.
Welch presents options for legislators to help the group make decisions.
“You can count on him,” Miller said. “He is very punctual with everything that has to be done at a certain time. He has strong organizational skills.”
Welch succeeded Chuck Nesbitt who was in the role for 14 ½ years. Miller said it is challenging to fill many positions in the workforce today, especially a top administrator. The contract extension with Welch maintains stability in a key position, county legislators said.
Welch, county legislators and department heads are in midst of the budget preparation for the 2024 county budget. The annual spending plan is typically adopted in late November or early December.
“I strive to make a positive influence in the municipal operations of Orleans County that balances the needs of our residents and the needs of our taxpayers and the needs of our employees,” Welch said. “All three stakeholders’ interests must be taken into consideration as we make adjustments to our operations. I hope and believe I am making a positive difference as we serve our residents on a day-to-day basis.”
Jack Welch speaks with Carlton residents on Tuesday during a meeting about garbage collection on narrow private lanes. About 125 people attended that meeting at the Rec Hall.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) joined Congressman Van Drew (NJ-2) in reintroducing the No IDs for Illegals Act.
This comes after reports that the Biden administration is planning to distribute identification cards to illegal immigrants, further incentivizing illegal immigration into our country.
Additional original cosponsors of the bill include Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL), Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS), Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX).
This legislation works to prohibit federal funds from being used for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Secure Docket Card Program. It also ensures that no federal funds may be used to establish, implement, or otherwise support the activities of the Secure Docket Card Program or any other similar program of the Department of Homeland Security.
“Voting is one of the most sacred rights and responsibilities we have as Americans and should be reserved for the legal citizens of our country,” Tenney said. “Cities like New York City have already allowed noncitizens to vote, and by granting illegal immigrants Secure Docket Cards, we are one step closer to allowing non-citizens to vote in our federal elections. The No IDs for Illegals Act works to ban federal funding from being used to support these cards that would give illegal immigrants access to the sacred rights of United States citizens.”
The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) are offering their final 2023 free drive-thru rabies vaccination clinics in October. Funding for the rabies clinics are provided by the New York State Department of Health.
