By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2023 at 4:41 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion Middle School students spent several hours during the school day on Tuesday and today giving the canal mural on the back of the fire hall a fresh look. Here they are shown nearing the end of the project at about 1 p.m. today.
The mural is 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.
Kamie Feder, an Albion art teacher, had eighth-grade enrichment students work on touching up the mural in the same style the past two days. Feder expects there will be a little more work on Thursday to finish the effort.
“It beautifies the community,” Feder said. “There are tons of foot traffic down here.”
She said several passing boaters waved and beep their horns to encourage the students.
Tra’Monie Walker works the mural. The theme is in the canal’s early days when boats and barges were pulled by mules. The canal was completed in 1825 and will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2025.
Students painted over the mural on Tuesday in the same style as the original, and today added highlights and shadows.
Lillian Fisher works on the mural which is 36 feet long and 12 feet tall. Feder, the art teacher, painted the “Welcome to Albion” message on Sunday. Students weren’t able to paint the letters due to liability concerns about the height. They were able to paint most of the mural by standing, with some help in spots from stools and a lift.
Here is how the mural looked before the recent upgrade.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2023 at 2:55 pm
Anthony Disanferdinando
ALBION – A Clarendon man pleaded guilty in Orleans County Court this morning to third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a firearm.
Anthony Disanferdinando, 28, of Hindsburg Road in Clarendon faces up to 6 years in state prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 3. The drug charge normally carries a maximum of 9 years in prison while the firearms charge has a maximum of 1 1/3 to 4 years. As part of a plea agreement, the sentences concurrently and include up to two years of post-release supervision.
Disanferdinando was charged on Jan. 31, after an investigation into the sale and distribution of cocaine. The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force and Orleans County Sheriff’s Office executed search warrant at Disanferdinando’s residence.
Law enforcement seized over 10 ounces of cocaine, a quantity of LSD, a quantity of prescription narcotic pills, THC wax, THC vapes, over 5 pounds of high-grade marijuana, $8,000 in cash, four loaded semi-auto pistols, 24 rifles and shotguns, scales, numerous packaging material and other drug paraphernalia, the Task Force reported.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2023 at 11:52 am
ALBION – A Medina man pleaded guilty in Orleans County Court this morning to criminally negligent homicide.
Todd D. Sands, 56, admitted to drinking heavily on May 8 while spending time with his brother Timothy R. Sands, also 56.
Todd Sands was driving up to 94 miles per hour on Route 31A when he went off the road and struck a tree. Both men were ejected from the vehicle with Timothy Sands killed in the crash.
District Attorney Joe Cardone said Todd Sands had a blood alcohol content of 0.175 percent, more than twice the legal limit.
In court this morning in front of Judge Sanford Church, Todd Sands admitted that he had been drinking alcohol with his brother and playing the Wii video game prior to them getting in a minivan. Todd Sands said he has no recollection of driving that day but he recalls drinking and then waking up in a hospital.
He pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide where a person acts in a way “that fails to recognize a substantial and unjustifiable risk of death, that a reasonable person would observe would establish the necessary intent.”
The charge carries a maximum of 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison. As part of a plea agreement today, Todd Sands faces a maximum of 6 months in the Orleans County Jail and five years of probation when he is sentenced on Jan. 3.
Cardone did not request bail for Todd Sands, who the DA said “has been totally cooperative.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2023 at 11:18 am
There is more red, orange and yellow on the trees this week locally and around the state. I Love NY posted its third fall foliage report on Tuesday and the map shows nearly the entire state has leaves changing color.
“Beautiful fall colors continue to arrive across New York State, with near-peak leaves expected to make their first appearances this weekend in parts of the Adirondacks,” according to the report.
Spotters nearby in Batavia say the foliage change is about 20 percent, while in Niagara and Erie spotters say the percent change is about 5 to 15 percent.
This group from both the Albion and Medina cross country teams cheers on runners during Tuesday’s race at Boxwood Cemetery. Most of the leaves on the trees are still green. Pictured from left on a sandstone retaining wall at the cemetery include Madeline Mark, Ariel Smith and Faith Baker-Austin of Medina, sisters Mia and Maggie Olles of Albion, and Evan Steier, the assistant varsity coach at Albion who was calling out times for the runners at the 2-mile mark.
The map from I Love NY shows leaves are changing in most places throughout the state with some areas, especially the Adirondacks, getting near peak color change.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today released the following statement on the removal of Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the upcoming House Republican leadership race.
“The American people are fed up with political gamesmanship and dysfunction in Washington,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “Sadly, a small group of Republicans teamed up with the Democrats to plunge our conference into a leadership race and sideline our effort to pass conservative appropriations bills.
“Instead of working together to pass spending cuts, gain operational control of our borders, rein in Biden’s bloated bureaucracy, and hold the corrupt Biden family accountable through oversight functions, Republicans will remain divided amid important negotiations with Biden and Schumer.
“Speaker McCarthy’s magnanimous and courageous decision to step aside gives Republicans one last chance to unify, come together, elect a speaker, and deliver conservative wins for the American people.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2023 at 8:51 am
CARLTON – An issue that has lingered for years, even decades, was given a lengthy public airing on Tuesday when county officials and leaders of Modern Disposal met with 125 residents about garbage and recycling collection on private lanes and roads.
Modern said many of those roads are too narrow and don’t have turnarounds for the larger garbage trucks. The company uses pickup trucks with a hopper and lift to get the garbage and recycling from many of those sites. Those trucks only hold enough garbage for about 12 to 15 of the sites, and the driver then has to go find a larger garbage truck to transfer that trash – and then they go back to the private road for another fill. The big trucks can hold enough garbage from about 800 residential sites.
“We need to get smarter on how we do things,” Dennis Moriarty, vice president of collection operations for Modern, told the crowd of residents at the Carlton Rec Hall. “Unfortunately times change and we have to think of different ways of doing things.”
Moriarty said the current system, using three pickup trucks with hoppers on the private roads, is labor intensive, inefficient and proves costly.
Dennis Moriarty said Modern Disposal is open to options to serve residents on narrow private roads.
Modern has been discussing the issue with Carlton and Yates as well as county officials, looking for a better way to serve those residents. The county has about 15,000 residential customers served by Modern, and about 1,000 are on the private lanes and roads, mostly in Carlton and Yates.
Jack Welch, the county chief administrative officer, said those residents may need to be charged more because of the added expense in serving them.
But many of the Carlton residents at the meeting on Tuesday strongly pushed back on that, saying they are already grossly over-assessed for their property near the lake.
Some residents asked the town and county to upgrade the private roads to better accommodate the larger garbage trucks and add turnarounds. But Welch said the local governments can’t spend money to improve private property.
One of the residents, Marlene Seielstad, said the Carlton community on private roads should get a discount on their local taxes because they don’t get the same level of services as other residents.
“What resonates with me is the amount of taxes the waterfront people pay and the lack of services we get,” another resident said.
Marlene Seielstad said Carlton residents on private roads should get discounted tax bills because they receive less in local government services.
Moriarty said Modern is proposing to have about a dozen dumpsters for the private road residents in Carlton. The residents would need to bring their garbage and recycling to the site. If a property owner agreed to have the dumpster on their property, they would get free garbage and recycling.
The current fee for solid waste and recycling service is $216 a year, with properties classified as seasonal paying half that.
Many residents didn’t like the idea of dumpsters, saying many of the residents are elderly or disabled and it would be a hardship for them to have to bring it from their homes to the dumpsters, which could be 1,000 feet or more for some of the residents.
Moriarty said the proposal isn’t finalized. Modern is just putting it out as option and he welcomes more dialogue on the issue.
“We’re not trying to force this down,” Moriarty said about the dumpsters. “It’s an option.”
Modern officials are willing to meet with residents on a case-by-case basis to look at alternatives for serving them, he said.
Modern will meet with residents and would like to have another public meeting in the future to discuss how to best pick up the trash and recycling on the private roads.
Moriarty said there isn’t a deadline for reaching a decision.
“Let’s explore all options so everyone’s opinion can be heard,” he said.
Modern’s contract with the county was recently renewed for two more years and runs until the end of 2025. The company will be having a similar meeting with private road residents in Yates. That forum hasn’t been scheduled yet.
Moriarty thanked the Carlton residents for their input during the 1 ½ hour meeting on Tuesday.
“I thought it was a good conversation,” he told the group. “I love the passion about garbage.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2023 at 3:13 pm
One of first actions: creating Facebook page for county government
ALBION – Orleans County has a part-time public information officer in a new arrangement with Niagara County.
Kevin Schuler, Niagara’s PIO since 2020, will work five hours a week for Orleans County. He has been in the communications field for 29 years.
Orleans will pay Niagara $19,600 for the first year and then a cost of living increase the second year. The agreement goes from Sept. 27, 2023 through Sept. 26, 2025.
Schuler in his first week set up a Facebook page for the county government (click here) and has put out three press releases. The first press release was on the Legislature voting to protect local tributaries from STAMP wastewater, with the second on Sheriff’s Week.
There also was a joint press release for the two counties with their county clerks reminding people to submit eye exams or go to the DMV offices if they had their driver’s license renewed between March 1, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2021. Otherwise they could have their license suspended.
Schuler said he will send press releases to local media outlets, and post to the county website and Facebook page.
“I look to consistently put out content (and share other’s content) that covers the broad scope of services, programs and issues that are in the purview of county government,” he said.
Legislators in the resolution approving the agreement said Orleans has a long history of collaboration with Niagara, including through the Niagara Orleans Regional Alliance and the Niagara Orleans Regional Land Improvement Corporation.
Panel of experts will discuss the health effects of vaping and suggest resources for quitting
Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments
ALBION – Are you a parent that is concerned about your child who is vaping? Are you a community member that wants to know more about vaping?
If so, you are invited to attend the Orleans County Vaping Summit at the Albion Middle School Auditorium on Tuesday, Oct. 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. A panel of experts will discuss the health effects of vaping, provide data on youth vaping in Orleans County and discuss resources for quitting. Following the event, experts will be available for questions and will have resources and information available.
“One of the priority areas of the 2022-2024 Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming (GOW) Counties Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is to prevent tobacco use and vaping among youth,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “Vaping is a serious public health issue facing the youth in our community. We look forward to providing community members with information on vaping as well as an opportunity for attendees to ask questions of experts in the field.”
GO Health appreciates the support of our partners for this event including the Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, UConnectCare (formally GCASA), and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Institute.
Press Release, NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services today reminded New Yorkers that the federal government will issue a nationwide test of its Integrated Public Alert and Warning System on Oct. 4.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, will conduct the test, including the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts, at approximately 2:20 p.m. EST on Wednesday.
The purpose of the test is to ensure existing alert systems continue to be an effective means of warning the public about emergencies, especially at the national level. The EAS portion of the test will be sent to all radios and televisions.
The WEA portion of the nationwide test will be directed to all consumer cell phones via IPAWS and will display in English or Spanish, depending on the phone’s language setting. IPAWS is an internet-based system administered by FEMA that enables authorities to send authenticated emergency messages to the public through several communications networks.
Wireless Emergency Alert
Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. EST, cell towers will broadcast the nationwide IPAWS test for approximately 30 minutes. WEA-compatible wireless phones should be capable of receiving the test message if the phone is switched on and within range of an active cell tower, and the consumer’s wireless provider participates in WEA.
All wireless phones should receive the message only once. WEA alerts will be accompanied with a unique tone and vibration to ensure they are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities.
The English message on consumer’s phones will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
Phones set to Spanish will display: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”
Emergency Alert System
The EAS portion of the test is scheduled to last approximately one minute. The test will be conducted with the participation of radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers. The test message will be like the regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar:
“This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
Press Release, New York State Association of Counties
New York counties are calling on federal representatives to provide emergency financial aid to local communities nationwide that are managing large influxes of migrants and asylees. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, counties called for the extension of the Federal Impact Aid program to counties and school districts dealing with the recent influx of asylum seekers.
The federal government provides Impact Aid to certain school districts whose ability to provide services is negatively impacted by the actions of the federal government–like the removal of federal government property from property tax rolls. Today’s action by county leaders seeks to expand that program to include the counties, school districts, cities, and other localities that are currently impacted by the large influxes of migrants and asylees across the country.
“As the result of federal inaction on immigration, local governments across New York State and the nation have been left with the impossible task of housing, educating, and providing basic care to hundreds of thousands of migrants who have arrived on our shores seeking a better life,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen Acquario. “Until the Congress resolves this federally created crisis, they must step up and provide fair and sufficient resources to all communities impacted by the federal lack of action to date.”
The large influx of migrants and asylees is a direct result of the federal government’s unwillingness or inability to fix outdated federal immigration laws. The lack of action by federal officials to fix the broken immigration system has simply shifted the burden onto local governments and school districts across the nation.
“Local taxpayers and communities should not be left alone in handling this responsibility,” Acquario said. “Congress must act, and if they can’t or won’t, then they need to expand federal Impact Aid to be available to the local jurisdictions that are bearing the brunt of their inaction.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2023 at 12:43 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Karl Driesel, owner of Orleans Millworks in Kendall, checks a door that he made to replace one on the County Clerks’ Building.
Driesel teamed with the Orleans County Department of Public Works to put in two new doors on one of the entrances of the historic building from 1888. Driesel is doing the two doors today that used to lead up to the Orleans County Legislature. The Legislature has since moved to a new addition at the County Office Building on Route 31. That space on the top floor is now used for the public defender’s office.
Tomorrow, Dreisel expects he will work with the DPW to swap out the doors for the county clerk’s office on the other end of the building facing Main Street.
Karl Driesel and DPW senior building maintenance employees Dan Cooke, left, and Bert Mathes carry one of the new doors to set it in place. The door weighs about 200 pounds.
The door in 112 inches high (just over nine feet) and 29 inches wide. It is 2 1/8 inches thick, which Driesel said is “extremely thick” for a door.
Driesel and the DPW were able to use the old hardware to attach the new doors.
With the old the doors the bottom parts were falling apart and were no longer weather tight, Mathes said.
Driesel makes moldings, panels and components for doors that he usually sends off to other companies to put the final product together.
He welcomed the chance to do the full project for the doors at the Clerks’ Building.
“This is an opportunity that is close to home and it looked like a fun project,” he said.
Driesel made the doors out of quartersawn mahogany. They replace wooden doors that appear to be Douglas fir in the center with oak veneer for the rest. Driesel said they likely weren’t the original doors. He said the new doors should hold up for many decades to come.
The county DPW stained the interior side and painted the exterior white.
Karl Driesel and the DPW employees, Dan Cooke and Bert Mathes, attach the new doors. The doors had to be taken off for some slight trimming so they would close perfectly.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2023 at 10:40 am
Holley also urged to look at zoning to allow expanded small engine repair at former Danny’s Equipment
ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board was asked to give an opinion about a special use permit and the site plan to convert the vacant Clover Hill assisted living complex into multi-family apartments in Albion.
But before making a decision, the Planning Board wants to see the handicapped parking spots clearly delineated, and wants to know if a new parking lot will be asphalt and whether the Albion Fire Department and County Emergency Management Office have given their input for a fire lane at the property on 355 South Main St.
Clover Hill closed in March 2022 as an assisted living site. Realtegic LP in Amherst, led by president Ravi Prasher, wants to the turn the site into 18 apartments – four would be studio apartments and 14 would be single-bedroom.
Realtegic would work with Buildmore Corporation to convert the facility into apartments. Bilal Huzair of Carlton is CEO of Buildmore.
The current site has 19 parking spaces with two designated as handicapped parking. Village Planning Board members are considering requiring two more plus another one that would be van-size, said Janet Navarra-Salvatore, an Albion Planning Board member who is also on the County Planning Board.
Realtegic wants to add another parking lot but wants it to be gravel initially to see how the drainage works at the site, she said. The village code requires two off-street parking spaces per dwelling unit so there would need to be at least 36 parking spaces.
The County Planning Board said the village should consider a deadline next spring for deciding whether the gravel lot would be paved.
The county recommended the village try to get clarity on those issues with the developer and then bring the referral back to the County Planning Board.
Planners also wondered if more detailed drawings could be developed about the interior of the property, how the offices and other empty spaces at the former Clover Hill will be utilized and what is the plan for renting out the units if there aren’t enough tenants willing to pay the asking price.
In another referral last Thursday, the County Planning Board also sent it back, this time to the Village of Holley.
Nathan Merle wants to utilize the former Danny’s Equipment at 122 West Albion St. (Route 31) for small engine repair. The village code allows small engine repair of lawn and garden equipment at the site, but doesn’t specify for ATVs, side-by-sides and snowmobiles. Merle has told the village the site is only viable as a small engine repair business if he can do more than lawn and garden equipment.
The county said Holley needs to either expand the definition of what small engine repair is allowed or make the property zoned commercial. The zoning change could be feasible because part of a parking area for Stockham Lumber touches the back of 122 West Albion St., so it wouldn’t be spot zoning. However, that can be time consuming to change the zoning, County Planning Board members said.
Bruce Kirby, a County Planning Board member, said there would be very little change in how the property is being used compared to the repairs done when it was operated for 45 years by Daniel Dill, who retired a few months ago from the business. Merle, in a letter, said there will be less impact on the neighborhood because there won’t be tractor trailer deliveries, and the drop off and pick up of most equipment will be done by appointment.
However, the village needs to make a change in the zoning definition or extend the commercial zone to make the expanded small engine repairs allowable, board members said.
Merle has lived next door to the site for 19 years. He urged the village and county to approve his proposed use of the site.
“We would like to see this property maintained and not fall into disrepair,” he wrote in a letter to the Holley Zoning Board of Appeals. “It also provides me the opportunity to run a business that can draw other people into the village limits to help sustain our community.”
BATAVIA – UConnectCare (formerly Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse) has promoted Christen Foley to the position of project director of the Western New York Prevention Resource Center.
The Batavia resident will oversee the implementation of training programs and technical assistance to community drug and alcohol prevention coalitions in the eight-county region. Foley, with the support of two community development specialists, is responsible for collaborating with the prevention providers, coalitions and community groups that make up the WNYPRC.
One of six prevention resource centers in New York State, the WNYPRC is based at UConnectCare’s offices on Clinton Street Road in Batavia and is an initiative of the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports.
Its focus is on engaging community stakeholders in the development of new coalitions and supporting established community coalitions as they work to reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Additionally, the center provides technical assistance, training and support to communities and coalition partners.
“The WNYPRC encourages the use of the Strategic Prevention Framework, which is a public health, outcome-based prevention approach,” Foley said. “This seven-phase approach helps coalitions assess the community’s needs and address them accordingly. The key is to respond appropriately by utilizing the data that reveals each community’s specific needs.”
Foley was hired by UConnectCare in 2019 to lead the Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force. Her efforts helped expand the task force to various segments of the community and resulted in it receiving the 2020 Community Star from the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. The award is given annual to only one rural entity in New York State.
Shannon Ford, services director of Communications and Development and director of Prevention at UConnectCare, said Foley is “a natural fit” for the project director role.
“Christen was able to refine her community engagement skills with the GOW Opioid Task Force and will now be able to help community coalitions across the region,” Ford said. “Most people don’t understand the science behind substance use disorder prevention and coalition activities. Christen and her team will help community coalitions effectively reduce underage substance use using evidence-based approaches.”
Foley has been attending trainings and workshops since her appointment to the new position in June, including the Foundation in Prevention Ethics Training and the CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute, the latter a four-day conference in Dallas.
“As a result, I will now be certified to host and facilitate the six-hour, in-person Foundations in Prevention Ethics course for our prevention providers, coalitions and community partners,” she said, adding that she also is working towards becoming a certified Substance Abuse Prevention Skill Training Trainer.
She said she plans to host an ethics training next year and will be working on establishing coalitions in Genesee and Orleans counties.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2023 at 9:07 am
MEDINA – A group from Dance Theater in Medina is headed to Universal Studios in Orlando this week.
Brandon Johnson, owner of Dance Theater, said the local dancers will be part of the Universal STARS performing arts program during the Halloween Horror Nights.
The group will be performing in a stage show, as well as taking a workshop class with universal choreographers and dancers.
“The kids will then perform their choreography on stage in one of the sound stages used to shoot movies and music videos!” said an excited Johnson.
In spring 2021, Johnson said he saw that Universal Studios was looking for performance groups to be part of the STARS Program. He sent a performance reel of the Dance Theater students from the 2021 competition season. In August 2022, he received a call letting me know that we were selected to perform in the fall 2023.
The students will take a two-hour Hip Hop choreography class with a Universal choreographer who will be teaching them choreography from a current show at Universal’s famous Halloween Horror Nights celebration, Johnson said.
The class will include a warmup as well as choreography that the studio teaches to their on-set casts, Johnson said. It will take place in a working soundstage at Universal Orlando where the studio shoots movies and music videos.
“This will give the dancers an experience of what it is like to be part of the working dance industry as well as a backstage look and how a working sound stage looks and what it feels like to be part of a film shoot,” Johnson said.
The Dance Theater group will be performing to songs such as Thriller, Halloween and The Wicked Ones.
“The dancers will also get a one-on-one talk with the choreographer and dancers about what it’s like to be working in the dance industry in theme park and what it takes to be part of the industry in that facet or performance,” Johnson said. “This is a great talk for any dancers who may be hoping to continue into the industry after graduation.”
