Press Release, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York

BUFFALO – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Anthony J. Alello, Jr., 32, of Albion pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years and a $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that in January 2022, an undercover FBI agent began communicating with Alello online using the Kik application. During these communications, Alello sent the agent links to cloud storage folders that contained child pornography. One folder contained approximately 2,484 videos of child pornography, and another folder contained approximately 45 videos of child pornography.

On March 24, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Alello’s residence and seized his cellular telephone. A subsequent forensic examination recovered approximately 1,744 images and six videos of child pornography, some of which depicted pre-pubescent children and violence against children.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James P. Stauffiger.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. before Judge Vilardo.

(Editor’s Note: The Cobblestone Museum’s Mother’s Day celebration will be Saturday (May 13) and not on Sunday as was initially stated in the article.)

CARLTON – The Cobblestone Museum’s annual membership dinner Wednesday night at Carlton Firemen’s Recreation Hall brought out a record attendance, said Museum director Doug Farley.

“I am very happy with the event,” Farley said. “We made a record $24,000, over and above what we normally do.”

Proceeds from the evening help the museum pay its operating costs, Farley said.

The evening featured dinner catered by Zambistro’s, a silent auction, live auction and raffles.

Randy Bower, retired Orleans County sheriff, has volunteered to be auctioneer all five years of the dinner.

“I was sheriff when they first asked me, and I went online and studied how to be an auctioneer, and then I practiced,” Bower said. “I love the Cobblestone Society and wanted to be able to give back.”

First assistant district attorney Susan Howard attended the dinner for the first time last year.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but I had the time of my life,” Howard said. “So I joined. I grew up around the corner from the Cobblestone Museum, and it makes my neighborhood much more interesting.”

Lynn Williams of Medina came to the dinner for the first time last year.

“It’s a nice evening for a good cause,” she said.

Scott Schmidt of Medina said he supports the Cobblestone Society because it preserves the history of Orleans County.

“I am playing for the Cobblestone’s organ tour in July, and I wanted to meet some of the people who potentially might be in my audience,” Schmidt said. “We have such a unique area here with the historic buildings. It is intriguing to me how these beautiful buildings were built.”

Success of the event was due in part to generous donations from the community.

The dinners were underwritten by Roy Bubb and John Nipher of Holley, K. Peter and Patricia Hurd and Gail Johnson, all of Albion.

The entire cost of the recreation hall rental was underwritten by Scott Schickling, certified public accountant/financial planner of Medina.

Other monetary donations were given by Farley and his wife Lois, David Mitchell of Albion, LeRoy and Shirley Bright-Neeper of Medina and Richard and Kim Remley of Albion.

Grace Denniston donated and prepared appetizers for the evening. A sheet cake made by Peggy Bropst of Kent was underwritten by Brenda Radzinski of Albion. Doreen Wilson of Albion paid for the cost of all the table coverings.

The Cobblestone Museum has a full schedule of special events planned throughout the year, beginning this spring with and art exhibit by Tom Zangerle in the Visitors Center.

Beginning on Saturday as part of a Mothers’ Day celebration, an exhibit of 20 historic coverlets will be on display at the Visitors Center. Also, mothers will be recognized with complimentary tours and free gifts this Saturday.

Bill Lattin’s educational program and exhibit on Victorian Mourning Art will be available May 19 at 6:20 p.m. for up to 12 guests, who must register in advance by calling 589-9013. The exhibit will continue in the Upper Gallery, featuring 20 recently added pieces for 120 artifacts altogether.

On May 20 and 21, the Cobblestone Museum will join with the New York State Landmark Conservancy to host an open house at the Cobblestone Church.

The annual summer solstice soiree is scheduled June 21, celebrating art and nature in outdoor setting beside Proctor Brook. Featured will be plein-air artists Tom Zangerle, Pat Greene and Arthur Barnes, and a cadre of musicians.

The annual patriotic service will take place July 2 in the Cobblestone Church, with patriotic readings, stirring songs and an old-fashioned picnic on the side lawn.

Maarit Vaga will organize a progressive organ concert on a date to be announced in July. Dinner at a local restaurant will follow the tour.

(Left) Members of the Cobblestone Museum cut the cake prior to Wednesday’s annual membership dinner at Carlton Firemen’s Recreation Hall. From left are Marty Taber, Grace Denniston, Mary and Tom Zangerle and director Doug Farley. (Right) Marty Taber, left, and Mark Radzinski hold up a side table with drawer for the crowd to see at the Cobblestone Society’s benefit auction. The table brought $140.

In August, a tour of historic homes will be announced, featuring a self-driving tour to visit examples of regional historic architecture.

August 12 is the date of the Cobblestone Museum Flea Market, the second year for the event, with outdoor booths to attract bargain hunters.

The fall open house is Sept. 9, with artisan craftsmen and re-enactors re-creating life in the 19th century.

Visitors can step back in time in October when the museum sponsors Music of World War I at the Vagg House. Selections will be shared on and Edison cylinder victrola and an upright player piano. Local musician Raymond Santoro will play the piano and lead this music-filled event.

A ghost walk is scheduled Oct. 7, with a rain date of Oct. 8. More than 25 volunteer thespians will be in period costumes.

The festively decorated Cobblestone Church will be the setting for a Christmas Carol Sing in December, featuring Christmas traditions, the Saint Lucia celebration, carol sing and readings.

The popular Christmas Tour of Homes will also take place in December, featuring a self-driving tour and several extensively decorated homes open for visitors.

The ambitious schedule of events is capped off by the anticipation of building a new Orleans County Visitors Center in the Civil War-era home across the street from the Cobblestone Church. Fundraising for the project has exceeded $800,000, Farley said.

He said construction will begin as soon as plans are completed and the cost is determined.

Full buildout at 665 acres seen as threat to wildlife, Native American culture

ALABAMA – A full buildout on 665 acres of the STAMP manufacturing site in the town of Alabama, just south of Orleans County off Route 63, was called a threat to the culture of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and the presence of wildlife, especially the short-eared owl and northern harrier.

Many speakers at a NYS Department of Environmental Conservation public hearing on Thursday evening were strongly against the DEC approving the plan proposed for mitigating the environmental impacts for the full build-out of the land. The Genesee County Economic Development Center is applying for the permit. About 200 people attended a 2 ½-hour public hearing at the Alabama Fire Hall.

“We’ve been opposed to it from day one,” said Roger Hill, a Seneca Nation chief.

The site should be recognized as Seneca land at the local, state and federal levels, he said.

Scott Logan, a subchief for the Bear Clan, said the project would be a threat to birds, other wildlife, water, and the medicine plants in the Big Woods that border STAMP.

“This would be an immense injustice to Mother Earth,” he said at the hearing.

Valerie Parker-Campbell, a Tonawanda Seneca woman, said STAMP jeopardizes sacred medicines and practices of the community.

GCEDC has been applying for permits one project at a time and is instead pursuing a permit for the overall site. Its first tenant, Plug Power Inc., is under construction for a $290 million hydrogen production facility that is expected to be ready in the summer 2024.

Another company, Edwards Vacuum, announced plans in November for a $319 million factory that will produce equipment used in the semiconductor industry.

There is still plenty of space at STAMP for other businesses and GCEDC officials say they are talking with other companies about coming to STAMP.

But the location doesn’t fit a very rural area near the Tonawanda Indian Reservation and Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, several speakers said. At full buildout the site could draw 600 trucks a day, likely leading to more motor vehicle accidents and more greenhouse emissions for the nearby residents, said Dr. Kirk Scirto, a family medicine specialist who works out of the Tonawanda Family Care Center on Bloomingdale’s Road in Akron.

He provides healthcare for many of the Tonawanda people, and said STAMP will have negative health consequences for the nearby residents. Emissions from cars and the manufacturing sites could exacerbate asthma, emphysema and other health conditions, he said.

He asked the DEC to deny the permit due to the health impacts on residents and also on the basis on environmental justice. The project will hurt the Tonawanda culture by scaring away wildlife. Many of the local residents rely on the lands for hunting and fishing, he said.

Chief Emerson Webster of the Tonawanda Band of the Senecas said the development at STAMP should be stopped because of the negative impacts on the local residents and Tonawanda people.

“We ought to work together to stop this,” said Chief Emerson Webster of the Tonawanda Band of the Senecas. “Our way of life is to save animals and medicine.”

He worries about the project’s impact on nearby lands that aren’t technically in STAMP, but would be altered by the project.

“We don’t need this,” he said at the hearing. “It’s not our way. This project may be good for some people, but it’s not good for us.”

Environmentalists decried a mitigation proposal from GCEDC. The full buildout would impact 665 acres of current open land. GCEDC is proposing for a 25-acre grassland habitat in the southeastern portion of STAMP and a 33-acre parcel north of the John White Management Area. That site would be converted from row crop to grassland.

GCEDC is seeking an Article 11 Part 182 permit for the mitigation plan, which would allow the agency to have 665 acres of land developed that is currently used as overwintering habitat for the state-listed endangered short eared owl and the state-listed threatened northern harrier.

Designating land of 25 and 33 acres doesn’t guarantee the endangered and threatened species will go to those sites, said Dr. Joe Stahlman, an anthropologist and research scientist at the University of Buffalo.

“The loss of birds and wildlife threatens the Tonawanda community,” he said.

The natural resources of a community are critical to the indigenous cultures, Stahlman said.

Kathy Melissa Smith, a member of the Tonawanda Band of the Senecas, lives a mile away from STAMP. She said the development of the site in such a rural area next to the reservation “will end our way of life.”

Environmentalists spoke at the hearing from the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, Sierra Club, Save Ontario Shores, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, University of Rochester, Western New York Environmental Alliance and the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York.

Pam Atwater, president of Save Ontario Shores, said the local area has about 10,000 acres that will disturbed due to wind turbine projects and large-scale solar. That land isn’t far from the wildlife refuge.

“The cumulative impact of those projects should be considered,” she said.

GCEDC has been successful convincing large companies to commit to STAMP, a “quiet site” with little ground vibrations that is critical to advanced manufacturing.

STAMP would have its own wastewater treatment facility on site, with the treated water to be released in Oak Orchard Creek.

That impact is a concern for Karen Jones of Shelby, who lives about 5 miles north of STAMP. She said the watershed is interconnected.

“The refuge wasn’t intended as a wastewater filtration system,” she said.

Margaux Valenti, attorney for the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, said STAMP sits in an important area for biodiversity and the region’s ecological health.

“You’re setting this area up for disaster,” she said. “This is a grave threat to endangered species.”

Arthur Barnes, a Shelby resident, said the STAMP project is too disruptive to the Tonawanda community that relies upon and treasures open land and nature.

About 200 people filled the Alabama Fire Hall for the public hearing.

Scott Logan, a subchief for the Bear Clan, said STAMP is in a wildlife rich area. He said its development “would be an immense injustice to Mother Earth.”

Provided photos

SHELBY – The parking lot around the Shelby Town Hall is getting revamped. Keeler Construction was out with a milling machine on Thursday and a paver.

Twon crews from Shelby, Barre and Clarendon hauled asphalt from keeler’s asphalt plant in Barre. Altogether about 500 tons of blacktop was put down on Thursday, said Dale Root, the Shelby highway superintendent.

He reached out to keeler to work on the Shelby project while the company was in town repaving streets in the village of Medina.

Keeler and the crews from the three towns worked in front of the Shelby Town Hall, behind the building and on the north side. Root said the paving work will be finished on Monday.

Shelby crews will also assist Barre and Clarendon with paving work this year. Root said it’s an example of shared services, of pooling resources among the towns when one has a bigger job needing more trucks and personnel than is available in the one municipality.

The Town Hall is open while the work is happening. People can park at the lot next to the left of the front of the building.

Town Supervisor Scott Wengewicz said the project is funded with a portion of Shelby’s share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

MEDINA – Orleans Community Health has been celebrating Nurses Week May 6 to 12 and Hospital Week from May 7 to 13.

During the past week, teams at Medina Memorial Hospital, Albion Healthcare Center, Dialysis centers in Medina and Batavia and the Middleport lab draw station have been acknowledged with special events.

“Hospital Week provides an opportunity to showcase all of our teams throughout Orleans Community Health,” said Scott Robinson, director of Marketing at Community Partners. “A schedule of events has been scheduled for departments to take part in during the week, all centered around the ‘Spirit Week’ theme.”

There are also opportunities in which the community can participate, Robinson said. Burger King donated a portion of their proceeds to Orleans Community Health Foundation from purchases made on Wednesday.

Additionally, everyone is welcome to attend a Vendor Fair and Farmers’ Market from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today in the parking lot of Medina Memorial Hospital. A food truck will be on site. Vendors will include Catherine Street Bakery, Baker Farms (eggs, dehydrated garlic and meat), Flower Fields Forever (bouquets and flowers), Jeannie Wodo (wreath orders),  Judy Szulus (Tupperware), Gardner’s Garden (artisan salts, fudge, jam, popcorn and teas), Blue Groove Coffee, Making it Right Reiki Services and Human Farms (plants and flowers).

Nurses Week will conclude with a celebration to honor Florence Nightingale on her birthday. This year, Orleans Community Health is hosting a brunch for current and former nursing team members. The brunch will provide an opportunity to not only recognize dedicated individuals of today, but honor those who served the community in previous years, Robinson said.

“There’s a reason we call our hospital team ‘healthcare heroes,’” Robinson said. “They spend every day trying to make the community better for everyone. Whether it’s through their involvement in organizations, or assisting those who come through our doors, these individuals are truly some of the best.”

Amber Robertson, center, a member of the Iroquois Job Corps Student Government Association, poses with the bee Joshua Espinal, president of the SGA; and the goose David Murphy, SGA vice president.

MEDINA – Students from the Iroquois Job Corps Center and staff attended the Spring into Nature event Saturday at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

The event featured handmade bird feeders, which were given to the children who completed visits to educational table stations set up for the DEC, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and several more agencies and organizations. The people who made the bird feeders did an amazing job, said Jen Barr, senior administrative assistant at Job Corps.

“I took my granddaughter and it was fantastic,” Barr said. “The weather was perfect for a hike on the trails, and everyone I spoke with had a wonderful time.

Iroquois Job Corps students volunteered their time to help at the event, Barr said. The students were Joshua Espinal, David Murphy, Sirmyne Jones, Amber Robertson and Zavier Rivera, accompanied by staff Marissa Aldaco and Danielle Fenley.

The Nature Reserve sponsored the event to welcome spring and educate youth and their families about wildlife and nature. There were nature-related exhibits and activities for families to enjoy, many who posed for pictures with the Job Corps students.

Students Josh Espinal and David Murphy dressed as mascots and made the children laugh as they had a mini dance battle dressed as a goose and a bee.

“Our students made our Center proud,” said Aldaco, clerk at Iroquois Job Corps. “They were wonderful with the children and had a great time themselves.”

Provided photo

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Area Foundation has donated $4,000 to the Orleans County Adult Literacy program. Pictured from left include Dave Cook from the Foundation, Don Colquhoun from Orleans County Adult Literacy, and Russ Martino from the Foundation.

OCALS works in and around the Lyndonville area, utilizing the Lyndonville school district and other sites for literacy programs from children to adults.

“The Foundation is proud to assist local agencies like this, and in a short time will continue giving towards educational needs, with approximately $50,000 in scholarships given out at June’s graduation ceremony,” Cook said.

ALBION – Two Albion classmates starred in the theater program just over a decade ago are joining for a show later this month.

Jackie Madejski and Bradeen Walders, both 28, will perform “Duet Together” at Cabaret at Studio B on May 20, and then on May 21 at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina.

They will feature music from Chicago, Follies, Mame, Songs for a New World, Into the Woods and other shows.

The two have been close friends since they were in school, and even spent a year living together in Washington, D.C.

Provided photos: Jackie Madejski, far right, currently is part of the cast of Survivors, a production by the Jewish Community center in Rochester. The cast has been performing at schools in the Rochester region and tells the stories of 10 Holocaust survivors from the Rochester area. Madejski portrays Rosemarie Marianthal Molser and Helen Pryzsuskier Levinson. The cast includes Madejski, Sarah Malek, Miranda Rose Blood, Ged Owen, Alessandro Martellano, Evan Miller Watelet and the director, Sandi Henschel.

Madejski is best known for her role in Albion when she was Peter Pan in 2011, a role that earned her honors from the Rochester Broadway Theatre League. She works as a professional theater performer, and has been in more than 20 productions since 2016 with most in the Washington, DC area.

She lives in Fairfax, Va., but has been home for a few months because she is in the cast of Survivors, a production of the Jewish Community Center in Rochester. The cast performs the one-hour play at many local schools, telling the stories of 10 Holocaust survivors from Rochester. Click here for more information about that show, including a performance on May 24 at the JCC Hart Theater.

“I really believe in what this production is trying to do in bringing stories of these survivors to the schools,” Madejski said. “It is a message about the impact of hate and intolerance.”

She plays the roles of two of the survivors.

While she is home in Albion with her parents, Tom and Sandra Madejski, Jackie connected with Walders, who also recently moved back to Albion with her husband Sebastian Erakare, an Albion native. They are back in the area after five years in Tennessee. Walders worked a government job there, helping to process applications for Medicaid and Medicare benefits.

She also pursued her passion as an artist, but not on stage. Instead she is a painter and creates ceramic pieces.

She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in theater performance at Niagara University, but “fell out of love with the spotlight.”

At Albion, one of her bigger roles was Mother Superior, the head nun in the Sound of Music. She gave a soaring rendition of “Climb Every Mountain.”

Bradeen Walders now is focused on building a career as a painter and ceramics artist. She lives with her husband, Sebastian Erakare, in Albion after five years in Tennessee.

Although she hasn’t been singing publicly in years, Walders still has the impressive pipes, Madejski said. The two have been rehearsing for the upcoming shows, and Madejski is amazed at Walders’ range and talent.
“It is really unfair that she sings so beautifully and can do this,” Madejski said.

The upcoming concerts includes duets and solos from the two singers.

Besides the musicals of Peter Pan and the Sound of Music, Walders and Madejski also were in The Music Man and Cats while at Albion.

The two remain grateful for their musical experiences at Albion. Gary Simboli, who is now retired as the director, led the students and theater team to not only do high-quality shows, but create a welcoming environment for everyone, Walders said.

“I don’t think I would have made it through school without it,” she said.

For information about tickets to the May 20 at the Cabaret at Studio B in Albion, click here. For information about the show on May 21 at the Leonard Oakes Estate Winery, click here.

Press Release, NYS Association of Counties

As the federal public health emergency declaration for Covid-19 expires today, the New York State Association of Counties is commemorating the county role in fighting the pandemic while warning of challenges that remain for local governments that continue to experience significant workforce shortages.

“County officials played a crucial role in responding to the public health and economic crisis, working tirelessly to protect residents and preserve our way of life,” said NYSAC President and Clinton County Administrator Michael E. Zurlo. “They kept local services functioning, maintained critical infrastructure, administered elections, provided emergency medical services, and performed other essential jobs, sometimes at great personal sacrifice and risk. For county governments, it truly was both our darkest and finest hour.”

While the end of the public health emergency is a significant milestone, Covid-19 remains a threat. Coronavirus was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States in 2022, and it will likely remain a leading cause of death in 2023, especially for our most vulnerable residents.

Adding to the lingering threat posed by Covid and other infectious diseases is the significant depletion of the public workforce that counties have suffered in the wake of the pandemic, down 3% (40,000 workers) since March 2020.

The drop has been most acute among local health departments. A study conducted by the NYS Public Health Officials Association found that New York State’s local health department workforce saw a 26% decline in the number of full-time staff employed between 2019 and 2021.

Compounding the existing staff shortage, all LHD respondents, regardless of size, reported high impending retirements, with 990 FTEs (almost 10% of the current workforce) planning to retire within the next three years. Since the start of the pandemic, 31% of LHD leaders (Commissioners/Directors) have retired or left their departments.

The end of the public health emergency will have tangible consequences for counties’ ability to respond to this threat. Healthcare providers will have less flexibility, over-the-counter tests will be more difficult to access, telehealth coverage may be limited, and many Americans will see a decrease in social safety net benefits.

“As we close this chapter of the pandemic, we are reminded of the fear, struggle, and pain county officials faced every day at the height of the outbreak and the triumph they experienced in working to protect the public,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen Acquario. “Moving forward, counties will continue to innovate and adapt to protect their communities and help them recover from the economic devastation that the pandemic caused. As we honor our local leaders for their courage and dedication in responding to the pandemic, we must also renew our dedication to supporting and strengthening the public workforce, investing in emergency preparedness, and rebuilding trust in our institutions.”

ALBION – The VFW and American Legion work together each year to place more than 2,000 flags on veterans’ graves at cemeteries in the Albion area.

Most of those flags are placed at Mount Albion Cemetery and St. Joseph’s Cemetery, with lots of assistance from local Scouts. But the VFW and Legion also place flags at smaller cemeteries in central Orleans County – about 2,500 flags altogether.

Mike Donahue, commander of the VFW based in Albion, said it costs about $3,300 to purchase the flags and also some markers for the veterans’ graves. The flags are $1.15 each and the markers are $42.

Donahue is asking the Village of Albion and the four towns in central Orleans – Albion, Barre, Carlton and Gaines – to contribute to the expense.

He attended the Village Board meeting on Wednesday. The village has $150 budgeted to give to the American Legion and the VFW. Board members want more explanation if those funds have typically been used for flags or another effort by the veterans’ organizations.

Donahue said the VFW and Legion haven’t pressed the municipalities for support in recent years.

“With Covid everything went to pieces and we’re trying to get back,” Donahue told the Village Board.

Joyce Riley, the deputy mayor, thanked Donahue, the VFW and Legion for their efforts to honor local veterans.

Anyone interested in donating to buy flags and markers can mail a check to the VFW, 38 Platt St., Albion, NY 14411.

These flags are at the veterans’ companion section of Mount Albion. The VFW and American Legion work team with local Scouts to place about 2,000 flags on veterans’ graves at Mount Albion and St. Joseph’s Cemetery.

The Civil War cannon is shown after a light dusting of snow in this file photo.

ALBION – One of the most recognizable features at Mount Albion Cemetery has been missing since November.

The Civil War cannon was removed and put in the cemetery shop after the carriage gave out, leaving the cannon tipped upright, said Jason Zicari, the cemetery superintendent.

“The carriage rotted in half,” he said.

The weight of the cannon was too much for the carriage after many years in harsh outdoor elements.

A new carriage has been built out of hemlock by an Amish-owned business in Lyndonville. Zicari also had new wheels constructed recently from a company in Pennsylvania.

The cemetery workers will need to reassemble all of the parts for the carriage, and cut notches and holes in the carriage.

Zicari said he doesn’t have an exact date for when the cannon will return to its spot on a knoll on the western side of the cemetery in the Civil War section.

Mount Albion workers are busy this time of year with mowing the historic 70-acre cemetery, and getting ready for Memorial Day.

When there are rainy days in the near future, he said the workers will put the new carriage together and assemble the supports for the cannon, which he said dates back to 1841.

The site for the Civil War cannon at Mount Albion is shown this morning on the west side of the historic cemetery along Route 31. The cannon was removed in November due to a rotting carriage.

Press Release, Orleans County Tourism Department

This is the cover of this year’s travel guide promoting events, sites and businesses in Orleans County.

ALBION – This week is National Travel and Tourism Week, the annual celebration of the contributions of the U.S. travel industry. It spotlights the essential role that travel will play in driving economic growth and innovation through the theme #TravelForward.

“The travel industry fuels every industry—our industry’s success is the nation’s success,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman. “This week is a prime opportunity to elevate the message that travel is essential to moving America’s economy forward.”

Established in 1983, National Travel and Tourism Week is an annual tradition to mark the U.S. travel industry’s role in stimulating economic growth, cultivating vibrant communities, creating quality job opportunities, stimulating business activity and elevating the quality of life for everyday Americans.

Travel serves as a catalyst for a productive U.S. economy and helps power the success of other industries. The U.S. travel industry generated a $2.6 trillion economic output in 2022 and supported 15 million jobs, fueling communities, small businesses and working families across the country.

Travel spending also generated nearly $160 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2022—revenue that helped fund critical public services while saving each U.S. household an average of $1,270 in taxes.

In Orleans County, the travel industry thrives on visitors coming to experience our world-class fishing, the Erie Canal and other historical assets such as the Medina Railroad Museum and Cobblestone Museum. In 2022, the bed tax that was collected exceeded $111,000. This reflects a 29% increase from 2021 which was a 26% increase from 2020.  We were fortunate to sustain during the peak of the pandemic in 2020 compared to 2019.

Orleans County Tourism is recognizing travel’s essential contributions by a number of promotional tools. This week, we are launching a new dynamic website to highlight all that Orleans County has to offer: OrleansCountyTourism.com.

This has a similar platform as the 4-county regional website, FreshAirAdventuresNY.com, that was launched in 2021. The information for each tourism related business will be expanded and featured on a dedicated page specific to that business. Viewers will be able to filter the listings and events by sub-category. And, we will have the ability to cross feed listings to both the county and regional websites simultaneously to expand our reach efficiently.

We are also expanding our partnerships so we can increase our social media campaigns and advertise in national magazines. Besides the 4-county Fresh Air Adventures campaign, we have partnered with Wyoming County to create “Lakes to Letchworth” and advertised in Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day and Country Living Magazines, which has generated over 1,000 leads to date. The “100 Must See Miles on the Erie Canal” is in partnership with Wayne, Monroe and Orleans Counties featuring the highlights along the 100 mile stretch from Medina to Clyde. We are in the process of developing a similar campaign with Niagara Falls USA.

In 2023, the tourism department expanded by introducing a part-time sportfishing coordinator, Ron Bierstine, on a contract basis. Ron contributes a wealth of fishing and conservation experience to Orleans County and the region. He writes weekly fishing reports and works closely with NYS DEC and Canals NY to enhance fishing locally and regionally. We haven’t had a sportfishing coordinator since 2017 when Mike Waterhouse retired.

The summer events rack card will be available for distribution this week that features the concert series and community events. There are currently over 50 live concerts scheduled that are expected to draw thousands of visitors from outside the county that will be frequenting our shops, restaurants and plan for extended stays.

We’re expanding our video library to include the series, Small Town WNY that was produced for interstitial programming for the Buffalo/Toronto PBS market. In 2022, we collaborated with several businesses in Medina and were able to produce four 8-minute episodes profiling the history and hidden gems of Medina. We will continue reaching out to other communities to showcase their “hidden gems”  in 2023.

“Travel is at the heart of Orleans County, powering a strong U.S. economy, creating jobs and strengthening our community’s culture and identity,” said Dawn Borchert, director of Tourism in Orleans County. “This National Travel and Tourism Week, we are proud to celebrate all that travel does for our community now, and all that it will contribute in the future.”

Please visit ustravel.org/NTTW to learn more about National Travel and Tourism Week and OrleansCountyTourism.com for the multiple reasons to visit Orleans County and invite your friends!

Press Release, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library

MEDINA – Residents of the Medina school district on Tuesday voted in favor of Lee-Whedon Memorial Library’s 2023-24 budget at the annual vote at the library. A total of 104 residents voted, with 94 approving the budget.

The 2023-24 budget reflects an increase of 2.8 percent increase over the current year.

Incumbent Isabella Mark was re-elected to another five-year term at the library’s annual meeting on Monday.