A winter weather advisory has been issued until midnight for Orleans, Genesee, Niagara and northern Erie counties.
The forecast calls for 2 to 5 inches of snow with winds gusting as high as 35 miles per hour. There will be periods of snow resulting in snow-covered roads and limited visibilities.
“Plan on slippery road conditions,” the Weather Service said. “The hazardous conditions could impact the evening commute.”
Return to topPress Release, Genesee Community College
BATAVIA – Genesee Community College is thrilled to announce the release of Associate Professor of History Derek Maxfield’s latest work, Man of Fire: William Tecumseh Sherman in the Civil War.
Part of the Emerging Civil War Series, published by Savas Beatie, the book is a biography of one of the Civil War’s more controversial generals.
According to Maxfield, his second book is special for its collaboration with his GCC colleagues. “You know, while I am proud of the biography,” Maxfield said, “I am especially proud of the contributions from my friends at GCC who wrote great essays for the appendix. Their work added to the quality of the book immeasurably.”
Man of Fire features appendices penned by GCC Associate Professor of English Tracy Ford, Associate Professor of English Michael Gosselin and Student Success Coach Jess Maxfield. Books that are part of the Emerging Civil War Series feature appendices following the main text that cover topics from the book in more depth.
“Each of these appendices explores a facet of Sherman’s career that sheds extra light on the main story Derek tells,” said series editor Dr. Chris Mackowski. “The books in the series are all story-driven, so there’s a real emphasis on narrative. Rather than disrupt Derek’s narrative flow, we parsed out some of these topics as appendices so we could really explore them. That makes the appendices added value for the reader.”
Mackowski said the appendices are also important as a way for Emerging Civil War to cultivate “emerging voices” in the field. “The appendices give those new writers the chance to earn publication experience,” he explained. “Being coupled with other ’emerging voices,’ along with the more-established author of the book, allows each writer to benefit from success of the entire group. The rising tide lifts all boats.”
Derek Maxfield
Man of Fire: William Tecumseh Sherman in the Civil War tells the story of a man who found himself in war – and that, in turn, secured him a place in history. Condemned for his barbarousness or hailed for his heroics, the life of this peculiar general is nonetheless compelling-and thoroughly American.
Forging an identity in the fire of war, the unconventional general kindled a friendship with Ulysses S. Grant and proved to everyone at Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Georgia, and in the Carolinas that while he was unorthodox, he was also brilliant and creative. More than that, he was eminently successful and played an important role in the Union’s victory.
Since joining GCC in 2009, Derek Maxfield has built a reputation as an exceptional storyteller, author, playwright, director and award-winning teacher. Twice awarded SUNY’s highest system-level honor, Maxfield was recognized in 2013 with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Scholarship and Creative Activities and in 2019 the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
He has written, directed and performed in a number of plays which have toured the country – including “Now We Stand by Each Other Always” in which he portrayed Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. More recently, Maxfield was commissioned by the Landmark Society of Genesee County to produce a play highlighting the Brisbane family of Batavia.
Maxfield in 2020 had his first book published, “HELLMIRA: The Union’s Most Infamous Civil War Prison Camp – Elmira, NY” which explores this notorious time period in the history of Elmira.
In celebration of the release of his new book, Maxfield is hosting a book launch party on Friday, March 17, from 6 to 9 p.m. at GO Art!, located at 201 East Main St. in Downtown Batavia. The event is free and open to all. Copies of Man of Fire will be available for sale and signing.
Man of Fire: William Tecumseh Sherman in the Civil War is available for purchase from Savas Beatie or Amazon.
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Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Burger King in Albion has been collecting donations this month for Supportive Care of Orleans and was at $3,456 as of 1:30 this afternoon.
Pictured from left include Sam Rogers, Krystle Hughson, Owen Mitchell, general manager Shelby Hollenbeck and assistant general manager Liz Lamay.
Hollenbeck said she is pleased by the response from the customers. Many give their change, or a dollar bill, while others have donated $20s, with several people giving a hundred dollars. Jim and Kerry Panek donated $1,000 to the organization that assist hospice patients and their families.
“People love to give to local organizations,” Hollenbeck said.
The Burger King will be accepting donations until tomorrow, and will then turn over the funds to Supportive Care of Orleans.
There are donations boxes inside the BK and also at the drive-through.
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Courtesy of Orleans County Department of Planning & Development: This map shows the zoning districts in the Village of Holley.
HOLLEY – The Village of Holley is looking to update its zoning map, including a large parcel of land on Bennetts Corners Road as commercial, an expansion of the light industrial zone going south of the railroad tracks, and more land designated as conservation near the Holley Waterfalls.
The Orleans County Planning Board recommended against the changes right now, saying the village first needs to update the comprehensive plan and zoning texts. Changing the map is the last step in the process, Planning Board members said during their meeting last Thursday.
Holley hasn’t updated the map since 2008. The village is working to update the comprehensive plan.
Jeff Martin, a local attorney and Holley resident, said the village has the steps in the process out of order. He said the village also needs to do a “type 1 action” or the longer environmental impact study because more than 25 acres are being rezoned.
Martin said about 40 percent of the total village acreage would be rezoned as part of the updated zoning map.
He is most concerned with rezoning 60 acres on Bennetts Corners Road near Route 31. A developer from Chicago wants to develop that agricultural land into a banquet facility with 100 parking spaces. Martin and another neighbor, Roger Passarell, would have that facility within view of their backyards. They both attended Thursday’s Planning Board meeting.
Martin said the zoning map change appears to be an effort “to legitimize this for the developer without going through the normal process of comprehensive plan and zoning amendments.”
Mylynda Kuba, Holley’s former code enforcement officer, said the village has already passed local laws for some of the zoning map changes, especially in the downtown business district.
“There are currently a lot of open zoning areas,” she said. “The current map doesn’t work. There’s a lot that needs to be done in the Village of Holley.”
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ALBION – The Orleans Koinonia Kitchen, which has been serving about 250 meals on Thursdays, will expand its efforts beginning this week.
Faith Smith, the kitchen’s director, said the OK Kitchen will start offering bags of food and an extra frozen meal.
“Our goal is to provide at least 4 days’ worth of food through one visit to the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen,” Smith said. “During Covid the government provided extra food stamps for many households including our seniors. As of March 1, that will be ending, leaving many households that were already struggling to feed themselves and their families to figure out how to stretch a dollar to feed everyone especially with the ever-increasing food prices.”
Smith said a new freezer purchased by David Mitchell of Mitchell Funeral Homes will be used to store soups, stews, chilis and other premade meals. Those meals will then be given out on Thursdays in addition to the regular weekly meal served at the kitchen from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
The plan beginning this Thursday will be to offer the usual eat-in meal, and now an additional to-go meal, a bag of food for at least another meal to be made at home, and a frozen cup of soup, stew, chili or pre-made meal that will include a biscuit, roll, bread or crackers (depending on the item) and a bagged dessert.
“All this is being done with the support and dedication from our community supporters, volunteers and donors,” Smith said.
The OK Kitchen started on June 2 at Harvest Christian Fellowship and served about 7,000 meals in the first seven months.
Smith said there are many supporters of the kitchen including several of the local churches including full support from the Medina Area Association of Churches (MAAC) and Pastors Aligned for Community Transformation (PACT).
Other contributors include Albion and Medina Lions Club, Albion Rotary Club, Albion Subway, Albion Central School teachers and students, The Knights of Columbus, Heritage Wind, SVD, Emma Reed Webster Foundation, Village of Albion employees, Albion Merchants Association, Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association, Albion Elks Lodge, Orleans VFW, Orleans County United Way, Mitchell Funeral Homes, Morrison Realty, Hu-Lane Farms, Burgio’s Hair Salon, Generations Bank, Cobblestone Federal Credit Union, Oak Orchard Chiropractic, Busy Buddies, GCASA, Take Form, Suburban Electric and many other private donations from community members.
For more information contact Smith at okkitchen2022@gmail.com, or the check the OK Kitchen website or Facebook page.
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Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The DSP Jazz Trio performs on Friday evening at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina. From left include Skip Taylor on the electronic drum set, Derek Reiss on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Pete Mark on trombone and vocals.
The jazz trio performed songs from the American Song Book and jazz standards. About 75 people attended the concert. That is about half of the usual crowd. Friday’s attendance was hindered by icy conditions outside.
The DSP Jazz Trio performs on Friday at Lee-Whedon. The group also is a frequent entertainer at the Bent’s Opera House in Medina.
There is one more concert in the nine-week Finally Fridays series with Step In Time playing Irish folk songs on March 3. The concert starts at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6.
The Medina library has hosted the series since 2002 with the 2021 concerts cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The series receives funding from the New York State Council on the Arts in a program administered by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.
The average price for regular unleaded gas is down 4 cents nationally in the past week to $3.37, and 4 cents state-wide to $3.45, AAA reported today. A year ago the average price nationally was at $3.60 per gallon and $3.80 in New York State.
In Orleans County, the average price is $3.46 today, which is down 3 cents from $3.49 a week ago.
The average diesel price is also down 8 cents in the past week in the state – from $5.13 a week ago to $5.05 today. The price was $5.295 a month ago and $4.246 a year ago.
AAA Western and Central New York issued the following statement about gas prices:
“The national average for a gallon of gas is down once again this week while prices in New York have fallen slightly across the board. Favorable oil prices continue to keep prices at the pump falling. This morning oil prices range from $77 to $83 per barrel, consistent with a week ago and well off the highs we saw last year.
“Diesel prices are also falling. The national average price for a gallon of diesel is $4.41, down 8 cents from a week ago. Here in New York the current average for diesel is $5.05, down 8 cents from last week.”
Here are the average prices for regular unleaded among WNY counties:
Press Release, Albion Ministerium
ALBION – After a three-year hiatus, Lenten lunches will resume this Wednesday, as hosted by the Albion Ministerium. The gatherings will take place at noon each Wednesday in March at the Albion Presbyterian Church, 29 East State St.
Participating congregations will take turns providing a simple meal of soup, sandwich, and cookies, with beverages also provided. At each event, a pastor from the community will lead a devotional message, and musicians will lead three well-known hymns.
Anyone from the Albion area is welcome to attend. A free will offering will be collected and used to offset expenses for future Ministerium-sponsored events, including the Baccalaureate service for Albion High School graduates in June.
The 2023 schedule of Albion Lenten lunches and leaders is:
With questions about the Lenten lunches or Albion Ministerium activities, contact Pastor Marsha Rivers at (585) 355-7373.
Return to topBUFFALO – Father Joseph Vatter, a retired priest in the Western New York Diocese, has been placed on administrative leave after an allegation he sexually abused a child, the Diocese announced.
Bishop Michael W. Fisher said the diocese is investigation the allegation. Prior to being placed on leave, Father Vatter was occasionally celebrating Masses at various diocesan churches. He previously served at St. Mary’s in Medina.
The diocese said this administrative leave is for the purpose of investigation and does not imply any determination as to the truth or falsity of the complaint.
The diocese said people with information specific to clerical sexual abuse are encouraged to contact Jackie Joy, victim assistance coordinator for the diocese, at 716-895-3010.
Return to topPress Release, Supportive Care of Orleans
ALBION – Supportive Care of Orleans is excited to announce its annual bouquet fundraiser, a fun and unique way for the community to support their local hospice organization while enjoying beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers.
This year’s fundraiser will begin on Monday and will last until Friday, March 3.
Bouquets will be sold for $10 each and will be available at the following walk-up locations:
“We are excited to host our annual bouquet fundraiser in support of our hospice fund which directly helps the patients and families we serve,” said Julia Alt, development coordinator at Supportive Care of Orleans.
For the first time, Supportive Care of Orleans also partnered with Della’s Chocolates in Medina, giving people another purchasing option. The boxes of truffles were on a first-come, first-serve basis during the pre-sales. There will be some limited boxes of truffles available the week of the sale.
Stop by any of the bouquet walk up locations and help make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.
“We believe that our flowers are a symbol of hope and positivity, and we hope that our event can help bring some joy and beauty into people’s lives while also supporting a worthy cause,” Alt said.
For more information on Supportive Care of Orleans and the annual bouquet fundraiser, please visit our website at www.supportivecareorleans.org or call us at (585) 589-0809.
About Supportive Care of Orleans:
Supportive Care of Orleans is a community-based organization on a mission to care for all those living with life-limiting illness in Orleans County, their caregivers, and their loved ones. We provide our patients and their families personalized medical treatment, counseling, spiritual support, and bereavement coordination.
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By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian
Illuminating Orleans – Vol. 3 No. 8
The Medina Historical Society will celebrate the variety and power of letters at its second annual “Letters Alive” program which will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27, at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina.
The Society’s first Letters Alive program generated a very positive response to the emotional power of the letters shared. Perhaps we are developing a greater appreciation of letters as the practice of letter-writing declines.
But how did those letters get from Point A to Point B? While researching the history of Lynhaven Cemetery this past summer, we discovered an interesting local link to one aspect of postal history.
Since its inception in 1775, the Postal Service has taken advantage of available forms of technology and transportation to expedite the efficient delivery of mail. Stagecoaches, steamboats, the Pony Express, dog sleds, airplanes and even balloons have played a part in the delivery of correspondence. The role of the railroad tends to be overlooked. However, the Railway Mail Service (RMS) played a central role in mail delivery to all areas of the country for over 100 years, ending as recently as 1977.
Responding to complaints about the inadequacy of stagecoach and steamboat mail delivery, President Martin Van Buren signed an act designating railroad routes as postal routes in 1838. In 1869, the RMS was officially designated to handle the sorting and designation of mail on trains. Working in specially designed carriages, Railway Post Office clerks sorted the mail for dispatch and delivery as they travelled.
The Lyndonville Train Station as it appeared in the 1900s. (Courtesy of the Town of Yates)
Millard Fillmore Toms, a Lyndonville resident, worked as a Railroad Post Office clerk. Born in 1856, he was the son of Harmon Toms and Catherine (Allen). A cooper by trade, Harmon Toms had moved to the Lyndonville area from the Mohawk Valley. The family lived on Maple Avenue in Lyndonville.
Millard learned coopering skills and later worked as a grocery store clerk. He married Matilda Jean (Jennie) Mael in 1880.
Thanks to the influence of State Assemblyman, Hon. H.M. Hard, who resided in Lyndonville, Millard secured a job as a mail clerk on the Ontario Division of the New York Central Railroad line in 1881.
Since trains ran on an exact schedule, employees were required to own a specific watch, which cost $50. Millard and his family borrowed, scrimped, and saved to purchase this watch.
At first, Millard worked locally, travelling from Rochester to Niagara Falls and back in one day. Though well-paid, the job was demanding and exacting. Railroad mail staff handled all postal processing functions: they sorted first-class, magazines and newspapers for dispatch to post offices along the route.
Clerks had to master a complex distribution network of routes, junctions, timetables, and local delivery details. They were periodically tested on their knowledge, accuracy, and speed. A score of 96% would warrant a warning.
The New York Central Railroad extended to Oswego in 1895, which meant longer hours for Millard, as the round trip to Niagara Falls took almost twenty-four hours.
In 1881, Millard and his wife purchased an old house outside of the village and had it moved to Maple Avenue. They also bought and operated a fruit farm on East Lake Shore Road. A daughter, Olive May, born in 1884, died in 1887 of typhoid fever. A second daughter, Imo, was born in 1888.
On November 7, 1905, Millard, then aged 49, was working aboard a train which was involved in a head-on collision with another train in Liverpool, NY. He died within a few hours and is buried at Lynhaven Cemetery. He had worked in the rail service for twenty-four years and eleven months. Millard took pride in his position and his work. His last words were “Look after my mail.”
(Source: A History of the Town of Yates in Orleans County / Gardepe & Register)
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Good afternoon! Grab your favorite cup. Fill it up.
Today I want to talk about how a little kindness can go a long way. You have probably heard the saying, “Be kind because everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle”, well I have found time and time again that there is a lot of truth in that—especially in the world that we live in today.
I know that sometimes it can be frustrating if you are waiting in a long line at the store or if there aren’t any bags at checkout but, rather than getting upset at the closest person on staff who is probably making minimum wage and has no control over the situation, I would suggest that you pause, offer the person a smile instead of a scowl, and maybe even say something to them like, “No bags again, huh? That’s got to be tough because it’s not your fault but you probably still take the heat for it.” Or maybe after a long wait in line, where you have heard other customers berating the cashier, when it gets to be your turn you might say, “It sounds like you are having a tough time. I really hope the rest of your shift goes better.” And, if you say it loud enough, maybe it will help set the tone for the others waiting in line behind you.
My friends and I actually had the opportunity to show kindness in this way not too long ago while having breakfast at a local restaurant. After arriving we were seated and had our orders taken shortly after. We then jumped into some good conversation, my two friends discussed world problems while one of their sons and I discussed more important matters like which new Lego sets were coming out, but after quite a long time had passed a lady who was not our waitress came to our table and said, “I’m very sorry but your order was lost.” She explained that she had noticed that some people who had come in after us were already finished and paying their bill so she went to find out about our order only to discover that it was missing. She wrote down what we had originally ordered, said she would put it right in, and thanked us for our patience and understanding.
It wasn’t really a big deal. We weren’t starving, our coffee cups were frequently filled, and we saw it as simply an opportunity to enjoy more time to fellowship together. A little while later we received our food, which was absolutely worth the wait by the way, and then the lady who had taken our original order came up to our table. She started to apologize saying that she was actually the owner of the restaurant and that she had taken our order because the waitress who was supposed to be there for the morning shift hadn’t shown up. She went on to explain that on her way back to the kitchen she had answered the phone since she saw that the call was coming from the hospital where her husband had recently been admitted. Then, after hearing some not so great news, she had walked away and forgotten all about our order.
We assured her that it wasn’t a problem and that we were not upset. We also asked what her husband’s name was so that we could pause and pray for him right then. After we finished our meal and went to leave she cashed us out and proceeded to give each of us hugs stating that we were the perfect table for that to happen to.
Now you might not think that we would enjoy being labeled as the perfect table to have our ticket lost but it was obviously a compliment, not only because of how we responded but also because of how we didn’t respond. Think about it… we could have been angry, we could have demanded that we get our food for free, we could have not left a tip, we could have got up and left, or we could have passive aggressively posted a bad review on social media. There are a number of ways that we could have reacted poorly in the moment, and I wish I could tell you that I have never been guilty of any of these things in the past, but any negative reaction would not have allowed us to offer comfort and kindness to someone who was obviously in need of both. Beyond that, how bad would we have felt after finding out the reason behind our order being lost?
I know that we all have times when we get busy and ate not as kind or as patient as we would normally be but it is in those moments that we have the opportunity to positively affect someone’s day by purposely slowing down, trying to picture the situation from the other person’s point of view, and then treating them the way that we would want to be treated. Go on and give it a try because, as Aesop the famous fable writer once observed, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
See you in two weeks!
Pastor Randy LeBaron
GASPORT – Christopher Slowey’s love of minerals has catapulted him into a thriving business.
The Gasport resident has always liked minerals and was drawn to the vendors who set up their wares at concerts.
Christopher Slowey demonstrates the ultraviolet properties of a pink mangano calcite obelisk, one of hundreds of minerals for sale at his Gasport business.
After running a redemption center for five years with a friend and then starting a collection agency, he realized he didn’t like that, but had saved up enough money to do something he was passionate about.
That turned out to be collecting and selling precious minerals and forming Mellow Slow Minerals.
The Covid pandemic hurt huis business, but he has regrouped and with online sales booming, he outgrew his basement and leased two spaces in a warehouse at 8417 East Ave.
His business is mostly wholesale, but once a month he opens the doors for individual and wholesale sales. One of those occasions is this weekend, when the public is invited to stop and shop, including today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free and there will be free giveaways, deals and new inventory, he said.
Slowey recently returned from out west where he spent a month mining and attending mineral shows. He said while mining, they came across never-before discovered rocks which they believe have dinosaur bones in them. He took them to a mineral show in Tucson, where Slowey said they turned some heads.
Collecting minerals is big business in Tucson and the whole city is inundated in February with collectors and mineral shows.
Slowey’s showroom in Gasport is filled with tables of rocks of all colors and shapes from all over the world. He has amethyst from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada; Labradorite from Brazil; mangano calcite from Pakistan; scolecites from India; and many others from Africa and Australia.
He explained people collect minerals for a number of reasons, including metaphysical and geological.
White scolecites from India and moss agate pendants are among dozens of minerals at Christopher Slowey’s showroom.
“I respect both reasons, but mainly I collect them because I like the beauty,” Slowey said.
He explained, for instance, that Labradorite is a polished stone with amazing colors, which Native Americans used to meditate in front of. Scolecite from India can have tiny water bubbles which can be seen moving inside.
He also has many pieces of jewelry made from minerals, such as rings, bracelets and pendants.
Many of his customers come from Orleans County and he would like to see a local business, such as a salon, sell his minerals. Currently The Flo on Allen Street in Buffalo, Fuse Salon on Hurtle Avenue in Buffalo and Elevated Smoke Shop in Cheektowaga are among others who sell his products.
Anyone who cannot attend the weekend show, but would like to make an appointment during the week can contact him on Facebook, at Piunth@gmail.com or by calling or texting (585) 866-9104.
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Photos by Tom Rivers: Joe Gacy applies lots of pressure on Kevin Bennett during their wrestling match on May 4, 2019 during the “Fairground Fallout: Return of the Empire.” That was the last time Empire State Wrestling held an event in Orleans County. The wrestlers will be back on April 15, this time in a bigger venue at the Medina Junior-Senior High School gym.
MEDINA – The pro wrestlers who entertained crowds for events in 2018 and 2019 will be back in Orleans County on April 15.
Empire State Wrestling will bring the “Spring Smash” with eight or nine matches to the medina Junior-Senior High School gym. That is a change from the previous events at the Lartz Building at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.
The gym has more seating room, higher ceilings for wrestlers to jump off the top ropes, a bigger parking area and more heat.
Ryan McPherson, the event chairman, expects at least 500 people for the wrestling. That would be up from the high of 350 at the fairgrounds. The event will continue as a fundraiser for the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.
“We’re very excited,” McPherson said today about the return of the wrestlers. “We were happy with the turnout before. Everybody who came had great things to say. We are hoping this will be an even bigger draw.”
There will be four wrestlers with local ties in the ring on April 15: Thomas Green “Big Budget” of Albion; Kevin Lockwood (aka Kevin Blackwood), an Albion native; Gavin “A Cut Above the Rest” Glass, a Medina native; and Jacob Miller (aka Maxx Cannon) of Medina, also known as “The Filthy One.”
Medina’s Gavin Glass was in action during the May 4, 2019 at the fairgrounds. He waits to get tagged in by his partner Rob Sweet. Glass, a 2015 Medina graduate, will be back on April 15.
McPherson said there will be discounts for students in grades 12 and younger at $10 each while general admission for adults in $20. Kids under 3 can get in for free with an adult. There also is a four-pack ticket option for adults at $60.
“We are instituting special pricing for grade school students and hope to make this our largest and most family-friendly event to date,” he said.
McPherson said the half of the ringside tickets have already sold. He appreciates the school hosting the event. There will be mats on the floor and the ring will be set up on that to protect the floor.
The doors will open at 5 p.m. with the first match at 6. The action should continue until 8:30 or 9 p.m.
Several of the fans at the fairgrounds wrestling events exclaimed about the athleticism of the wrestlers, and how physical the matches were. There were drop-kicks, body slams and other moves. McPherson said many of the fans felt like it was WWE.
“It is definitely not fake,” he said.
McPherson urged people to take in the spectacle of the event, with the many colorful characters and strongmen.
“There is a ton of excitement,” he said. “I think everyone will be blown away by how much fun it will be.”
For more information on tickets, click here.
Kevin (Lockwood) Blackwood, an Albion native, pins Scotty O’Shea during one of the matches on April 28, 2018 during the debut “Fairgrounds Fallout.”
ALBION – The Orleans County Emergency Management Office has a new director and deputy director to help the county prepare and respond to disasters and other emergencies.
Justin Niederhofer, the former deputy, took over as director on Nov. 17, succeeding the retiring Dale Banker.
Scott Buffin started on Jan. 23 as the new deputy director.
Niederhofer, 42, started as deputy director on April 15, 2020, in the early throes of the Covid-19 pandemic. He managed the delivery of sanitizer, masks and other PPE to municipalities and frontline workers. He also teamed with the Health Department in setting up and running testing and vaccine sites. He and Banker also helped a task force facilitate discussions on local EMS services.
Justin Niederhofer, in red turnout gear, pulls a basketball backboard and hoop from a garage so firefighters could get water in the upper part of the structure on Goodrich Street in Albion. This fire was on Jan. 10, 2022. Niederhofer served as Carlton fire chief from 2019 and 2021 and often responded to calls throughout the county when he was the deputy emergency management coordinator.
Niederhofer is a 20-year veteran of the Air Force. He was working for the U.S. Department of Defense, leading a team of 10 in overseeing manufacturers with Defense contracts when he took the job with the county about three years ago.
“I want to make the community a better and safer place,” he said.
Niederhofer served as Carlton fire chief in 2019 and 2020 and remains an active responder.
Buffin, 42, is a former Lyndonville fire chief who most recently was working with Mercy Flight in Batavia as a paramedic supervisor. Buffin has been a volunteer firefighter since 19.
Both agree that a declining number of active volunteer firefighters is becoming a critical issue. Buffin sought out becoming a volunteer firefighter and a basic EMT soon after high school. He remembered when a firefighter addressed his Boy Scout troop and that message of service to the community stuck with him.
He urges people to try volunteering with their fire department, even if it’s in an administrative role and they don’t want to go to fire scenes or car accidents.
“There is no magic bullet to recruit and retain these volunteers,” Buffin said.
Scott Buffin, right, and fire investigator Cole Hardenbrook head to the scene of a mobile home on fire on Allis Road on Feb. 14. The county has a team of five fire investigators.
There are currently about 300 active firefighters in the county. That may only be about a third of number from even a generation ago. Fire departments increasing are relying on neighboring departments for mutual aid to battle fires.
Niederhofer said he is encouraged by state legislation that would provide some tax incentives for volunteer firefighters. But he knows that ultimately people are feeling time- and money-crunched and don’t feel they can make a big commitment as a volunteer firefighter.
He asks people to keep an open mind, even if they don’t come from a firefighting family, to see how they could contribute to their local fire department.
“There is a job for everyone,” he said. “It could be administrative or providing support on the ground.”
The emergency management office was a big part of the task force looking at EMS services locally. The group of local officials, fire chiefs and ambulance service providers in the county met several times in 2022 as part of an EMS Task Force.
The volunteer ambulances are now all gone in the county, following the dissolution of the Kendall Fire Department Ambulance on Dec. 31, 2022. COVA also ended in Albion with Mercy Flight now running those ambulances.
Monroe Ambulance will begin service as the primary ambulance provider on April 16 in central Orleans County. Monroe is committing to keeping two ambulances in central and eastern Orleans.
Mercy Flight also is intending to keep one ambulance in Albion 24-7 and a second from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. during a transition year. The seven towns in central and eastern Orleans are expected to discuss a longer-term contract later this year for ambulance services.
Niederhofer said he expects there will be a task force in the near future about the shrinking pool of available firefighters. He doesn’t want to wait until it’s an absolute crisis before looking at solutions to ensure there are enough responders in the community.
Scott Buffin, left, and Justin Niederhofer both have many years of service as local first responders. In back is a fire training tower at left and the former civil defense center which is the emergency management office.
The emergency management office also oversees a team of fire investigators, facilitates training classes for firefighters, and works with fire departments to best utilize equipment and specialized teams, including a rope rescue team for responses in quarries, ravines along the Oak Orchard River and local creeks, and steep embankments at state parks.
The office also helps manage the emergency communications system and recently added the new responsibility of cybersecurity for assisting municipalities that could be vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The office will help the municipalities with computer security as part of continuum of operation plans.
“There is never anything that comes off of our plant,” Niederhofer said. “More gets added.”
The county also is looking to upgrade the emergency management office, which is in a bunker-style civil defense center built in 1962. That building on West Countyhouse Road has the backup dispatch for the county in case the 911 consoles are out of commission at the public safety building.
Niederhofer and Buffin also need to be ready to respond to any disaster or emergency. In 2017 and 2019, for example, the high Lake Ontario levels was a long state of emergency and the emergency management office worked to secure sandbags, Agua-Dams and fortified breakwalls for property owners.
The Covid pandemic has been another long response. The EMO continues to secure Covid test kits and distribute them to municipalities.
“Covid is still here,” Niederhofer said. “We’re still dealing with it, but the impacts aren’t as severe.”
Other emergencies are short-term and could include helping to secure housing for residents whose homes were damaged in a fire. The EMO will reach out to the Red Cross for assistance.
The emergency management office also will team with the local Department of Health and Red Cross in setting up emergency shelters if there are extended power outages, such as during the blizzard near Christmas.
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