MURRAY – The Town of Murray will hold a public forum on Thursday, March 2, at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall, 3840 Fancher Rd. as part of the Town of Murray Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan.
Farmers, farmland owners, residents and others interested in the future of farming and farmland in the Town of Murray are invited to attend.
The program on March 2 will include an overview of the town’s agricultural resources and the Agricultural & Farmland Protection Plan as well as presentations on the following topics:
Technical assistance and science-based educational programs, including resources for small farms and new and beginning farmers (Robert Batt, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County)
Agricultural Environmental Management and Agricultural Use Assessment (Katie Sommerfeldt, Orleans County Soil & Water Conservation District)
Orleans County Agricultural District Program (Barbara Johnston, LaBella Associates)
The Town’s Agricultural & Farmland Protection Plan will recommend strategies to increase economic opportunities for farms, retain high quality farmland for continued agricultural production and support the contributions of agriculture to the regional economy.
A survey of farmers and farmland owners is underway. The Town expects to complete the Agricultural & Farmland Protection Plan by Fall 2023.
A Steering Committee comprised of Michael Mele, Alex Penna, Amy Machamer, Robert Batt (Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County) and James Bensley (Orleans County Planning Director) is working with the Town’s planning consultant (LaBella Associates) to prepare the Town’s Agricultural & Farmland Protection Plan.
For more information, please contact one of the Steering Committee members or planning consultant Barbara Johnston at (585) 295-6636.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 February 2023 at 11:00 am
ALBION – A Buffalo was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison today by Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church.
Dennis Bach, 36, pleaded guilty on Nov. 16 to to fourth-degree grand larceny. He admitted to taking about $11,000 worth of construction supplies from Pride Pak in Medina.
Judge Church ordered Bach to pay restitution to Pride Pak and also issued an order of protection for Bach to stay away from the company’s property on Maple Ridge Road.
Bach’s attorney Jeffrey Malaber asked the judge to sentence Bach to five years of probation so he could work and support his family. Malaber said this is Bach’s first felony conviction.
“He stands prepared to prove to the court that this isn’t who he is and won’t be who he is going forward,” Malaber told the judge.
Judge Church said he will recommend the option of shock camp in prison, which could be a sentence of about six months if the Department of Corrections accepts Bach into the program.
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the 2023 dates for Free Freshwater Fishing Days in New York. The requirement for a freshwater fishing license is waived during the following six days this year: February 18 to 19; June 24 to 25; National Hunting and Fishing Day, September 23; and November 11.
“Free fishing days offer established anglers an opportunity to share their passion for fishing with those who may be newer to the sport,” Governor Hochul said. “Spreading these days throughout the year gives anglers of all ages, abilities, and experience levels a chance to fish across the seasons and discover the abundant fishing opportunities in New York – benefiting our local economies in the process.”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “Over the years, DEC has received feedback from people who permanently picked up the sport after attending one of New York’s free freshwater fishing days, and that’s something we love to hear. Fishing New York’s world-class waters is more than just an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors all year long, it’s a perfect chance to spend time and connect with family and friends.”
Colder weather is creating great ice fishing opportunities, with popular species to target through the ice in New York including yellow perch; northern pike; walleye; lake trout; brown trout; Atlantic salmon; and black crappie.
Those interested in ice fishing should check the thickness of ice before leaving the shore. Four inches of solid clear ice is usually safe for anglers accessing ice on foot. However, ice thickness can vary between waterbodies and even within the same waterbody, increasing the need to ensure thickness.
Anglers should be particularly cautious of areas of moving water and around boat docks and houses where bubblers may be installed to reduce ice from forming. Checking the ice can easily be done with an auger or spud bar at various spots.
In addition, fishing with a family member or friend is also encouraged for safety. Local bait and tackle shops are a great source for finding out where there is safe ice and what anglers are catching. For more information on ice fishing, including prominent fish species plentiful during the winter months and tips on ice safety, visit DEC’s ice fishing website.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 February 2023 at 9:03 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Jeff Schiffer takes the oath of office as a new member of the Shelby Town Board on Monday evening. Town Clerk Darlene Rich administers the oath.
SHELBY – The Town Board has a new town councilman and also a new town justice.
The board appointed Jeff Schiffer to fill a vacancy on the board created by the resignation of Ryan Wilkins.
Schiffer is retired after a 36-year career with the state Department of Corrections, working as a corrections officer, counselor, sergeant and supervising counselor. He worked at the Albion, Orleans and Attica prisons.
Ed Grabowski
“I love everybody around here,” Schiffer said about the town. “I just want to try to help.”
Schiffer’s appointment brings the Town Board to full strength at five members. The board on Dec. 13 also appointed Scott Wengewicz as the Shelby town supervisor following the resignation of Jeff Smith from that position on Oct. 12.
The board on Monday also filled a vacant town justice position. Ed Grabowski will serve in the role following the resignation of Dawn Keppler on Dec. 2. She was a town justice since 1999.
Grabowski, an attorney and a retired criminal justice teacher at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES, was a town justice from 1990 to 1994. He also was a police officer for eight years from 1973 to 1981.
Grabowski has worked as an attorney for the past 25 years. He also represents Medina as a member of the Orleans/Niagara BOCES school board.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 February 2023 at 8:21 am
A high wind warning is in effect today from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for Orleans, Niagara, Genesee and northern Erie counties.
There will be southwest winds from 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected, the National Weather Service in Buffalo said.
“Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines,” the Weather Service said. “Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.”
Today is forecast to be partly sunny with a high near 65. Thursday’s high will be near 43 followed by a high near 28 on Friday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 February 2023 at 9:05 pm
MEDINA – Voters in the school district today approved a proposed $34,357,277 capital project by a 269-43 vote. That is 86.5 percent of the votes in favor of the project.
The project includes significant work at the three school buildings, plus the bus garage.
There won’t be any new taxes as part of the capital project. District officials said the cost will be covered through $29,895,213 from state building aid (87 percent of the total cost), $2,750,000 from capital reserve and $1,712,064 by retiring debt service payments, resulting in a “tax neutral” financing plan, district superintendent Dr. Mark Kruzynski said in a letter to the community.
After the vote totals were announced at about 8:15 p.m. in the district office, he thanked the community for supporting the project.
“This will improve the roads, the security, the traffic flow and our entire program,” he said.
The district will work to finalize design spefications to be sent to the state Department of Education for their approval. That is expected to take six to eight months. He expects the project will go out to bid around Thanksgiving. The work could be spread out over two to three years, Kruzynski said.
Here is a breakdown of the capital project:
Junior/Senior High School – $17,324,760
Reconstruct secure entrance vestibule
Reconstruct Main Office including lock-down security notification
New Choral Room (including new office and practice rooms)
New Band Room addition (including new offices, practice rooms, and storage)
New Music Storage Room with stage access
Replace stage curtains and add stage outlets
New STEAM Classroom
New Technology Computer Lab
New Technology Wood Shop addition (including exterior dust collector system)
New Greenhouse addition
New first-floor connector link to provide access to new classrooms
New first-floor classrooms at former District Office
New 8’ wide corridor including new single ADA-compliant toilet rooms
New first-floor boys’ and girls’ toilet rooms
New second-floor boys’ and girls’ toilet rooms
Reconstruct existing roadways and parking areas
New shared bus arrival/dismissal parking area for Jr/Sr High School and Intermediate School
Clifford H. Wise Intermediate – $9,769,533
Reconstruct secure entrance vestibule
Reconstruct Main Office including lock-down security notification
Reconstruct existing Pool (including pool tank, gutter, deck, mechanical equipment, and lighting)
Reglaze and reseal windows with failed seals
Reconstruct select mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems throughout the building, including generator replacement, panel board replacement, sanitary piping replacement, sump pump replacement and crawlspace drainage improvements
Reconstruct existing roadways and parking areas: reconstruct existing exit onto Gwinn Street and expanded parking and roadway configuration
Oak Orchard Primary School – $6,198,091
Reconstruct secure entrance vestibule
Reconstruct Main Office including lock-down security notification
New District Office in former Media Center
Reconstruct Girls’ Locker Room to provide ADA-compliant toilets adjacent to Cafeteria and Gymnasium
New Media Center
New Computer Lab
Reconstruct select mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems throughout the building, including panel board replacement, sanitary piping replacement and crawlspace drainage improvements
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 February 2023 at 4:06 pm
Village expects to have public information meeting in near future on fire hall expansion, new ladder truck
MEDINA – Mayor Mike Sidari wants to build public support for a new ladder truck and an expanded fire hall to accommodate that big fire apparatus.
The board will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 27 to tour the fire hall and see the shortcomings of that facility: including doors that only have about 2 inches of clearance for fire trucks, sunken and uneven floors, and cracks in the walls.
Sidari said he would like to have the public also see the deficiencies of the building in person. He said the fire department has a clear need for a bigger and more modern fire hall.
The board in November received a report from the Barton & Loguidice firm that estimated the fire addition, plus repairs to the current fire hall, would be about $4.5 million. That doesn’t include the cost for the new ladder truck which could be in the $1.5 million to $2 million range, depending on when the village commits to the truck.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The current fire hall barely has clearance for fire trucks and the building needs some repairs. Newer fire trucks are too tall for the current bays.
The prices have been rising fast in recent years, with a shortage of materials and lead time now over 3 years from when the truck is ordered to when it is ready.
Fire Chief Matt Jackson told the Village Board on Monday the current lead time is 39 to 41 months.
Jackson and the fire department in recent years have been urging the Village Board to commit to a new ladder truck and a bigger fire hall.
“There is no doubt we have been dragging our feet,” Sidari said during Monday’s board meeting. “The biggest thing is we need the public buy-in. If we don’t, you know what will happen. It will be all over social media and it will get ugly.”
Sidari would like there to be public information meetings for residents to learn more about the need for the ladder truck and bigger building.
The board also wants to expand the village office next to the fire hall door on Park Avenue.
Barton & Loguidice put the fire hall addition at $4.5 million with the addition to the village office at up to $1.5 million. With furnishings for the two buildings, the total cost could be close to $7 million, Sidari said.
The plan for the fire hall includes an addition approximately 62 feet, 8 inches by 88 feet, 8 inches.
The addition would be on the current fire hall on the west side in an area that is currently a parking lot. That addition is needed to house a new ladder truck.
The current ladder truck is from 1996. That truck has a ladder that is 75 feet long. That truck has a clearance of 10.4 feet but the space in the garage is 10 feet, 6 inches, Jackson said.
The new ladder trucks have a clearance of 13 feet. The design for the new hall addition would have bays that allow up to 14 feet.
With a new space for fire trucks, the ambulances could be moved to the current fire house. The space for the ambulances right now could be used for police cars or perhaps as a meeting area, Sidari said.
The fire hall project also would include:
A new public entry, radio room/office, laundry room, EMS room, restrooms, Decon room, gear room, mechanical room, tool room, and apparatus bay with the existing apparatus bay being repurposed to house the village ambulances.
A mezzanine space will be located along the perimeter of the new apparatus bay with file storage and office space accessed from the existing building second floor hallway.
A new air and vapor barrier membrane and new exterior cladding system will be installed over the existing concrete masonry unit wall construction of the existing fire station, and the existing overhead sectional doors will be relocated and replaced allowing for adequate clearances around the ambulance apparatus bay.
The renewal of the building’s existing façade will result in creating a weather tight envelope while simultaneously allowing the cladding system of the addition to carry over creating a cohesive look to the updated facility.
The existing concrete slab in the existing ambulance apparatus bay will be replaced, including the installation of new trench drainage and epoxy floor finish.
The outdated emergency generator located south of the alley will be replaced and upgraded to accommodate the fire station and addition.
“We really have to get buy-in from the village residents,” Sidari said. “Let’s show them why we really need this.”
Sidari would like to see chalk markings on the outside of the current fire hall to show the height needed for a new ladder truck. He also said residents should be invited to see firefighters move the big trucks in and out of the fire hall, to see the tight fit.
They also can see the other damage in the building, which Barton & Loguidice estimated would cost about $600,000 to fix.
The village is considering a 42 by 48 foot addition with a vestibule on the side that is 7 feet by 10 feet, 8 inches. That addition primarily would include meeting space.
The project would include two fully accessible restrooms and drinking fountains, as well as more parking. A window would be eliminated in the employee breakroom, and a hallway reconfigured to the new addition.
Barton & Loguidice said the village office addition presents infrastructure challenges similar to the fire station addition. Although there is no underground electrical service, there may be utility work associated with the construction of the new restrooms to connect into the sanitary piping within Park Avenue’s right of way, the report states.
The Village Board is looking to expand the village office and add some parking in the greenspace area west of the current village office on Park Avenue.
Registration has opened for Canal Clean Sweep 2023. Parks & Trails New York, in partnership with the NYS Canal Corporation, is organizing the 18th annual Canal Clean Sweep April 21-23 in celebration of Earth Day.
Community service clubs, co-workers at a business or organization, Scouts or even families are encouraged to register for a spot or section of the canal. Or they can check back later to register as a volunteer for a public event. Use the Event Finder Map on Parks & Trails website.
Most events will occur on Earth Day weekend, April 22-24. However, volunteers can pick another day if it works better.
Click here to fill out a form to register a Canal Clean Sweep event, indicating the clean-up location, how many volunteers are expected, and what t-shirt sizes are needed.
After registering for a Canal Clean Sweep event, Parks & Trails will provide more information and materials.
Last year, not-for-profit organizations, civic groups, businesses, and social clubs took part in more than 130 events along the Canal System and the Canalway Trail as 2,700 volunteers helped clean up nearly 1,500 bags of garbage.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 February 2023 at 2:38 pm
Specific projects likely at least a year away from approval
Provided photo: Mayor Mike Sidari, right, holds a ceremonial check for $4.5 million after the governor’s presentation on Monday. Joining him from right to left include: Village Trustee Tim Elliott, Kathy Blackburn, Diana Baker, Village Trustee Jess Marciano, Scott Robinson of the Medina Area Partnership and David Flynn.
MEDINA – The long-awaited news on Monday that Medina was a big winner for projects in the downtown and near the waterfront is a “transformative moment for Medina,” said Mayor Mike Sidari.
He attended an event in Rochester on Monday when Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $4.5 million Forward NY grant for Medina. The Village of Geneseo also was awarded a $4.5 million grant and the Village of Perry won the big $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant for the Finger Lakes Region.
Sidari is thrilled with the $4.5 million coming to Medina. He praised the business community and a team of village officials and volunteers who have been pursuing the $10 million DRI for six years now. Medina made it as a finalist before, but never secured the funding until Monday.
The state this year broke up the downtown revitalization grants. There are still $10 million DRI winners among 10 regions in the state, but the state is giving smaller Forward NY grants of up to $4.5 million for villages or hamlets.
Sidari said there is still more hard work to do before tapping into the money. The State Department of State will send a representative to Medina in about two weeks to go over the next steps.
Sidari said he expects a committee will be formed of village officials and the business community to zero in on specific projects, get commitments from property owners and construction estimates, and then send those projects to the state for final approval.
That is expected to take much of this year before the state finalizes the projects, and then the work could proceed in perhaps a year. But it could take longer. Sidari noted some of the construction projects in Batavia didn’t get started until last year – more than four years after Batavia was awarded the $10 million DRI in October 2017.
“Hopefully at the end of this year we can announce our projects,” he said on Monday evening. “The process will get started it about two weeks. I expect it will be about two years before we see changes.”
The $4.5 million grant from the state will push Medina forward, Sidari said, “advancing opportunity for entrepreneurs, job creation, generation of tax revenue and ultimately attracting more young families and tourists.”
Photo from Governor’s Office: Gov. Kathy Hochul announces a $4.5 million Forward NY grant for the Village of Medina during a presentation on Monday at The Theater at Innovation Square in Rochester.
Medina’s application included seven proposals for funding, but those aren’t necessarily how the money will be allocated. It’s almost guaranteed those seven proposals won’t be funded at the levels in the application because Medina didn’t get the $10 million.
Sidari said the $4.5 million will still make a big impact in the downtown area. “I think it will be just enough money for what we need to do,” he said.
The proposals in Medina application include:
• Small project grant fund for Main Street, West Avenue – $1 million estimated cost with $500,000 of grant.
This project is designed to support façade (a building’s street-facing elevation) improvements to commercial and mixed-use properties on Main Street that benefit both the businesses occupying those buildings and the community as a whole. Necessary updates include paint, brick, wood, awnings/canopies, lighting, windows and doors.
“Improvements to the street-facing exteriors of the buildings in need are meant to preserve the unique small-town charm in our community while spurring economic growth,” the village’s application states.
• Renovation and activation of upper stories, Main Street and West Avenue – $800,000 with $400,000 from grant.
Medina’s Main Street and downtown have proudly seen a relatively low first floor vacancy rate, while many of the upper stories remain vacant and underutilized, according to the application.
The property owners of the buildings located at 509 Main Street, 345 Main Street, 425 Main Street, and 525 West Avenue have shown interest in the following renovations: structural, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, new windows and a sprinkler system.
The building owners will be contributing to the rehabilitation costs. These spaces will offer expanded commercial space as well as additional housing and help create a more vibrant and active downtown, according to the application.
• Way-finding signage throughout village for $100,000.
While Medina contains many unique assets and historic resources, in many instances visitors may not be knowledgeable about the close proximity of the Erie Canal and other recreational resources. Conversely, those traveling by boat or bicycle on the Erie Canal may be unaware of the vibrant downtown that is steps away from the Canal Basin, which is part of the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, according to the village’s application
Potential signage types for downtown may include gateway signs, directional signs (vehicular and pedestrian), kiosks and interpretive signs, identification signs (destinations and parking areas), and light pole banners.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Medina in its application sought $100,000 of the grant to better direct people to attractions in the village. This photo is from Main Street this past December. Medina also is seeking to upgrade a municipal parking lot behind Main Street and East Center Street.
• Municipal parking lot upgrades at area behind Main Street and East Center Street – Estimated cost $500,000 with $300,000 from grant.
There is a large parking lot that lies to the southeast of the intersection at Main Street and East Center Street within walking distance of many businesses. The underutilized lot offers more than 50 much-needed parking spaces but needs enhancements including paving, directional signs (vehicular and pedestrian), green space/trees that provide shade and drainage, security cameras, safe pedestrian connections and additional lighting.
“These changes will help attract the attention of visitors and provide a necessary relief to existing parking infrastructure,” village officials stated in the application.
The village would like to improve a municipal parking lot to add more spaces and make the site more attractive.
• State Street Park – $300,000 for updated playground equipment and a small ice rink, bicycle amenities, seating benches and additional lighting.
“Despite recent improvements, including the addition of a small pavilion that allowed the park to host a summer concert series, State Street Park remains relatively underutilized, especially in the off-season,” village officials said.
• Mustang City: adaptive reuse of old high school at 324 Catherine St., $9 million project, $3 million in grant requested.
Mustang City will be a loft-style community set in the historic former Medina High School building. This project will involve the restoration and adaptive reuse of the historic structure, transforming its 90,000 square-foot floor area into 40 loft apartments. Mustang City will fulfill Medina’s need for additional housing options and will allow for a new kind of “maintenance-free” living, with amenities and services including grocery delivery, cleaning, and laundry pickup. This project is already underway with over 100 new windows and a new roof.
• Medina Railroad Museum: seeking $1.5 million.
The Medina Railroad Museum draws approximately 40,000 people annually. It recently invested $40,000 in the construction of a panel track to display box cars and house new exhibit and cafe spaces as well as restrooms and is also in the process of creating a continuous boarding platform.
The museum envisions these investments as part of a larger plan to expand its footprint and to create more of a campus-like complex. The campus will extend east from the existing museum building to the old train station near Main Street, creating a visible and intriguing presence along the main thoroughfare, according to the village application.
The train station building (currently used as the senior center) is owned by the village. The Railroad Museum would to see it become a welcome center and small exhibit space, attracting people off Main Street and to the museum (while the senior center would be relocated to Village Hall).
A landscaped pedestrian plaza will connect the train station to the existing museum building. Site improvements at the existing museum will include visitor experience enhancements, roof upgrades, parking lot paving, as well as landscape beautification. On the southern side of the tracks, the campus plan calls for the creation of a park-like courtyard space adjacent to the library. This courtyard will include the installation of two, permanent dining cars – to be rented out for weddings and other events – as well as an enclosed pole barn building, which will be used to store and repair cars, according to the application.
Provided photo: State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt speaks at the podium while joined by members of the NYS Senate Republican Conference.
Press Release, Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt
ALBANY – In response to a fiscally irresponsible state budget proposal that continues uncontrolled state spending, State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and members of the Republican Conference on Monday unveiled their vision to provide relief and create “A More Affordable New York.”
This is one of several impactful initiatives being proposed as part of the conference’s Rescue New York Agenda. While Governor Hochul and her Democratic allies in the Legislature continue ignoring everyday New Yorkers with the same old tax-and-spend routine, the Senate Republican Conference is putting forward real solutions to help the middle class and build a stronger economy statewide.
“We have actionable, achievable solutions to make our state affordable again,” Ortt said. “The policies coming from the Hochul Administration and her allies on the left aren’t just wrong, they are irresponsibly out of touch with reality and they’re driving people out of the state. While hundreds of thousands of middle class families are struggling to afford everyday necessities, the Democrats led by Kathy Hochul are prioritizing $300 million for individuals who are here illegally. While seniors on fixed incomes worry about their heating bills, they’re moving to ban fossil fuel hook-ups to new and existing buildings and drive costs up even further.”
The Republican Conference specifically called out several Executive Budget proposals that would exacerbate New York State’s lack of affordability, including:
Eliminating enhanced Medicaid payments to local governments, which would create enormous pressure to increase local property taxes;
Increasing unemployment insurance taxes on already struggling small businesses and farms;
Further increasing payroll taxes in the MTA region; and
Siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars in state money into New York City to pay for the settlement of illegal immigrants.
In contrast, the Senate Republicans’ “A More Affordable New York” initiative will put money back into the pockets of taxpayers and make our state affordable once again as families continue to struggle with rising costs due to record high inflation, including:
Eliminating costly unfunded mandates that drive up local property taxes;
Protecting businesses from unemployment insurance tax hikes by creating an Unemployment Insurance Solvency Reserve Fund and repealing the interest assessment surcharge, which is the assessment on businesses to pay back the UI Trust Fund’s deficit;
Repealing Congestion Pricing; and
Providing relief from heating costs geared toward the middle class.
Provided photo: Tim Winters, president and CEO of Western New York Energy in Medina, gives Congresswoman Claudia Tenney a tour of the facility on Bates Road.
MEDINA – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) on Monday visited Niagara and Orleans counties to visit local businesses and discuss the issues facing small business owners in Western New York.
Congresswoman Tenney began her day by touring Western New York Energy, the only ethanol biofuel producer in New York. During her visit to the facility on Bates Road in Medina, she toured the new expansion of the facility and spoke with employees about their work to produce renewable energy.
Tenney then met with business and community leaders in Orleans County to discuss how to promote business growth in the region. Following the meet and greet, Tenney toured Medina Business Park, where local officials showed her how they are working to promote business growth in the county.
The day ended with a visit to Rubberform in Niagara County. Tenney met with employees and business leaders and highlighted her recent introduction of the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act to boost investments in American manufacturing. The Congresswoman introduced the AIM Act in the House of Representatives earlier this year alongside Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL).
Tenney was joined by various elected officials and community leaders throughout her visits, including Michael Dobell, the CEO/CFO of Orleans County Economic Development; Gabrielle Barone, the Vice President of Development of Orleans County Economic Development; Timothy Winters, the President and CEO of Western New York Energy LLC; William Eick, the Orleans County Legislator, District 1; Michael Sidari, Mayor of the Village of Medina; Sean Pogue, Supervisor of Town of Barre; and Don Allport, Orleans County Legislator.
In Niagara County, the Congresswoman was joined by Rick Abbott, Niagara County Legislator; Tony Nemi, Niagara County Legislator; Michael Casale, Commissioner of the Niagara County Department of Economic Development; and Bill Robbins, the President and Founder of RubberForm Recycled Products LLC.
“It was a great honor to visit Orleans and Niagara counties and meet with several local small businesses,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “Family-owned and locally-operated businesses are the backbone of Western New York’s economy and provide thousands of jobs across New York’s 24th district.
“As a small business owner, I know firsthand the struggles these companies face operating in a business un-friendly state like New York, and it was great to speak with them about their priorities. I am committed to fighting for them in Congress. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, one of my top priorities is to support legislation that eases the tax burden on small businesses, boosts employment opportunities, and encourages greater growth and prosperity.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 February 2023 at 8:30 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
BARRE – Firefighters were dispatched this morning to a fire at a vacant trailer at 13455 Allis Rd. in Barre.
A man who used to live in the trailer passed away about two years ago, a neighbor said.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 6:41 a.m. Barre, Albion, Medina and Elba responded as well as the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and Orleans County Emergency Management Office.
The fire seemed to be concentrated on one side of the trailer.
Fire investigators are on scene to try to determine the cause of the fire.
UPDATE at 6:17 p.m.: Fire investigators have ruled the cause of the fire as accidental but the investigation is continuing.
Press Release, NYS Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association
ALBION – A 45-year-old inmate who was already being housed in the Residential Rehabilitation Unit (RRU), sucker-punched an officer in the face as the inmate was being escorted to the visit room at the medium security correctional facility on Saturday.
The inmate was being processed in the visit room when he struck the escorting officer in the face during an unprovoked attack, NYSCOPBA officials said in a news release. Two nearby officers immediately responded to the attack as the inmate continued to be combative with staff.
OC spray was administered to the inmate, but the scuffle continued to the floor. Two other officers responded and utilized body holds to the still combative inmate. Ultimately, officers were able to gain control of the inmate’s arms and place him in wrist restraints. Once in handcuffs, the inmate became compliant and was escorted to be decontaminated and checked out by medical staff.
The initial officer in the attack sustained swelling and bruising in his face and jaw, pain in his shoulder and potential inner ear damage. One of the other responding officers noted shoulder and wrist pain. Both were transported to an outside hospital for further evaluation. The initial officer who was sucker-punched in the face by the inmate has been unable to return to work due to his injuries.
The other three officers were treated by facility medical staff for a variety of abrasions and scratches, and remained on duty.
The inmate is serving a 12-year sentence after being convicted in Erie County in 2016 for drug possession. He previously served 12 years in prison after being convicted of assault, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon in 1998.
“Another day, another officer assaulted in our state prison system. This time it’s Orleans Correctional Facility’s turn where five officers were injured in an unprovoked attack,” said stated Kenny Gold, NYSCOPBA Western Region Vice President.
“Last week, NYS Legislators claimed they haven’t seen data indicating a rise in violence in our RRU’s since HALT,” Gold said. “Well look no further. This inmate, who was already being housed in the RRU and was on his way to the visiting room, punched an officer in the face rather than spend time with his loved ones. The message couldn’t be clearer. Certain individuals in the incarcerated community know that with the HALT Act in place, there are no significant consequences for violent behavior, and they are taking full advantage.”
