By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 January 2023 at 1:13 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Village of Albion has 17 properties included in a Restore NY application, including 28 East Bank St. (left).
ALBION – The Albion Village Board has set a public hearing for 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Village Hall for residents to comment on an application to state for Restore NY funding.
Albion has qualified as a severely distressed community and is eligible for Restore NY funding. That state program seeks to revitalize the heart of community centers, bringing funding for residential and commercial projects.
The Restore NY program could bring up to $10 million to revitalize distressed commercial and residential sites, providing 90 percent of the costs, said Jay Grasso, the village’s grantwriter and owner of G & G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing.
The Restore NY program funds reconstruction, structural repairs, repair and replacement of mechanical systems, energy efficiency upgrades, and demolition.
Restore NY can be used for vacant, abandoned, condemned or surplus buildings. These properties can be demolished, deconstructed, rehabilitated or reconstructed. The grant allows up to $70,000 per residential unit.
Albion has made it past the first round of the application and needs to submit a more detailed application by Jan. 27.
There are 17 properties in the downtown business district identified for the village’s application.
The properties identified for the village application include:
117 North Liberty St., 6,960 square feet
124 South Clinton St., 7,692 square feet
132 North Main St., 5,984 square feet
18 North Main St., 19,600 square feet
165 South Platt St., 34,344 square feet
52 North Main St., 9,996 square feet
102 East Bank St., 1,530 square feet
10-12 North Main St., 6,270 square feet
138-140 North Main St., 6,932 square feet
116 North Liberty St. (Beaver Alley), 14,250 square feet
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 January 2023 at 9:34 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Caleb Lambert, 6, of Albion balances three plates with assistance from Franko Bui, a clown. Caleb was picked out of the crowd to assist Franko with the act at the elementary school gym in Albion, which hosted two performances on Thursday of Billy Martin’s Cole All Star Circus.
The circus has started its annual swing in the region. The other upcoming local performances include Medina today at 5:15 and 7:15 p.m. in the Wise Middle School gym; Holley Elementary Gym at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 26, and Kendall High School Gym with a 6:30 p.m. show on Jan. 27. Tickets are available at the door. Click here for more information on the schedule.
Ivan Arestov displays his skill with Cyr Wheel acrobatics. He has been performing with Billy Martin’s Cole All Star Circus for several years now. Last summer he also spent a week at the Orleans County 4-H Fair as a performer, including balancing on a stack of chairs that were 25 feet high.
Slinko has long been one of the popular acts at the circus. The character is like a dancing slinky.
Lilly Otis, 7, of Albion gets a cat painted on her face during intermission.
Alex Arestov balances an umbrella on his forehead. Alex and Elena performed with many umbrellas on Thursday. In the past their performance included a series of quick costume changes that seemed like magic.
Franko sells merchandise, including lighted swords and super-hero inflatables. There was also cotton candy, popcorn and other goodies available.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 January 2023 at 7:06 pm
MEDINA – Todd Eick is always looking for ways to help his students make connections and learn in the classroom.
He has won statewide and national awards for teaching agriculture and technology to Medina students.
He has been lauded for developing a farm on the school campus, for an active agriculture program with 90-plus students where then use laser engravers and other technology in class, while also learn to make wool from alpaca fiber.
Jack Dunn holds a jar with the ingredients to make M & M cookies. He said Eick sets a high standard for students in the program. Ag students put together 72 of those with a reusable jar during last month’s citrus sale.
Last month he won a national award for ag teachers, and Eick can’t help but smile that it was for a classroom exercise about poetry. Eick keeps an open mind about ways to teach his students.
Eick overheard his daughter Camryn working on homework in an English class taught by Karen Jones. Camryn was doing a “blackout poem” and Eick was impressed how it helped her to learn the material, and hone in on the crux of the passage.
He tried it in his classes. Students were urged to find an article about hunger and then black out some of the words. Most of the words were blacked out, but the remaining words were treated as a verse or poem.
Eick said he and the students were moved by the powerful messages about people who don’t get enough to eat.
‘Then would scan the articles for themes and key words, and then black out what wasn’t used,” he said. “It was a very interesting way to do ag literacy.”
That class activity was picked as one of six “Ideas Unlimited Awards” in the entire country by the National Association of Agricultural Educators. Eick received the award at a convention in Las Vegas.
“It’s a big deal because it recognizes that ag teachers teach a heck of a lot more than agriculture,” Eick said.
Todd Eick checks on some of the birds and small animals at the ag shop. Eick and his students made one of the “quail condos” for the birds. This area includes quail, pigeons, hamsters, parakeets, bearded dragons and frogs.
Twice he has also won statewide “Golden Owl” awards. He gets nominated for those awards by students and community members. Eick said those awards are especially meaningful because the ag program is recognized for a steady contribution to the school and Medina community.
Eick, 50, wasn’t planning on being a teacher. He grew up working on his family’s dairy farm. His father Bill and uncle Ken ran LaVerne Eick & Sons dairy on Freeman Road until 2006. Todd remembers his first job there at age 8, picking rocks out of a field. And many hours raking hay.
Eick wasn’t even thinking about a career in agriculture. He went into the Air Force and then earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Buffalo State with a focus on interior and furniture design.
He was building furniture and making functional art when he decided to pursue certification in teaching. He worked for Albion from 2011 to 2008 in technical education, running the wood shop.
Eick then worked in carbon dioxide plant next to Western New York Energy for two years, when he got a call in April 2010 to finish out the year for Medina’s ag program.
Tyler Allen, right, and Jackson Caldwell, both 10th graders, assemble a box for samplers as part of the Medina FFA annual citrus sale last month. The samplers included locally made and locally grown products including pickles, jams, popcorn and other products.
Eick has transformed the ag program in his tenure, starting a farm on campus with animals, empowering students to run a very ambitious annual citrus sale, hosting the state FFA convention in 2015 with 1,200 students, and teaching students the latest in technology and some old-time trades such as weaving. Eick wants to help students to be adaptable to their future careers and be open to learning on the job.
“It’s not cows and plows,” Eick said about today’s agriculture and FFA. “It’s beakers and speakers.”
Eick runs the busy ag program while also coaching varsity lacrosse and serving on the coaching staff for Medina’s football program.
FFA students also used a laser engraver to include Medina FFA and an agricultural design on the wooden box.
Eick uses his furniture building knowledge to guide students in making wooden boxes to display locally produced in samplers for the annual citrus sale in December. The students made the display boxes and used a laser engraver to etch “Medina FFA” and an agricultural design on the wooden box.
If the work isn’t done well, Eick scraps it and has the students do it again.
“He expects quality,” said Jackson Caldwell, a 10th grader. “We don’t put out junk. We put out good quality craftmanship.”
Inside the ag shop there are quail condo and cages for quail, pigeons, hamsters, parakeets, bearded dragons and frogs. There weren’t any animals when Eick started.
“It gives the kids a hands-on opportunity they normally wouldn’t get,” Eick said.
They have to clean and maintain the cages and condos, and do health checks on the animals. They learn how to feed and handle them.
There is also an outdoor “living laboratory” for the FFA with a small barn and pasture. There are alpacas, pigs and goats for students to take care of. Students haul feed and water. They also learn to shear the alpacas and turn the alpaca fiber into dryer balls, which replaces the need for dryer sheets.
Eick also led the FFA students in a project last summer and fall to knit blue hats. The Medina FFA made the hats and gave them to Medina middle schoolers in October as part of an anti-bullying initiative – #HatsNotHate.
He initially was drawn to teaching with the idea of having summers and weekends off. But that hasn’t quite panned out. Eick is busy year-round as a teacher. And he is constantly mulling new ideas for the classroom.
After the blackout poetry success, Eick said he is open to more lessons typically led by the English teachers.
“Next we might try haikus,” he said.
Medina started the model farm in 2014 with a grant paying for much of the initial costs.
ALEXANDER – Attitudes toward substance use disorder and words that reflect those attitudes can have a tremendous effect on the recovery process of those struggling with addiction.
“Stigma is defined as a mark of disgrace and that (disgrace) is a pretty powerful word,” said Diana Padilla, a longtime behavioral health specialist who was in Genesee County on Wednesday to present a training seminar for social workers and providers at the Alexander Recreation & Banquet Facility.
Padilla, in her 90-minute “Reducing Stigma in Our Communities” presentation, provided tools for counselors to counteract the negative connotations associated with substance use and mental illness.
A research project manager at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Substance Use Disorders, Columbia University Medical Center, Padilla communicated that stigma against people with substance use disorders can create barriers to treatment, such as an increase in shame and isolation from family, friends and community, and treating those with addiction as criminals.
She bemoaned the fact that the healthcare and judicial systems have not fully recognized that substance use disorder is an illness, and that recovery is possible.
“Stigma can lead to more substance use disorder and people can lose hope,” she said. “It really becomes a vicious cycle.”
Padilla said she has seen how health insurance companies and the law continue to view substance use disorder as a “result of a moral weakness and flawed character.”
She noted that some providers blame the individual for causing the problem and will reject treatment coverage, which can lead to substandard, non-science-based care.
When it comes to mental health treatment, Padilla said statistics show that stigma prevents 40 percent of people with anxiety or depression from seeking medical help and affects people in treatment even when their mental health problem is a distant memory.
To combat stigma, she encouraged counselors to utilize “people-first language” in their interactions with their clients:
Speak or write the person first, then the disability, i.e., Sam is a “person with a disability,” or “Sheila is visually impaired…”
Emphasize abilities or accomplishments, not limitations.
When communicating about a group, “individuals with disabilities.”
Allow and expect that individuals with disabilities will speak for themselves.
Be careful not to idealize people who have disabilities as being brave simply because they have a disability.
In recent years, there has been a shift toward supportive and affirming language used by public health professionals, she said.
“By using the term, substance use disorder (instead of substance abuse or addiction), it meets a diagnostic criterion,” she said.
Padilla promoted “trauma-informed care” as a key component to successfully reaching someone with substance use disorder and/or mental illness.
She referred to the Adverse Childhood Experience study that reveals a direct link between traumatic experiences at an early age to subsequent alcohol and drug problems. According to the ACE study, 64 percent of adults have faced one adverse childhood experience (emotional, physical or sexual abuse) and 40 percent have faced two or more adverse childhood experiences.
“A person with four or more ACEs is five times more likely to develop substance use disorder,” she pointed out.
It is important for counselors to understand the impact of traumatic events upon their clients’ lives, Padilla said, and to adhere to the guiding principles of trauma-informed care – safety, transparency, peer support, collaboration, empowerment and cultural, historical and gender issues.
“Empowerment, giving the client a voice and a choice, can make a huge difference,” she said. “We should support those choices even when we don’t totally agree.”
In closing, Padilla shared that people are more likely to get treatment and recover when their families, friends, providers, and communities support them without judging them.
“We can choose supportive, respectful, and nonjudgmental words that treat people with respect and compassion,” she said.
The training seminar was hosted by the GOW (Genesee Orleans Wyoming) Opioid Task Force and Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments and supported by the HEALing Communities initiative.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) said he is pleased that Assembly committee meetings will finally be live-streamed for public viewing.
This idea was originally proposed in 2016 by the Assembly Republican Conference, but only audio was available. Although committee meetings will now be live-streamed, they will not be archived.
“This is a major victory for the people of New York,” Hawley said. “We have fought for committee meetings to be live-streamed for almost a decade. I have always pushed for committee meetings to be open and transparent.
“It is New Yorkers’ rights we are fighting for; therefore, New Yorkers should be able to watch their representatives in action throughout the entire legislative process. Our next step should be to allow this footage to be archived for increased availability.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 January 2023 at 11:12 am
Part of Albion-Gaines district shifts into western part of Murray
This map shows a plan for four of the districts for the Orleans County Legislature.
ALBION – Orleans County officials are proposing redistricting changes to bring four County Legislature districts into nearly the same size after population changes created too much of a disparity among the districts.
The districts are allowed to have up to 5 percent variance in population. But the current districts, without changes, are at 11.7 percent deviation, which is out of compliance with state and federal law.
The county worked with Skyline Demographic Consultants, Inc. to bring the four legislative districts within an acceptably close size. Click here to see a high resolution map.
The county is looking to add part of western Murray to a district that currently is the towns of Albion and Gaines. That gives the Albion-Gaines (District 3) more people and also takes away from District 4 that includes Murray, Kendall and Carlton.
The Murray section going to District 3 includes 522 people from Murray’s election district 5.
During the last redistricting about a decade ago, the county added a small part of Shelby to District 2 that included Yates and Ridgeway. This time the county is looking to move more of that area back into District 1, the Shelby-Barre-Clarendon district. That represents a shift of 418 people, said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.
The County Legislature next meets on Jan. 24 and expected to set a public hearing on the changes for Feb. 9.
This shows the proposal for the section of Shelby in red that would be included in the Yates-Ridgeway District and the section in blue that would be in the district that includes Barre, Clarendon and most of Shelby.
There are also three at-large countywide positions that Welch said don’t need any changes because they represent the same population – the entire county. Those positions include an at-large legislator from the western end (towns of Yates, Ridgeway and Shelby), at-large from central (Albion, Gaines, Carlton and Barre) and at-large from the east (towns of Kendall, Murray and Clarendon).
“The three at-large districts had no boundary changes since they are the entire county,” Welch said. “The east, west and central only pertains to where the candidates come from and not about who can vote for the candidates. All registered voters in Orleans County may vote for the at-large legislator candidates.”
The orange part of Murray would be shifted into a district that includes Albion and Gaines, while the yellow would be in a district that includes Carlton, Kendall and most of Murray.
County officials are pushing to get the boundaries set for the four other districts because it is getting close to the start of the election cycle. The primary schedule has been moved up from September to June.
Candidates will soon be interviewing with political party leaders to run for the positions, and candidates need to get petitions signed to get on the ballot for a primary and the general election.
The Orleans County Democratic Party has filed a legal challenge for the County Legislature to do redistricting and bring the districts into balance. Welch said the county was working on redistricting before the lawsuit from the Democrats.
The county’s population in the 2020 census was 40,343 people. That census block population shows 1,456 incarcerated people at two state prisons in Albion. Those people are to be reallocated to their home counties for redistricting purposes, Welch said.
The state Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR) lists the three census blocks where the prisons are located as a negative 76 population. That doesn’t make sense to Skyline Demographic Consultants because there aren’t any residential structures in those blocks, outside of the prisons. The firm recommended the county zero out those blocks, instead of doing a negative-76.
County officials are taking out the 1,456 population for the prisons. That number has then been subtracted from the 40,343 in the census and with another small adjustment the total for the county is 38,891 for redistricting. Dividing that by the four legislative districts puts the ideal district at 9,745.
State law allows a 5 percent deviation. A plus or minus of 2.5 percent from the ideal would be 245 people.
The redistricting proposal puts the deviation at a maximum of 4.2 percent, with District 1 down by 2.02 percent from the ideal and District 3 at 2.22 percent over the ideal.
District 1 with most of Shelby, all of Barre and Clarendon would be 9,548 people, or down 197 people or 2.02 percent from the ideal.
District 2 with Yates, Ridgeway and small portion of Shelby would be 9,725, or 20 fewer than the ideal or under by 0.21 percent.
District 3 with Gaines, Albion and part of western Murray would be a population of 9,961, which is over the ideal by 2.22 percent or 216 people.
District 4 with Carlton, Kendall and most of Murray would total 9,747 people, only 2 more than the ideal or off by just 0.02 percent.
The redistricting changes would move 940 people into different districts, which is 2.4 percent of the population, Welch said.
Without redistricting, the deviation would be 11.7 percent. The current District 1 is 6.3 percent under the ideal, while District 2 is 4.1 percent over, District 3 is 3.1 percent below and District 4 is 5.4 percent above the ideal.
Some of the criteria from the state for redistricting include the following:
Districts shall not be drawn with the intent or result of denying or abridging the equal opportunity of racial or language minority groups to participate in the political process or to diminish their ability to elect representatives of their choice.
Districts shall consist of contiguous territory.
Districts shall be as compact in form as practicable.
Districts shall not be drawn to discourage competition or for the purpose of favoring or disfavoring incumbents or other particular candidates or political parties.
The maintenance of cores of existing districts, of pre-existing political subdivisions including cities, villages, and towns, and of communities of interest shall also be considered. To the extent practicable, no villages or cities or towns except those having more than forty percent of a full ratio for each district shall be divided.
Districts shall be formed so as to promote the orderly and efficient administration of elections.
WILSON – A 5-year-old boy was critically injured with burns from a residential fire in Wilson on Wednesday, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office is reporting.
William S. Whitmore, 35, also was seriously injured in the house fire at 140 Harbor St.
There was 911 call at 11:45 p.m., reporting the residential fire. Upon arrival, Niagara County Sheriff’s deputies found three residents to be evacuated from their fully engulfed home, Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti stated in a news release.
Whitmore was transported to Erie County Medical Center’s burn unit and is in serious condition. The 5-year-old boy was transported by ambulance to Oishei Children’s Hospital, then transferred to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester and is in critical condition for his burns. A 41-year-old female was uninjured and accompanied her son to the hospital.
Three dogs were rescued by deputies from the fire scene and given to neighbors for safekeeping at the owner’s request.
There is no property damage estimate available at this time and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Niagara County Origin and Cause Team, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Responding fire companies included the Wilson Volunteer Fire Department, South Wilson Volunteer Fire Company, Olcott Volunteer Fire Department and Ransomville Volunteer Fire Company. Mercy EMS also responded.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) sent a letter to the Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission expressing concerns regarding the new national broadband map.
This map is essential in determining eligibility for many federal broadband grants, including the Rural Development Broadband ReConnect Loan and Grant program and the new Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
Tenney raised concerns about the map’s methodology and its failure to provide information about libraries and other community anchor institutions (CAIs). Finally, she urged the FCC to extend the Jan. 13 deadline to submit disputes to ensure underserved communities and stakeholders throughout New York’s 24th Congressional District have adequate time to correct errors in the map.
“There are far too many communities in New York’s 24th District and across the country that do not have access to reliable broadband,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “When broadband companies exaggerate or misstate their service availability in rural and low-income areas, this has a negative impact on everything from economic activity to educational opportunity. The proposed map put forward by the FCC is concerning for many reasons, including its lack of consideration for the rural communities I am honored to represent. I urge the Chairwoman of the FCC to take a deeper look into this issue and reevaluate this map to ensure it better serves all communities.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 18 January 2023 at 8:18 pm
‘A big benefit is the mind/body connection. Yoga cultivates an awareness of yourself so you are more aware of things happening with your body.’ – Kaylin McCarthy
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Kaylin McCarthy and daughter Amelia, 6, demonstrate the art of yoga at the Orleans County YMCA in Medina, where Kaylin will give free lessons beginning Tuesdays in March.
MEDINA – A “Teaching for Equity” grant from the Yoga Alliance will fund a series of free yoga lessons by Kaylin McCarthy at the Orleans County YMCA in Medina.
The Yoga Alliance is a nonprofit membership trade and professional organization for yoga teachers, headquartered in Arlington, Va.
McCarthy, an Albion resident, is a registered Yoga teacher, a title in the United States that designates a yoga teacher who has received a certain standard of yoga teacher training at a registered Yoga school.
McCarthy has always been intrigued by people and early in her career she trained in social therapy.
“We looked at food they were eating and exercise they were getting, and that resonated with me,” she said.
She and her husband Patrick lived for 10 years at Heartbeet Life Sharing in Vermont, a community of people with special needs.
“We lived and worked with the adults on the farm there,” McCarthy said. “All had special needs. Some couldn’t eat without help, yet everybody contributed what they could.”
While there, she trained in yoga at Kripalu, the largest retreat and yoga school in North America.
When Patrick and Kaylin decided to make a move, they chose to come to Western New York. Housing was scarce and expensive in Vermont and they had family in Rochester and Niagara Falls, so settling in Albion was a perfect location. They arrived in December 2020 with their three children: Alden, now 9; Amelia, 6; and Etta, 5.
Kaylin, 36, has always loved yoga. She explains its benefits, especially breath work.
“It takes you from ‘fight’ to ‘flight,’” she said. “Modern science has proven most people are stuck in a fight or flight mode, and yoga takes you out of that and gives you the opportunity to reset. It has physical benefits of moving and stretching your body. A big benefit is the mind/body connection. Yoga cultivates an awareness of yourself so you are more aware of things happening with your body.”
She said she is ADHD and when her three children were under 3, she had anxiety. She was diagnosed with chronic exhaustion and fatigue.
“Yoga got me out of that state,” she said. “I understand the struggles people are going through. My work is based on my personal healing journey.”
Kaylin McCarthy and 6-year-old daughter Amelia love practicing yoga together.
Kaylin works with school districts and has taught a mindfulness class for teachers. She hopes to teach Kaliedoscope ME, a social, emotional learning platform that builds character, instills life-enhancing values and promotes healthy choices, similar to “Best Buddies” or “Big Brother, Big Sister” programs.
Kaylin began her yoga classes at the YMCA in Medina in October, and has seen a steady increase in attendance, she said. She has five neighbors in Albion who have adopted a regular yoga regimen, one of whom is in the 80s, she said. She even has inspired them to eat regular eat kale.
In January, she added a second yoga class.
The grant-funded yoga classes will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday from March through May. They are open to all ages. She currently opens her classes to individuals 5 to 85. Anyone interested in joining the classes just has to show up at the YMCA by 5:30 p.m.
The classes are suited for all ages, and chairs are available for those who may need to sit to practice.
All mats and materials are provided for the grant-funded classes. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and bring a bottle of water.
Kaylin explained the “Teaching for Equity” grant is available to teachers serving under-represented populations. She said a lot of yoga studios shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic and have not reopened. She also offers classes remotely.
“I want everyone to have access to these classes and the benefits they provide,” she said.
Newly announced decontamination protocols will reduce exposure to toxic contaminants
Photo by Tom Rivers: Firefighters are shown battling a fire in Holley on Jan. 6, 2020 at an apartment at the corner of routes 237 and 31. The fire displaced about a dozen residents in four apartments.
Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the State’s Office of Fire Prevention and Control will begin new outreach efforts to help protect New York’s firefighters and their families from the threat of cancer.
State Fire officials initially launched a similar outreach program in early 2020, which was placed on hold due to the pandemic. This new initiative coincides with January’s Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month, raising awareness among the fire service on how to develop life-saving protocols for cancer prevention, and to support those who’ve already received a cancer diagnosis within their fire departments.
“The state’s firefighters bravely risk their own lives and safety every day to protect their fellow New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “Sadly, cancer is a serious threat to the health and wellbeing of all of our fire service members, and we are committed to ensuring that these heroes have the most up-to-date guidance and information so they can enjoy a long, safe career and live a healthy life.”
Studies have shown firefighters are at a higher risk of cancer than the general public, largely due to their exposure to an increased level of toxins found in smoke at structure fires. To ensure New York’s firefighters are not only aware of this threat but also know how to limit their own risk, State Fire officials developed basic protocols for decontaminating firefighting gear following a response call and will be traveling throughout the state to promote their use by firefighters.
Research has shown that fire service members can take simple and inexpensive steps to reduce their exposure, as well as protect their families, to toxins and other carcinogens by up to 85 percent.
State Fire officials have begun working with counties across the state to schedule Firefighter Contamination Reduction and Cancer Prevention classes. At these meetings, State Fire will distribute firefighter decontamination kits to attendees. These kits contain information on decontamination immediately after incident response and items, such as a five-gallon bucket, post-fire wipes, hose, detergent, brush, and spray bottle.
“The brave women and men of New York’s fire service protect us from danger every day,” said NYS Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray. “However, too many lives of firefighters are being lost to cancer. During Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month we are ramping up efforts to educate the fire service and mitigate their risks of exposure to carcinogens found in smoke. I am proud of our State Fire team for leading the way on this initiative, providing in-person training sessions and distributing decontamination kits to fire departments across the state.”
If firefighting turnout gear is not decontaminated properly after a fire, firefighters risk exposing harmful chemicals to their firehouses and homes, potentially harming co-workers and family members. According to two studies conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), firefighters are currently being diagnosed with cancer at a nearly 10 percent higher rate than the general public and experiencing cancer-related deaths at a nearly 15 percent higher rate.
To combat these trends, DHSES and OFPC have established basic, inexpensive protocols which will go a long way in limiting firefighters’ exposure to harmful chemicals often found in smoke.
If exposed during a response, firefighters should:
Perform on scene gross decontamination, stop the exposure, and stop the spread of contaminates to the apparatus and station.
While on scene, use post-fire wipes to reduce exposures.
Shower as soon as possible and put on clean clothes.
Wash tools, equipment, and apparatus after fires.
Transport gear in non-porous containers such as a clear garbage bag.
Wear only clean gear, including hood.
Starting this month, State experts will travel across New York State to bring these protocols directly to firefighters via in-person educational sessions at local fire departments. At each session, firefighters will view a live demonstration (click here) of the new decontamination protocols, a new educational video that details the protocols and the risks facing firefighters and have an opportunity for a Q&A with OFPC personnel involved in developing the protocols. Additionally, OFPC is expanding its entire roster of firefighting classes and trainings to include a section on cancer awareness and prevention education.
New sessions are being scheduled on a rolling basis. Firefighters looking to attend or host an educational session can view the State Office of Fire Prevention and Control’s training calendar, or contact their county’s fire coordinator.
“We are thrilled to continue our program educating members of the State Fire Service on immediate steps they can take to protect themselves following an incident response,” said NYS Fire Administrator Jim Cable said. “Sadly, cancer is now the leading cause of firefighter deaths in the nation. Our goal is to reduce occupational illness by educating our brothers and sisters in the fire service on specific measures they can take to reduce exposure to contaminates and lower their health risks.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 January 2023 at 3:21 pm
A winter weather advisory has been issued for Orleans County and western and central New York from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday.
“A mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow will spread from southwest to northeast through early Thursday afternoon,” the National Weather Service said. “Mixed precipitation will changeover to all rain Thursday afternoon. Mixed precipitation expected. Total ice accumulations of around one tenth of an inch.”
The Weather Service advised to plan on slippery road conditions, with the hazardous conditions possibly impacting the morning commute.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 January 2023 at 1:41 pm
ALBION – Three people were sentenced to incarceration today by Orleans County Court judge Sanford Church.
Travis Cook, 34, of Le Roy received the longest sentence at 3 to 6 years in state prison for third-degree burglary and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Cook in May took a wallet from a vehicle in someone’s garage. The wallet had four credit cards. He also had a handgun without a license, and is accused of taking a bottle with pills, and attempting to steal from another vehicle. District Attorney Joe Cardone said Cook threw a loaded firearm out onto the road when he was pursued by law enforcement.
A Lockport man was sentenced to two months of intermittent jail and five years probation for first-degree criminal contempt for violating an order of protection.
Dana Scott, 45, apologized in court. He asked he be allowed to continue running his business so he can support his children.
The judge sentenced him to two days a week in the county jail, as well as probation.
Cardone, the district attorney, asked for some incarceration because Scott entered the home of a woman at night in Ridgeway and took some of her property, despite an order of protection. Cardone said he is concerned the situation could escalate.
“There has to be consequences for violating an order of protection when there is aggression towards other people, particularly females,” Church said.
Scott was fined $1,000 and ordered to take a domestic violence class.
The victim of the crime has since asked the order of protection be removed, and the judge agreed to that in court today.
Darius Jones, 31, was sentenced to 1 ½ to 3 years in state prison for promoting prison contraband. He sharpened plastic to resemble an ice pick, creating a dangerous situation in the prison.
Jones already is serving a 12 to 15 year sentence for crimes in Genesee County. He now is incarcerated at the Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, Erie County.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 January 2023 at 12:19 pm
BATAVIA – The four-county Arc GLOW has hired an Orleans County resident to serve a public relations director.
Lisa Bors
Lisa Bors will lead the agency’s efforts to increase community awareness and private support. Arc GLOW serves about 2,000 developmentally disabled residents in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties.
“Lisa has a lot of great energy and valuable experience,” said Martin Miskell, Arc GLOW executive director. “She’s a wonderful addition to our management team.”
Bors and her husband, Hans, reside in Orleans County. She earned an associate’s degree in non-profit management and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from SUNY Empire State College, and brings with her over 20 years of experience in public relations and development in higher education.
“Arc GLOW is an incredible, family-driven organization empowering people with disabilities of all ages to be valued members of the community,” Bors said. “I look forward to sharing our mission and vision and working to increase community awareness and private support.”
The position of public relations director coordinates efforts to educate community partners on services offered by Arc GLOW throughout all four counties; takes the lead on fundraising efforts through private donations, grant and foundation solicitation; builds meaningful connections with a variety of stakeholders to support the mission to encourage community members to take action, for example through attendance at events, donations, gifts and agency advocacy.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 18 January 2023 at 9:39 am
CHILDS – The Cobblestone Society has announced receipt of a grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Arts and Culture Initiative, according to Cobblestone director Doug Farley.
The grant, in the amount of $9,000, can be used for operational expenses, such as heat, lights, insurance, maintenance, staff, etc., Farley said.
“It is one of only a few grants available to us that covers everyday expenses, as opposed to specific grants that must be used for a restricted purpose,” Farley said. “I am pleased to receive this grant because it can be used for everyday needs. This is the first time we have received a grant from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. I am happy they are reaching out into Orleans County to help us and other non-profit groups.”
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo announced the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Arts and Culture Initiative awards totaling $500,000 to support more than 75 small to mid-sized arts organizations serving the eight counties of Western New York and Monroe County through its inaugural 2022 competitive grants process. The criteria for the first year of grant funding was developed from input from more than 100 arts and cultural representatives across the nine counties, and the selection of the grantees was through a committee of arts and cultural leaders representing all the counties.
The initial announcement in December 2021 also includes $500,000 in annual funding to be awarded primarily to support small to mid-sized arts and culture organizations in the nine counties.
“We are grateful to the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation for recognizing the important role the arts and culture sector play in a thriving and vibrant Western New York regional economy and supporting it through an endowment forever,” said Betsy Constantine, executive vice president of the Community Foundation. “Community input was essential to the process and we will continue to listen and engage as we carry out this transformational investment.”
Bill Lattin, retired museum director, discusses two restored paintings during a reception at the visitors center at the Cobblestone Museum on Sept. 23. The paintings of Charles and Mary Ann Danolds (not shown) were restored after conservations efforts performed by Great Lakes Conservation of Grand Island. The two were pillars of the Universalist churches in Childs and Albion. The museum has tackled several preservation projects in recent years.
“When we established the endowment to support Western New York’s arts and culture sector, we did so out of the Foundation’s economic development focus area,” said Jim Boyle, vice president of programs and communications for the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.
“These organizations, both large and small, are key economic drivers in their neighborhoods, communities and the broader region,” Boyle said. “This investment is our unique and long-term contribution to the arts and culture sector. We look forward to witnessing the amazing work to come from these new grantees.”
This recent grant follows the announcement in late December of the receipt of a $47,000 grant from the Genesee Valley Rural Revitalization Program, which will be used for projects at the circa 1836 Ward house. This grant was written by Cobblestone board president Erin Anheier, while the new grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation was written by Matt Holland, Orleans County’s grant writer before he took the position as director of United Way of Orleans County. The current grant writer is Nyla Gaylord, whose position is funded by a grant she wrote more than two years ago.
MEDINA – Billy Martin’s Cole All Star Circus will soon return to Orleans County with shows at four local schools.
Albion will host Billy Martin’s Cole All Star Circus on Thursday with shows at 5 and 7 p.m. in the elementary school gym. Adult tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door and that entitles two kids to come in for free.
This dog is dressed as Elsa from Frozen while the song, “Let It Go,” was played during the circus at Albion in this photo from Jan. 18, 2017.
Medina will host the circus on Friday with shows at 5:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. at Wise Intermediate School. The following week there will be a 6:30 p.m. show on Jan. 26 at the Holley Elementary Gym and then a 6:30 p.m. show on Jan. 27 at the Kendall High School Gym.
Billy Martin has been leading the circus for nearly 50 years, visiting small towns in performances that also serve as fundraisers for an organization in the school or community .
Most of the circus’s schedule was wiped out for nearly two years of the Covid pandemic.
Billy Martin and the performers last year returned to performing their New York and Pennsylvania tour on Feb. 1, and were greeted with big crowds.
“It’s very emotional,” Martin said during intermission of the first show in Holley on Feb. 9. “I thought people might have forgotten about us.”
The circus was able to survive during the pandemic by working out of an amusement park in Iowa for 21 weeks in both 2020 and 2021.
Billy Martin was 12 years old when he met legendary showman James M. Cole in 1972 during an indoor performance at Martin’s hometown school in Olean. His fascination with the circus evolved into a friendship with Cole, and at age 14, Martin began booking schools for the circus throughout Western New York.
After graduating from high school in 1977, Martin joined the Cole Circus. He performed a juggling/balancing act, served as ringmaster and became Cole’s right-hand man. When Cole retired at the age of 80, Martin purchased the show and remains at its helm today. With his wife Angela, an accomplished aerialist and consummate circus performer, they continue the legacy of the Cole All-Star Circus.
In Medina, the performances will be a fundraiser for the Orleans Community Health Foundation.
