By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 November 2022 at 9:16 am
ALBION – The former Apollo restaurant on Route 31 has a new purpose: the training site for a growing number of young wrestlers.
The Purple Eagles Wrestling Academy received its certificate of occupancy on Monday to run wrestling programs at the former Apollo at 13939 NY 31. The academy will have open houses today and Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m.
The academy already has 71 wrestlers in the program, including 15 girls. It is open to wrestlers from age 4 right through high school. Right now the oldest kids in the program are seventh- and eighth-graders.
Girls wrestling is also an emerging sport with several colleges running programs for female wrestlers. Sanders expects it will be offered in the not-so-distance future at Albion. The wrestling academy will help to get girls ready so Albion can field a competitive team.
Some of the wrestlers in the academy gather for a photo on Wednesday evening. The coaches pictured include Jared Moreland, front left; Mike Sanders, back left; Kyle Piccirilli, front right; and Jeff Lutes, back right. B.J. Aina and Brian Schomske also volunteer as coaches with the program. The wrestling mat used to be owned by the Albion school district for its wrestling program. It was purchased by the Wrestling Academy when the school got a new mat.
Mike Sanders pushed to start the wrestling academy four years ago. The first season there were 44 wrestlers and they used Cafeteria B in the high school. Twice a week, Sanders and the volunteers moved 90 chairs and 15 tables to set up for practices. The season was abruptly cut short because of Covid-19 restrictions in mid-March 2020.
The second year, the program was based out of Sanders’ garage. He had 35 wrestlers in the academy, coming to his garage from Monday through Friday for training.
Last year, in the third season, the program shifted to the Pratt Theater on Main Street with 60 wrestlers.
Sanders said the program is grateful for its new home. It has two large open rooms with mats, lockers for the wrestlers and a big opportunity to grow. The building is owned by Rick Stacey. It was last operated as the Apollo about two decades ago.
The former Apollo on Route 31 is owned by Rick Stacey. He has renovated the site and given it a much different look.
The location gives the program a place year-round. Sanders said there will be wrestling camps and clinics as well as practices.
“We can make our own schedule,” he said. “At the school we were limited to two days.”
The academy will be available for training Monday through Thursday, with live wrestling on Friday.
It costs $50 a month to be in the academy or $200 for the five-month season from November through March. The facility will be available year-round.
The Purple Eagles Wrestling Academy is a non-profit organization. Sanders is president/treasurer and Moreland is vice president/financial advisor. Brian Schomske is secretary/financial advisor. Ashley Sanders is the team coordinator, with Jennifer Moreland the parent liaison, Cassie Schomske the fundraising manager and Justin Mengs, Rocky Sidari and Zach Gillette as at-large members.
Mike Sanders gives instructions to the young wrestlers. Sanders is a former Section VI champ for Albion in 2004 at 130 pounds. He is the varsity coach at Albion this year.
Sanders, 36, won the Section 6 wrestling title in 2004 in the 130-pound weight class. He returned to the area as an English teacher four years ago. He and his wife Ashley have four children.
Sanders went to Gannon and was an All-American wrestler in the 133-pound class. After graduation he taught and coached for five years in Florida and then five years in Virginia before coming home to Albion in 2018. He works in the Albion Middle School.
Sanders said the skills he learned in wrestling, especially the mental approach, have been critical in his life. He wants to share that knowledge with a new generation.
“I want to give back to them,” Sanders said. “It’s mental skills and controlling your emotions. It’s showing up every day and facing challenges.”
Sanders is serving as the Albion varsity wrestling coach for the first time this season, after four years as the assistant coach. He knows the youth wrestling program is a key to building a strong high school program.
When he was a kid, he wrestled in youth programs in Kendall and Holley. The Purple Eagles Wrestling Academy is open to young wrestlers outside of Albion, too. Sanders wants to grow the sport locally, and repay the welcome he received from Kendall and Holley.
These wrestlers get in a cool-down run around one of the big mats. There are two large rooms for training.
The wrestling academy will compete in tournaments in 14 different weight classes through the Niagara Frontier Youth Wrestling League. That competitive team will be called the Purple Eagle Wrestling Academy Team Gold Force. That name is a tribute to the Gold Force Wrestling Club that was led by Hall of Fame coach John Grillo in Holley.
Sanders is assisted in running the program by coaches Jared Moreland, Kyle Piccirilli, Jeff Lutes, B.J. Aina and Brian Schomske.
Moreland is also a sectional champ from when he was at wrestling powerhouse Spencerport. He wrestled at 119 pounds. He is now a sergeant at the Orleans Correctional Facility. Like Sanders, he wants to give back to the sport of wrestling.
“Wrestling is a sport unlike any other in high school,” Moreland said. “It takes a lot of sacrifice and discipline.”
Moreland said the wrestling academy will help other Albion sports programs. He expects to see the wrestlers playing on the football, basketball, baseball, track and other sports teams.
“It will help them to be a gritty tough kid who can handle a challenge,” Moreland said.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 3 November 2022 at 6:43 pm
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Medina firefighters line up by the MAAC red Christmas barrels before delivering them throughout Medina on Wednesday morning. From left are Lt. Jacob Crooks, Lt. Steve Cooley, firefighters Andrew Cheverie, Paul Urquhart, Fire Chief Matt Jackson, and firefighters Chris Seefeldt and Bailey Schubmehl.
MEDINA – The Medina Area Association of Churches’ annual Christmas Red Barrel drive is underway.
Wednesday morning, the Medina Fire Department showed up at the Grove United Methodist Church with two ambulances and a pickup truck to deliver the 40 barrels to stores, libraries, schools, medical offices, restaurants and churches in the Medina area.
Next, it is up to the community to show their support by filling those barrels with toys and gift items for all ages, including games, puzzles, books, arts and crafts, stuffed animals, hats, scarves, mittens and socks.
Gifts are always needed for teenage boys and girls, and no gift cards are given out.
Medina Fire Chief Matt Jackson loads a barrel into an ambulance for delivery to start the MAAC Christmas Barrel Program. The barrels will in local stores and organizations through Dec. 7.
MAAC asks that no food items be put in the barrels, as food for needy families is supplied by the food pantries.
Sherry Tuohey heads the Christmas Barrel Program, and said without the support of the community, the fire department and volunteers, it wouldn’t be a success.
The cooperation between the Medina Fire Department and MAAC has been ongoing for an estimated 40 years, starting back when the firefighters used to collect toys and distribute them. Then they joined with MAAC and the program continues to grow.
Families must sign up in advance for assistance during the second and third weeks of November. Applications for holiday food boxes and gifts can be made from 10 a.m. to noon and t to 7 p.m. Nov. 8 and 15 at St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1355 West Ave., Medina; and from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 10 and 17 at Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God, 11031 Maple Ridge Rd., Medina.
Applicants must show proof of household, proof of residence and proof of income. Income guidelines or more information is available at MAAC’s Thrift Store, 536 Orient St. or by calling Tuohey at (585) 356-8346 or (585) 798-6657 and leaving a message.
In addition to Tuohey and the firefighters, others who help the program be successful are Kathie McMoil, who takes care of personal care donations and puts together personal care bags; Medina High School students (under the leadership of High School Student Association adviser Sara Cinquino) who donate the personal care items; Norma Jean Foster, who takes care of the food for each box; Barb Vreeland, who oversees donations of hats, mittens, scarves and socks; and Marilyn Hiwiller, who delivers mitten trees to local establishments.
For several years now, Lyndonville resident Bob Harrold scours the countryside all year, looking for little red wagons, which he restores and donates to the MAAC Christmas program. The wagons are not only loved by the children, but are appreciated by families who don’t have transportation and use them to give their children a ride to the store or to carry their groceries home.
This year, Harrold donated five like-new wagons to MAAC. Tuohey said she researches the families who might find the wagons most useful, and is careful not to give one to a family who already got one last year.
Tuohey expects an estimated 75 families, representing 200 children, will be applying for help from the Red Barrel Program. In addition to gifts for each child up to 18 years of age, applicants will receive a ham, boxed potatoes, stuffing, vegetable, brownie mix, canned fruit and cereal.
Eligible families must reside in the Medina Central School District with the Medina and Knowlesville zip codes.
To be sure every family had information about the program, Tuohey said she distributed 800 flyers to all the areas schools (through sixth grade), including nursery schools and the Orleans County Christian School.
KNOWLESVILLE – The Orleans County Dementia Caregiver Support Group, run by the Alzheimer’s Association, has a new date and time.
Beginning November 9, the support group will meet on the second Wednesday of each month from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Church of the Abundant Harvest, 3619 Knowlesville Rd., Knowlesville.
The support group offers caregivers an opportunity to share their experiences in a safe and confidential space and learn methods and skills to solve problems. Participants should call (800) 272-3900 to register.
Free respite may be available during the meeting for people living with dementia. Pre-screening and registration is required. Anyone interested in respite should call Cheryl at 585-704-8173.
To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, call 800.272.3900 or visit alz.org.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 November 2022 at 4:10 pm
Photo from Government Deals – The two snail jungle gyms that used to be at Medina parks are up for big on the Government Deals website. The auction ends Nov. 14 at 7:15 p.m.
MEDINA – There was some outcry when the Orleans Hub reported Oct. 25 that the two snail jungle gyms in Medina parks would be sold.
Many in the community said they didn’t want to see the playground pieces go. They have been in the parks for at least 50 years.
Mayor Mike Sidari said the village’s insurance carrier said any claims from people who were injured on the snails would not be covered by insurance. The snails were removed in the summer. The one at Pine Street Park is in better shape and still has its eyes. The other one at Butts Park was in rougher condition and missing its eyes.
The snails are listed for sale through an online auction by Government Deals. Bidding starts at $10 and continues until Nov. 14 at 7:15 p.m. for the Pine Street Park snail and 7:30 p.m. for the Butts Park snail.
The village also is selling a self-propelled paver, a brush chipper, a straight blade snow plow, and a merry-go-round. Click here to see the items up for bid.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 November 2022 at 3:42 pm
2 councils anticipate consolidation in first half of 2023
File photo by Tom Rivers: These Boy Scouts put flags on veterans’ graves at Mount Albion Cemetery on May 8, 2021. From left include twin brothers Stryker and Colson Braley, and Jax Gotte. Local Scouts just before Memorial Day typically put about 2,000 flags on veterans’ graves at Mount Albion and St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery.
The Boy Scout councils – Iroquois Trail and Greater Niagara Frontier – are discussing merging the two to have one council serving the four rural GLOW counties, plus Niagara and Erie counties.
Bob Confer, president of Iroquois Trail, tweeted about the merger discussions today, and shared a copy of a letter sent to Scouting families in the Iroquois Trail.
“For generations the two councils have partnered together on many activities, events and trainings,” according to the letter from Confer, Council Commissioner Paul Fleming and Scout Executive Jim McMullen. “As a result of this close connection and the desire to grow and enhance the Scouting experiences offered to the youth of WNY, the councils have formally begun merger discussions with an anticipated consolidation date in the first half of 2023.”
The Iroquois Trail has seen youth membership cut in half since Covid-19 caused troops and packs to stop meeting in person for several months beginning in March 2020.
“All reasonable indications are that it will take several years to regain those youth members,” Council leaders state in their letter. “This challenge, combined with a dramatic reduction in other funding sources, has put the Iroquois Trail Council on a course that is not sustainable over the long term.”
A merger would result in improved program opportunities for members, better support for volunteer leaders, a larger membership base to support more events and activities, and greater financial stability, the leaders said.
“While the council might survive a bit longer on its own, merging operations enhances our ability to deliver quality Scouting programs,” the leaders write in the letter. “Simply put, the recovery period is too long to remain independently successful.”
There will be question and answer sessions in December at leader roundtables in Elba, Lockport and Geneseo, as well as a Q & A at the council’s Oakfield Service Center at 9 a.m. on Dec. 3.
“Together, we are committed to providing world-class Scouting experiences for our members during this transition and beyond,” Confer, Fleming and McMullen write. “We are excited about the future of Scouting in WNY and will provide you with additional updates on the partnership as it develops.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 November 2022 at 3:03 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The lawn at the Orleans County Courthouse is covered in leaves on Wednesday. Orleans County and nearly the entire state is now past peak fall foliage.
I LOVE NY, the state’s tourism agency, reports there is still peak foliage in Long Island, New York City and parts of the Hudson Valley.
The map from I LOVE NY shows only small parts of the state still have peak fall foliage for leaf colors.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) today praised the recent announcement that Edwards Vacuum, a British-based world leader in vacuum and abatement equipment in the semiconductor industry and part of the Atlas Copco Group, has chosen the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) in 139th Assembly District as the location for its new $319 million, U.S. dry pump manufacturing facility.
The specific technology that will be produced at the new facility is an integral part of the sensitive manufacturing process.
This highly-protected technology and process will make the new facility one of a few globally that will have the ability to produce this product. Hawley noted that this serious investment will attract some of the best minds and leaders in the semiconductor field across the world to relocate and grow in Western New York.
“New York continues to be a serious global player in the semiconductor world, and for our community to be home to this future facility reinforces the meaningful commitment we all have to bring jobs to our area and grow our economy,” Hawley said. “The trickle-down positive impact this will have on the district, for economic growth, our schools and future success, cannot be underscored. Creating 600 jobs is significant and I could not be prouder to have those jobs located in our region.”
With the recent global supply chain issues that have caused shortages in product and increases in prices for everything from cars to cell phones, Hawley believes this will better position New Yorkers and Americans across the country to economically benefit from this investment.
“This is welcome news not only for the significant local economic impact, but this will help everyday New Yorkers and Americans to better afford the wide array of consumer goods tied to the semiconductor technology,” Hawley said. “It’s an extremely exciting day for our region and I look forward to future growth.”
The Girl Scouts of Western New York today announced some additions and changes to the upcoming cookie season.
Starting next month, GSWNY is bringing back its early holiday offer with the winter launch of the iconic Girl Scout Cookie Program. Cookie lovers across Western New York will be able to purchase their favorite cookies online on Dec. 10.
New this year, cookie lovers will be able to try the Raspberry Rally cookie, which is available for purchase online only while supplies last. Raspberry Rally has a pink, crisp raspberry-flavored center and is dipped in the same chocolate coating as our popular Thin Mint cookie. It will be sold exclusively on digital platforms and shipped directly to the customer’s door.
This upcoming cookie program year, there will also be a change in the package price. A package of cookies will now cost $6 per box. This is a $1 increase per box over last season.
The price adjustment will help offset the impact of inflation following the pandemic. This change is similar to other cookie companies, produce, and grocery store increases due to additional production costs for items like wheat, shipping, and fuel.
The cookie package price change will also allow girls to retain a higher amount of direct proceeds from their cookie sales. The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest entrepreneurial program for girls in the world, where girls get hands-on practice with various skills, including goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics as they learn to think like entrepreneurs.
Through the Cookie Program, girls not only discover their inner leadership potential but also use their earnings to power amazing experiences for themselves and their troops, including community service, travel, outdoor adventure, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programming.
“We are committed to positioning girls for success both now and in the future through our comprehensive, year-round program experience for girls,” said Alison Wilcox, CEO of Girl Scouts of Western New York. “As the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world, the Girl Scout Cookie Program provides girls with an unparalleled experience to hone their entrepreneurial skills and build a lifetime of leadership. We also welcome adult volunteers and girls to join Girl Scouts.”
The Girl Scout Cookie Program runs from Dec. 10 to March 29, 2023. To learn more about supporting a girl with a purchase, girl membership, and adult volunteerism, visit www.gswny.org or call 1-888-837-6410.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 November 2022 at 10:29 am
ALBION – Orleans County’s sales tax revenues were up 5.1 percent in the third quarter, an increase from $5.5 million in the third quarter of 2021 to $5.8 for the third quarter this year.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office released sales tax data last week, showing many counties are seeing big gains in sales tax.
Orleans decided against reducing its sales tax on rising gas prices, unlike Niagara, Monroe and about 20 others counties. (Some counties will revert back to their full sales tax on gas on Nov. 30, while others set that date for Dec. 31 or Feb. 28.)
Most of the 62 counties in the state didn’t give a sales tax reduction on gas.
The comptroller’s report shows the third quarter sales tax collections for these nearby counties (Monroe and Niagara both approved sales tax discounts on gas):
Orleans, up 5.1 percent, from $5.5 million to $5.8 million.
Genesee, up 14.1 percent from $13.4 million to $15.3 million
Wyoming, up 16.3 percent from $6.2 million to $7.2 million
Livingston, up 4.0 percent from $11.2 million to $11.7 million
Monroe, down 0.3 percent from $158.8 million to $158.3 million
Erie, up 5.8 percent from $250.4 million to $265.0 million
Niagara, up 3.4 percent from $40.6 million to $42.0 million
Monroe, which capped its sales tax for gas when the price tops $2 per gallon, saw its sales tax revenue drop this quarter compared to 2021. Niagara capped its sales tax at $3 per gallon. It had modest growth in sales tax revenue at 3.4 percent overall.
New York State suspended its 4-percent sales tax share per $1 from June 1 to Dec. 31. That would be 16 cents for $4 a gallon gas.
Even with that discount, the state’s overall sales tax collections increased 10.2 percent, from $5.164 billion to $5.693 billion.
New York City is driving most of the increase as the city rebounds from Covid-19. New York City experienced a big surge in sales tax revenue in the third quarter, up 16.8 percent from $2.056 billion to $2.401 billion.
For the first nine months of the year, Genesee County leads the Finger Lakes region in sales tax growth at 10.5 percent, going from $37.1 million to $41.0 million.
Orleans is up 2.4 percent, from $16.3 million to $16.7 million for the first nine months. The two other rural GLOW counties are seeing strong growth with Livingston up 5.0 percent, from $31.5 million to $33.1 million, and Wyoming up 8.5 percent, from $17.2 million to $18.7 million.
New York City’s sales tax revenues have jumped 23.1 percent in the first nine months, from $5.72 billion to $7.04 billion.
The state’s sales tax collections in the nine months jumped 14.2 percent, from $14.36 billion to $16.39 billion.
DiNapoli said the increases will help governments with inflationary increases and other rising costs.
“New York City’s sales tax growth in the third quarter, after relatively weaker collections in 2020 and 2021, bolstered overall growth for the state,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “Most local governments are experiencing sales tax revenue growth, even as they struggle with higher costs from inflation just like consumers and businesses. We will continue to monitor how inflation is affecting local governments and the state’s economy.”
Orleans is coming off a record year for sales tax in 2021. The county’s sales tax jumped by $2.4 million or 12.7 percent from $19.4 million in 2020 to $21.8 million last year. Over two years the sales tax revenue went up 23.2 percent from $17.7 million in 2019 to $21.8 in 2021.
The local sales tax is mostly used to fund county government. The county shares $1,366,671 with the 10 towns and four villages. They have been frozen at that level since 2001.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 November 2022 at 9:03 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: The pavilion and playground at the Barre Town Park are shown this morning with some fog in the background.
The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a dense fog advisory until 11 a.m. for Orleans and Niagara counties. Visibility could be as low as a quarter mile at times in dense fog.
The forecast for the day includes sunny with a high of 66 and an overnight low of 48. The forecast the following days include a mostly sunny Friday with a high of 71, followed by a partly sunny Saturday with a high of 74, and a mostly sunny Sunday with a high of 65.
The backstop at the Little League field at Barre is shown this morning as the sun comes up.
Provided photos: The ClearSource brand includes pharmaceutical, industrial, and beverage-grade alcohol.
MEDINA – Western New York Energy last year completed a $38 million expansion to produce ultra-high-purity alcohol products under the ClearSource brand.
The company has been honored by the Merit Awards with an Excellence Award in Energy the advanced technology and distillation method to produce the ultra-high-purity alcohol products.
Tim Winters, CEO of ClearSource and WNY Energy, paired the distillation system with sustainable manufacturing practices for a higher purity product and lower carbon footprint.
“Our team is dedicated to making the best possible product and eliminating negative impacts that traditional distillation methods have on the environment,” he said.
The 6,000 square-foot expansion by WNY Energy allows the company to manufacture 15 million gallons of alcohol annually.
“While supplying alcohol for sanitizer during the pandemic, we made the decision to invest in a world-class distillation system to offer products that contain virtually no impurities,” Winters said.
ClearSource is distinguished by its commitment to the agricultural community and environment through zero-waste manufacturing “from crop to cocktail” that uses every bit of corn ground to produce alcohol products, food grade CO2, distillers’ grains and feed-grade corn oil.
“The goal of every New York distiller is to make sustainable, world class spirits, utilizing local grains and positively impacting agriculture and the communities around us,” said Brian Facquet, founder, Do Good Spirits. “ClearSource products embody this sentiment and will positively impact New York’s agricultural community while ushering in a new era of sustainable, local products.”
ClearSource specializes in pharmaceutical, industrial and beverage grades using a proprietary distillation system that produces ethanol with unprecedented levels of purity and consistency, including Grain Neutral Spirits and up to 200 proof products that are Kosher, organic and gluten free.
This state-of-the-art technology ensures New York’s largest ethanol facility can sustainably meet customers’ unique specifications.
ClearSource is determined to maintain a small business mentality. Customers work directly with sales and relationship managers dedicated to accommodating each customer’s specific needs.
Buffalo Distilling’s Mafia Sauce is made with alcohol from ClearSource.
Edwards Vacuum, British-based company, will build dry pump manufacturing facility
Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office
Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer today announced that Edwards Vacuum, a British-based world leader in vacuum and abatement equipment in the semiconductor industry and part of the Atlas Copco Group, has chosen the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park located in Genesee County, as the location for their new $319 million, U.S. dry pump manufacturing facility.
The dry pump technology that will be produced at the new facility is a vital component to controlling the highly sensitive environment of semiconductor manufacturing processes. Phase One of Edwards Vacuum’s 240,000 square-foot campus include manufacturing, warehouse and administration. This new commitment from a global leader in the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain to invest in New York State builds on the announcement that Micron is investing an unprecedented $100 billion in Central New York.
“This major investment from Edwards Vacuum builds on our momentum to secure New York as a leader in semiconductor manufacturing,” Governor Hochul said. “On the heels of Micron’s $100 billion commitment to Central New York, as well as New York’s Green CHIPS legislation and the federal CHIPS and Science Act, we are better positioned than ever to make New York a global hub for advanced manufacturing and attract the jobs of the future. I am thrilled to welcome Edwards Vacuum to Genesee County and look forward to working with them, as well as our local, state, and federal partners, as they make New York their home.”
“The CHIPS And Science Act delivers for Upstate New York again,” Schumer said. “I am thrilled to announce Edwards Vacuum, a major player in semiconductor supply chain, will soon power Genesee County with an over $300 million plant and 600 good-paying jobs! I told Edwards Vacuum’s top brass last month there was no better site than STAMP to locate a new plant and I’m glad they heeded my call. With my CHIPS and Science Act as the lighting rod, we are now seeing energy flow into Upstate’s manufacturing sector like never before, and this investment will further cement that the future of microchips will be built with American made products, crafted by New York workers.”
Edwards Vacuum will provide internal training and education, allowing every employee to explore and advance their career opportunities. Additionally, Edwards is committed to recruiting entry-level employees from disadvantaged communities and partnering with existing community-based recruitment and training programs, to provide both soft skills and technical skills that will provide employment opportunities that have not been available in those communities previously.
Edwards’ Semiconductor business President Kate Wilson, said, “I am delighted that we are announcing this new facility in the state of New York. Against a backdrop of growing demand, clearly showing a greater need for investment in manufacturing capabilities that are located close to our customers, we continue to commit significant investment in our operational footprint. This is critical to ensure we retain our position as the vacuum and abatement partner of choice to the global semiconductor industry.”
The Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) is a 1,250-acre mega site at the forefront of green manufacturing growth in New York. Developed to provide high-capacity, low-cost renewable electricity in a strategic location in the Buffalo-Rochester Tech Corridor, STAMP has attracted over $500 million of investment by innovative companies. With over 500 available buildable acres on-site, 1.1 million people within 30 miles, and 30,000 annually enrolled engineering students at nearby colleges and universities, STAMP is positioned to accelerate New York’s growing semiconductor manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, and renewables manufacturing industries.
As part of the agreement with Edwards Vacuum, ESD has offered up to $21 million in a combination of performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credits, Investment Tax Credits and an additional $1 million to support Workforce Development and the training of a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce in exchange for 600 new full-time jobs at the location. Additionally, the New York Power Authority Board of Trustees will review an application for low-cost Niagara hydropower at a future public meeting.
Edwards Vacuum is anticipated to apply for agreements at a later date with the Genesee County Economic Development Center to support the company’s investment at STAMP through property, sales, and mortgage tax assistance. The request would support the largest workforce and capital investment proposed by any company at a GCEDC-developed site.
Last month, Senator Schumer personally called Edwards Vacuum President, Geert Follens, to urge the global semiconductor supply chain company to expand in Upstate New York. Senator Schumer’s bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, creates an Investment Tax Credit for semiconductor manufacturing facilities and supply chain partners such as Edwards Vacuum as well as a first of its kind $52 billion in federal incentives to spur American semiconductor research, development, manufacturing, and workforce training to bring good-paying jobs back from overseas, strengthen national security, and reestablish America’s technological leadership.
The bill requires recipients of these incentives to make significant worker and community investments that support equitable economic growth. Edwards Vacuum is expected to also apply for incentives under the CHIPS and Science Act. Schumer has long supported STAMP’s development and to attract new semiconductor and advanced manufacturing companies to locate at STAMP. Schumer said these new federal and state investments are creating a new ‘Erie Canal’ across upstate New York by attracting thousands of new jobs in the semiconductor industry from the Hudson Valley to Western New York’s STAMP.
Semiconductors, and their supply chain partners, are vital to the nation’s economic strength, serving as the brains of modern electronics, and enabling technologies critical to U.S. economic growth, national security, and global competitiveness.
The industry directly employs over 277,000 people in the U.S. and supports more than 1.8 million additional domestic jobs. Semiconductors are a top five U.S. export, and the industry is the number one contributor to labor productivity, supporting improvements to the effectiveness and efficiency of virtually every economic sector — from farming to manufacturing.
Earlier this year, Governor Hochul signed New York’s nation-leading Green CHIPS legislation into law to attract top semiconductor manufacturing businesses to the state and secure commitments to good-paying jobs, sustainability, and community benefits.
Genesee County Legislature Chair Shelley Stein said, “We are so proud that STAMP will be the location of the largest economic development investment in the history of Genesee County. On behalf of my colleagues in the Genesee County Legislature we welcome Edwards Vacuum to our community and look forward to their success here and the career opportunities they will provide for our hard-working residents. This announcement demonstrates the diligent focus of Genesee County to plan, prepare and welcome 21st century manufacturing to our county.”
Town of Alabama Supervisor Rob Crossen said, “Our shared vision through the development of STAMP is to play a role in bringing new jobs and investments to Genesee County and to improve the quality of life for our residents. The latter has begun through enhanced infrastructure improvements, especially as it pertains to water services, and we’re pleased that STAMP and our community is attracting advanced manufacturing companies and good paying jobs.”
Steve Hyde, Genesee County Economic Development Center President & CEO, said, “There is a saying that economic development is a marathon and not a sprint and that has been our approach to STAMP ever since it was a concept on paper over a decade ago. That’s why it is so gratifying to see how that steady and purposeful approach is resulting in a significant return on the investment that has been made through the years by our public and private sector partners and in particular by Senator Schumer and Governor Hochul by this announcement today. This announcement shows that STAMP and our region are the ideal location for semiconductor industry growth.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 November 2022 at 9:29 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: These bales of straw shown in mid-July are in a field by East Shelby Road in Shelby near the Millville Cemetery.
The 2022 Census of Agriculture will soon be sent to millions of producers across the 50 states and Puerto Rico. The census is done every five years to provide comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every state, county and territory.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, says the census will be mailed in phases, starting with an invitation to respond online in November followed by paper questionnaires in December.
Farm operations of all sizes, urban and rural, which produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2022 are included in the census.
The census has been collected since 1840 and conducted every five years. The census highlights land use and ownership, producer characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, among other topics.
Revisions to the questionnaire document changes and emerging trends in the industry. Changes to the 2022 questionnaire include new questions about the use of precision agriculture, hemp production, hair sheep, and updates to internet access questions. The census data is expected to be released in the spring/summer 2024.
To learn more about the Census of Agriculture, visit nass.usda.gov/AgCensus or call 800-727-9540.
The 2017 agricultural census showed farm revenues in New York totalling $5,369,212,000 in 2017. That was down slightly from the $5,415,125,000 in 2012.
In Orleans County, farm products sold for $155.3 million in 2017. That was up 3.3 percent over 5 years from the $150.3 million in 2012 for sales of fruit, vegetables, milk, livestock and other farm products. The 2012 figure was a 48.8 percent jump from the $101.0 million recorded in 2007, according to the Agricultural Census.
Agriculture is Orleans County’s leading industry. The 2017 Ag Census counts 498 farms in the county. The number of farms in the county is up from the 487 in 2012. (It was 554 in 2007.)
The top 15 counties in NYS for farm revenue in the 2017 census include:
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 November 2022 at 8:40 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: The village of Albion continues to upgrade the water plant on Wilson Road in Carlton with the next project a new fluoride building.
ALBION – The village’s water plant will soon have a new building to store fluoride.
The Village Board last week approved a $388,000 bid from Keeler Construction in Barre to do the work. The project will be funded with $312,000 grant from the state Department of Health, with the other $76,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The project is expected to take about two months. Keeler was the lowest of two bidders. The other contractor submitted a bid for about $550,000.
The project consists of the construction of the Fluoridation Building at 14-by-14 feet, construction of building-related structural, architectural, mechanical (HVAC and plumbing) and electrical components and systems.
New fluoridation system components will need to be relocated, plus installation of new piping, valves and appurtenances, as well as site work at the water treatment plant.
The village was keeping the fluoridation chemicals in the water plant. Adam Rush, the chief water plant operator, said it was a subpar setup. The village hasn’t added fluoride to the water since the summer of 2021 but will start doing that again when the new concrete building is ready.
The Girl Scouts of Western New York today announced some additions and changes to the upcoming cookie season.
ALBION – Orleans County’s sales tax revenues were up 5.1 percent in the third quarter, an increase from $5.5 million in the third quarter of 2021 to $5.8 for the third quarter this year.
Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer today announced that Edwards Vacuum, a British-based world leader in vacuum and abatement equipment in the semiconductor industry and part of the Atlas Copco Group, has chosen the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park located in Genesee County, as the location for their new $319 million, U.S. dry pump manufacturing facility.
