ALBION – The Village Board was urged to support a dinner on a blocked off Main Street. This wouldn’t be an upscale dinner, but a barbecue with live music and dancing.

Linda Smith and Kim Remley presented the idea to the Village Board on Friday. Smith would like to highlight local fruits, vegetables, meat and other products during the event, which she suggested for early September with a fall theme.

She would like to see Main Street blocked off to traffic from State Street to the canal. The Route 98 traffic would be diverted to the Ingersoll Street lift bridge over the canal.

Medina hosted its first Farm-to-Table Dinner on a closed off Main Street on Aug. 4, 2016. The five-course dinner was supposed to be capped at 100 but demand pushed it to 137 the first time. It has grown to 200, although cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid.

Smith said the event would be different from the five-course meal at Medina’s Farm-to-Table dinner. That event is capped at 200 people and was cancelled in 2020 and 2021. Medina’s meal includes local food prepared by local restaurants with wine from the Niagara Wine Trail, including wineries in Orleans County. The tickets were $125.

Smith would like to sell the tickets at a much lower price with Albion residents known for being good cooks working on the meal. She suggested a cap of 100 people for the first time.

Smith and Remley said about 20 people have already offered to help organize and run the event.

“I think we need a fun, different adult event on Main Street,” Smith told the board.

She would like to see a temporary dance floor at the intersection of Bank and Main streets. And she would like to have some different games and activities, like pumpkin bowling and grape stomping.

While the food might be capped at 100, Smith said other the events could be open to others without a dinner ticket.

The Village Board said it would reach out the state Department of Transportation to see if the street could be closed down to traffic for several hours for the event.

“Thanks for keeping an open mind,” Smith responded.

She expects the event would be popular. She noted the art gallery reception the previous Friday at Marti’s on Main, where 150 people attended the art show.

“People are starved for cultural things,” she said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The County Legislature on Wednesday issued several proclamations, including the one in the top photo that declared May as National Foster Care Month in Orleans County.

Cynthia Stumer, left, the Deputy Commissioner of Department of Social Services and Holli Nenni, the DSS commissioner, accept the proclamation from Legislator John Fitzak.

“We have a responsibility to remain persistent in the charge to provide the best care possible for children when they cannot remain in their homes,” the proclamation states. “During National Foster Care Month, the Orleans County Legislature recognizes the efforts of foster families, social workers, faith-based and community organizations, and others that are improving the lives of our young people in foster care across our county.”

Nenni encouraged people in Orleans Cunty to consider being foster parents.

“During National Foster Care Month we recognize the extraordinary patience and love of our foster parents and concerned professionals whose rewards are often reaped only years after their primary labor is done which is when the child is grown and fully appreciates what has been done for him or her, or when society pauses from its hectic rush forward to recognize the good they have accomplished,” the proclamation states.

County Legislator Skip Draper, second from right, reads a proclamation that declared the week of April 10-16 as “National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.”

Draper is joined by from left Sheriff Chris Bourke, dispatchers Pete Hendrickson and Jerry Bentley, and Allen Turner, director of the dispatch center.

The County Dispatch Center in 2021 answered 64,134 calls and 17,831 calls during the first four months of 2022.

“Telecommunicators help save millions of lives every day,” the proclamation stated. “Emergencies that require police, fire, emergency medical services or other critical services occur twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week; and the Orleans County Dispatch Center is the direct connection to those that dial 911.”

Sheriff Bourke said dispatchers are true first responders. Turner thanked the Legislature for setting aside funding to maintain the technology and equipment for the dispatchers.

The Legislature also proclaimed May as “Older Americans Month.” Legislator John Fitzak presents the proclamation to Melissa Blanar, director of the Office for the Aging in the county.

“Orleans County includes a growing number of older Americans who contribute their strength, wisdom, and experience to our community,” the proclamation states. “Communities benefit when people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds are welcomed, included and supported.”

Blanar also thanked the Legislature for providing resources for her department.

“Orleans County recognizes our need to create a community that provides the services and supports older Americans need to thrive and live independently for as long as possible,” the Legislature stated.  “We urge every resident to recognize the contributions of our older citizens, help to create an inclusive society, and join efforts to support older Americans’ choices about how they age in their communities.”

Matt Tracey, vice president of the ABATE chapter in Orleans County, accepted the proclamation from Legislator Skip Draper that declared May as “Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month” in Orleans County.

ABATE this Sunday will have a motorcycle safety rally at 2 p.m. at the Orleans County Courthouse in Albion and then will go on a 50-mile police-escorted motorcycle ride within the county. The ride will end at V.F.W. Post 1463 on East Center Street in Medina.

MEDINA – Medina’s Tree Board and third-graders from Wise Middle School participated in a ceremony this morning to celebrate Arbor Day.

This marks the 15th year of celebrating Medina as an official Tree City USA.

This year’s ceremonial trees were planted on Frank Street, between West Avenue and South Main Street. Participating in the ceremony, in addition to the third-grade students, were Kathy Blackburn, Lisa Tombari and Chris Busch, members of the Medina Tree Board; and Mayor Mike Sidari.

About 100 third-graders and their teachers attended tree planting ceremony on Frank Street this morning to celebrate Arbor Day.

Blackburn led the ceremony by explaining Arbor Day, which started in Spain more than 400 years ago.

Arbor Day became an official holiday in the United States in 1907, when President Theodore Roosevelt issued a proclamation stating the importance of trees.

Sidari then read a proclamation from the Village and told the children the first Arbor Day was celebrated with the planting of more than one million trees.

The 95 children, who were accompanied by their teachers and principal Chris Hughes, were tested on their knowledge of trees by Blackburn and Tombari, who asked students to answer questions about trees. Students shared their knowledge, saying trees provide many benefits, including homes for birds, shade for people, fruit, maple syrup and clean air.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Kathy Blackburn, right, a member of Medina’s Tree Board, watches as third-grade students take turns in a ceremonial tree planting in honor of Arbor Day on Friday morning. Third-grade students from Wise Middle School gathered around a Tree City USA flag during a tree planting celebration Friday morning on Frank Street.

Blackburn told the students the story of Johnny Appleseed, then she and Tombari handed out coloring pages and activity sheets to the students. Arbor Day posters were also given to the teachers.

Students were then given the opportunity to step up and shovel dirt around the trees which had already been put in place by the village’s Department of Public Works. Most students said they had never planted a tree before.

Blackburn said the village typically plants 20 to 25 trees a year, but thanks to donations from ReLeaf Medina, they are able to plant 51 this year. South Avenue has been planted with most of them, with Friday morning’s trees being planted on Frank Street.

“We hope ReLeaf Medina can once again get enough donations to plant at least another 50 trees next year,” Blackburn said.

Varieties planted Friday morning included Celebration Maple, Japanese Zelkova and Princeton Elm. The village has done its research to determine what varieties will thrive best in certain areas, Busch said.

Other members of the Medina Tree Board are Bob Sanderson, Mary Lewis and Jake Hebdon.

Third-grade students from Wise Middle School hold an Arbor Day poster presented to their teachers during a ceremony Friday morning which featured tree plantings on Frank Street.

Press release and photos from Lyndonville Central School

LYNDONVILLE – The school district recently unveiled a collaborative mural of children’s artwork that was captured and reimagined by Boston-based artist, Bren Bataclan.

Bataclan’s murals are special because he incorporates students’ ideas and characters in the compositions. With the help of 20 adults and a dozen high school students, Lyndonville’s vivid mural was brought to life in the hallway near the elementary library. This was the ideal placement as the theme incorporates literacy and reading with kindness, respect, social-emotional learning and a growth mindset.

Mrs. Strusienski’s fifth and sixth grade students learned about Bataclan after reading a book about the artist and how he spreads kindness by giving away his artwork. The students visited his website (bataclan.com) to learn more about the artist and his projects.

They watched his TEDTalk and then followed a “how-to” video for drawing one of his characters. Inspired by what they learned, they emailed the author, and he replied. After many emails, phone calls and Google Meets, the project was initiated.

Bataclan (back right in photo) visited Lyndonville in early March to collaborate with kindergarten through sixth-grade students during assemblies and workshops and, with help from many in the district, paint the colorful mural that incorporates the students’ artwork.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to share a real-world connection with our students,” said Elementary Principal Dr. Elissa Smith. “Our students love seeing their characters incorporated into the mural and are proud to be a part of this incredible project.”

Inspired by the mural, second grade students painted canvases to give to local nursing homes and a floor at Medina Memorial Hospital. These young students wanted to pass on Bataclan’s message of kindness and to bring a smile to others.

“If you have not taken a trip down to the Elementary Library hallway to view this delightful mural, please do so,” said school nurse Mary Bateson-Kurz. “It will lighten your soul with its joyful characters and message of love!”

To learn more about this project and see the mural reveal, click here to see a video.

CARLTON – The Orleans County Planning Board on Thursday voted in favor of the site plan and a special use permit for a new 2,200-square-foot pole barn for Captain’s Cove on Route 18, overlooking the Oak Orchard River in Carlton.

George Lacey, owner of the business, plans to demolish a building that is currently used for a store and replace it with a 55-by-40-foot pole barn that would be set farther away from Route 18.

Lacey said it will be an upgrade for the business, and also be safer for traffic and customers by creating more parking and moving those spaces farther from the road.

He modified the site plan for the new building since it was originally presented in November to now meet setback requirements for the town of Carlton. The setbacks include 75 feet in the front, 80 feet in rear, 80 feet on left and 240 feet on right.

Lacey plans to disturb half an acre of a 3-acre lot. The building will meet the state energy code requirements by having an updated heating system and some solar arrays, the Planning Board said.

Lacey, owner of Captain’s Cove since 2015, used to have the store down by the Oak Orchard River but that building was flooded and badly damaged in 2017 when the water levels were at all-time highs. Lacey took down that building and raised the parking area by the river. He relocated the store to a house that is more than a century old on the upper bank.

The former house isn’t well suited to be the store, which is why Lacey is taking it down and building a new structure.

“I see a lot of potential there,” he said about the Point Breeze area. “But we need to be forward-thinking. I’ve been trying for 18 months to build a simple pole barn.”

Lacey said he hopes to see others invest in the Point Breeze community.

“The area needs improvement,” he told members of the County Planning Board. “Small business feeds on small business.”

In other action, the Planning Board:

• Recommended the Town of Murray approve a special use permit and the site plan for a 27,500-square-foot building at 15631 Lynch Rd.

Sam and Son wants to use the building with nine truck bays and 33 parking spaces for employees, customers and guests. Sam and Son primarily works with constructing and expanding electrical substations and installing transmission line poles.

• Recommended the Town of Clarendon amend its zoning text to allow more than two travel trailers, campers and recreational vehicles on a private lot but only for special events – weddings, graduation parties, family gatherings. Those vehicles can be parked overnight for a period not to exceed 14 days in a calendar year.

• Voted in favor of a request from the Town of Gaines for a 6-month moratorium extension on the installation of freestanding and ground mounted solar energy systems.

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board voted on Thursday in support of the site plan for a 9,200-square-foot banquet hall at Mariachi De Oro, a Mexican restaurant at 11417 Maple Ridge Rd.

The new single-story building would be behind the restaurant, north of that site and would include 90 more parking spaces on asphalt. That site is currently vacant greenspace.

The Rosario family opened Mariachi in 2011. The new building will be a wood-framed structure with metal siding.

The new project also includes sidewalks, lighting and landscaping. Trees included in the landscaping plan have been selected by the Maple Ridge Corridor District Tree List by the Village of Medina.

The banquet hall will utilize the existing entrance/exit to the restaurant.

The project includes removing a smaller building that is in poor condition, according to the Orleans County Planning Board. That building has been used for storage.

The banquet hall and parking spaces will be on a 3.75-acre lot with 2.19 acres to be developed.

ROYALTON – An 18-year-old from Medina was killed on Wednesday in a one-car accident in Royalton.

Emory R. Seefeldt overturned his vehicle on Orangeport Road near the intersection of Berner Pkwy. Deputies arrived on scene just after 1 a.m. and confirmed a single motor vehicle overturned in the east ditch line.

Seefeldt was underneath the vehicle and succumbed to his injuries. He was pronounced deceased at the scene, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office said.

An investigation by the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office Accident Investigation Unit is continuing.

$79,102 tops previous high of $58,438 in 2020

Photo by Tom Rivers: Orleans County Legislator Ed Morgan presents a proclamation to Dawn Borchet, the county’s tourism director. The proclamation declared May 1-7 as “National Travel and Tourism Week” in Orleans County. Jack Welch, the county chief administrative officer, is in back.

ALBION – Orleans County set a new record in 2021 for its bed tax, the 4-percent tax charged on lodging for rooms in hotels, motels, bed and breakfast establishments, lodges and rentals in the county through Airbnb.

The county took in $79,102 in the bed tax in 2021. That is up $20,664 or 35 percent from the previous high of $58,438 in 2020.

The bed tax stayed stable in 2020 despite many cancellations in the early days of Covid. But the lodging business picked up in the county the second half of 2020 and the bed tax receipts topped the $58,424 in 2019.

The county added more Airbnb locations in 2021, and a 10-room boutique hotel opened at the Bent’s Opera House in Medina.

The numbers should be even better in 2022 with the opening of the 58-room Comfort Inn & Suites in Medina on March 18.

The county using the funds to boost tourism in the county, bringing more visitors to help boost local businesses and the economy.

Dawn Borchet, the tourism director for the county, said the added funds will allow the tourism department to take out bigger advertisements and other promotions for longer periods. The funds are also matched through the I Love NY tourism promotion efforts.

The motel tax has been on the rise in Orleans County in recent years. Prior to the $58,438 in 2020 and $58,424 in 2019, the motel tax generated $51,002 in 2018. In 2017, the bed tax generated $45,374.

The County Legislature on Wednesday also issued a proclamation in support of “National Travel and Tourism Week” in Orleans County from May 1-7.

Legislators noted that sportsfishing is the county’s tourism attraction, with a total economic impact of $28 million with $5.1 million in local and state tax revenue, according to the NY State DEC Anglers Survey for 2017.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke

(PROCLAMATION 5187-It is appropriate that we honor the many contributions and accomplishments of these men and women who are a vital component of the field of corrections. In recognition of the contributions of correctional officers to our Nation, the Ante, p. 92. Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 132, has designated the week beginning May 6, 1984, as “National Correctional Officers Week,” and authorized and requested the President to issue an appropriate proclamation. RONALD REAGAN)

As part of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans County Corrections Division is committed to meeting the standards of the community, striving to promote safety, security and provide opportunity for rehabilitation. Their core values include respect, responsibility, honesty and empathy.

Our dedicated Corrections Officers have the responsibility to operate a safe and secure detention facility in compliance with the New York State Corrections Law and with regulations set forth by the New York State Commission of Corrections.

Each member faces the difficult and often dangerous assignment of ensuring the security, safety, and well-being of the inmates housed in the Orleans County Jail. Their position is essential to daily operations to achieve institutional goals of care, custody, and supervision of approximately 600 inmates annually.

Please join us in recognizing our Orleans County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Officers for their dedication, hard work and service to the community.

Group asks village to move historical marker, sign to make room for bronze statue

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Albion Betterment Committee wants a bronze statue that looks like Santa Claus to go in front the of Santa mural at Waterman Park on Main Street. A historical marker and sign promoting local events would need to be moved to make room for the statue. The 24-foot-long mural will get a 3-inch border to protect the edges of the large painting.

ALBION – The Village Board agreed to let the Albion Betterment Committee put in a 3-inch metal border around a 24-foot-long mural of Santa Claus in a sleigh flying over the Orleans County Courthouse and downtown Albion.

The Betterment Committee will pay for the costs of the border, which will look like a frame for the large painting and also protect the edges.

The mural at Waterman Park on Main Street was spearheaded by the Albion Rotary Club and was completed in July 2018. The mural is on village property and given to the village by the Rotary Club.

Stacey Kirby Steward, an Albion native, painted the mural. The project commemorates the life and work of Charles W. Howard.  In 1937, Howard founded a Santa Claus School in Albion, dedicating his life to establishing a high standard for Santas everywhere.

The Betterment Committee is working to add more to the site celebrating the life of Howard and promoting Albion’s Santa story.

The committee has raised $100,000 for a bronze statue of Santa. That statue is expected to be done and installed in May 2023, and then dedicated the following month during the Strawberry Festival.

Brian Porter, a sculptor from Pendleton, shows members of the Albion Betterment Committee a 6-foot-high clay mold of Santa Claus in Porter’s garage on Saturday. That statue will be cast in bronze and installed in about a year.

Two members of the Betterment Committee, Joe Gehl and Natsha Wasuck, asked the Village Board on Wednesday to relocate a historic marker and also a sign that functions as a for community events. The committee wants the statue to be where those elements are. The statue shows a Santa in a welcoming pose with an outstretched hand and arm.

The marker and sign could be moved about a block south to the village municipal lot next to the Presbyterian Church, Wasuck suggested.

The committee would like the village’s help in a concrete pad that would be about 3-by-4 feet. (A local business may donate the concrete.) A sandstone slab would go on top of the concrete as the base for the statue. Village Attorney John Gavenda suggested the committee have the size of the base engineered to ensure it can hold the 800-pound statue.

Wasuck also asked for the village to run electricity to the site so lights could be displayed on the statue at night. The committee would cover those costs.

The committee also wants to work on the lower parts of the buildings adjoining Waterman Park through paint and new bricks. Conrad Cropsey told the committee he would approve of the work at the committee’s expense. The other building owner, Colleen Albright, wants to work on her own building, Wasuck said.

Mayor Angel Javier Jr. said the board wants to see the intentions of Cropsey and Albright in writing before giving any approval.

The board said it was OK with the 3-inch frame on the mural for now. There is still plenty of time to discuss the other requests from the committee because the bronze statue won’t be ready for about a year.

Both counties still high in obesity, adult smoking

Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments

According to the 2022 County Health Rankings, released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI), Genesee and Orleans Counties rank 38th and 54th respectively in overall Health Outcomes.  The Rankings are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.

“As Chief Health Strategists, we use the County Health Rankings to help us identify factors that are important for residents to live long and healthy lives and understand how we compare to other counties in the state. With this knowledge, we work collaboratively with our partners to improve the health of our community,” stated Paul Pettit, Director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health).  “The county with the lowest score (best health) gets a rank of #1 for that state and the county with the highest score (worst health) is assigned a rank corresponding to the number of total counties ranked in each state. New York State has 62 counties.”

The rankings are broken into to two main categories: Health Outcomes, which include length of life and quality of life, and Health Factors which include health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment.

The 2022 County Health Rankings findings are:

• Genesee County ranked 38 in Health Outcomes and 16 in Health Factors in 2022 as compared to 43 out of 62 counties for Health Outcomes in 2021, a decrease in rank as compared to 2022 and 28 in Health Factors a decrease from 2021.
• Orleans County ranked 54 in Health Outcomes and 55 in Health Factors in 2022 as compared to 60 in Health Outcomes in 2021, a decrease in rank as compared to 2022 and 53 in Health Factors an increase in rank from 2021.

“The County Health Rankings show us that where people live plays a key role in how long and how well they live,” stated Pettit. “The Rankings allow local leaders to clearly see and prioritize the challenges they face — whether it’s rising premature death rates or the growing drug overdose epidemic — so they can bring community leaders and residents together to find solutions.”

According to the 2022 Rankings, the five healthiest counties in New York State starting with most healthy are Putnam, followed by Tompkins, Saratoga, Nassau and New York. The five counties in the poorest health, starting with least healthy are Bronx, Sullivan, Cattaraugus, Montgomery and Chemung.

“The County Health Rankings show how Genesee and Orleans Counties rank on factors that influence its overall health ranking,” said Pettit. “For example, Genesee County had a decrease in preventable hospital stays from 4,748 in 2021 to 3,354 in 2022. Genesee County also had a decrease in adults smoking from 23% in 2021 to 19% in 2022. Orleans County had a decrease in the percentage of adults who smoked from 25% in 2021 to 21% in 2022. Additionally, Orleans County had a decrease in the percentage of adult obesity from 37% to 32%.”

Even with the above mentioned positive trends, both counties continue to have challenge areas and are still struggling with health factors specifically with obesity (Genesee – 33% / Orleans – 32%), adult smoking (Genesee – 19% / Orleans – 21%), and local access to clinical care for primary care physicians, dentists and mental health providers.  Although the numbers for adult smoking did decrease for both counties, we are still above the top U.S Performers at 15% and New York State at 13%.

The Rankings have become an important tool for communities that want to improve health for all.  Working collaboratively with community partners in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties (GOW), Genesee and Orleans counties are currently working on the GOW 2022-2024 Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan to determine the New York State Prevention Agenda priorities to focus on over the next three years.

We analyze the Rankings along with New York State data and community input from the Community Health Assessment survey and Community Conversations with various community groups and county residents.  If you have not completed a survey you can access the English survey online here or the Spanish survey online here.

Lafayette and St. Joe’s will be open all the time, including at night

Photos by Tom Rivers: The gate at the entrance of Lafayette Park on West State Street is open this morning. The Village Board agreed on Wednesday to not lock Lafayette or St. Joe’s Park.

ALBION – The Village Board in a 3-2 decision agreed to not lock the gates of two village parks west of Main Street, including at night.

Trustees Chris Barry and Zack Burgess said they supported keeping the parks open during daylight, but they thought the gates should be closed and locked at night so neighbors don’t have to contend with noise.

Mayor Angel Javier Jr. and trustees Tim McMurray and Joyce Riley voted to not have the parks locked.

Susan Oschmann, a member of the Abion Recreation Committee, brought up the issue. She said she tried to take her grandchildren to St. Joe’s Park last summer and was surprised the entrance was locked.

She noticed other neighborhood parks with fences – Carosol on Ingersoll and Veterans on Linwood – weren’t locked. Bullard Park, the village’s main park, isn’t fenced in. The village will soon be adding cameras to Bullard to help deter vandalism.

“We need to invest in our neighborhoods the right way,” Oschmann said at Wednesday’s Village Board meeting. “I don’t think putting a lock on the playgrounds is the right answer.”

The village historically would lock the gates on Lafayette and St. Joe’s at night and then unlock them at 8 a.m. But often in recent years they have stayed locked all day.

Dorothy Daniels, another resident at the meeting, said it was “bad optics” to lock parks on one side of the village and not the other.

“It sends a very bad message,” she said.

Trustee Tim McMurray made the motion to not lock the two parks, including at night. If there are issues after dusk, McMurray said locking the gates at night could be revisited.

Trustee Joyce Riley said having the parks locked during the day didn’t send a welcoming message to those neighborhoods. She said the smaller parks need to open because not everyone has a car and can get to Bullard on Route 31. That site has the most playground equipment and a spray park that opened last year.

“We need to treat each other the way we want to be treated on a regular basis,” Riley said. “Let’s start by opening our parks.”

St. Joe’s Park on Clinton Street is open today after a member of the Albion Recreation Committee asked why the park is often locked with the front gate closed, even on weekends during the summer.