Testing will be offered at campus center through next week

Photo by Tom Rivers: The sign at the entryway of the GCC campus center in Albion directs people down the hall for Covid test. The service started today and will continue through the end of next week.

ALBION – A free Covid testing site started today at the GCC campus center in Albion. It will continue Thursday and Friday this week, and Monday through Saturday next week. The testing site at 456 West Ave. is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

It’s one of 13 new testing sites being paid for by the state to help identify people who are positive for Covid so they can isolate and not spread the virus.

The site offers tests by appointment, as well as walk-ins. It will offer RT-PCR testing. Rapid antigen and rapid PCR tests will also be available within a few days of opening, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said. Click here for more information about making an appointment.

The state set a new pandemic record for positive Covid tests on Tuesday who 67,090. That passes 49,708 positive tests on Dec. 24.

The positive tests on Tuesday included 41 in Orleans County and 84 in Genesee.

On Tuesday, the percentage of tests that were positive was 18.50 state-wide. The 7-day average state-wide for positive tests is now 14.61 percent.

Orleans about three weeks ago had the highest positvity rate in the state, but now is much lower. The percent of positive tests over 7 days in Orleans County is at 8.2 percent and in Genesee it’s 9.5 percent.

Press Release, GCASA

BATAVIA – The public is invited to attend an open house on Jan. 6 for the new detoxification center located on the campus of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse at 424 East Main St.

The open house is scheduled for 2 to 6 p.m.

This photo shows the common area of the new center.

The two-story, 20-bed facility provides a next and vital step in the continuum of care offered by GCASA, said Kathleen Hodgins, the agency’s chief clinical officer.

“Finding the strength to seek help isn’t always easy,” she said. “We’re here to let those struggling with substance use disorder know that they’re not alone. Help is available, and it starts with our detox center admissions’ process.”

Attached to the rear of the Atwater Community Residence, the detox center is expected to open for business on Jan. 10.

GCASA Executive Director John Bennett said the 8,600-square foot facility will enable local residents in need to stay close to home for their treatment.

“It will be fully staffed by medical and substance use counseling professionals — specially trained and certified to assist those who require short-term services,” he said.

Construction began last January, with Javen Construction of Penfield as the general contractor.

Residents interested in attending the open house are asked to RSVP by clicking on this link.

Provided photo: Cobblestone Society Membership Secretary Gail Johnson receives the 2021 Volunteer of the Year Award from Sue Bonafini, assistant director of the Cobblestone Museum.

GAINES – The Cobblestone Museum has recognized two dedicated supporters for their service to the museum, which is a National Historic Landmark in Gaines.

Toni Plummer, a member of the Board of trustees, was presented with the Proctor Award, which is given annually to someone who goes above and beyond to assist the museum in an extraordinary manner.

Plummer was praised for embracing the museum’s role “to educate as well as entertain.” She arranged for visits by boards members to see other museums and how they’ve navigated issues that are relevant to the Cobblestone Museum’s future goals and growth.

Her idea of hosting future Ladies Luncheons at the Vagg House led to a successful trial run this past fall, with help from some fellow trustees, said Sue Bonafini, the museum’s assistant director.

Plummer also was a key organizer in the Christmas Tour of Homes, a pre-Covid holiday favorite, Bonafini said.

Plummer also led the Marketing Committee and updated the museum’s gift shop to include products from many regional vendors. She also served on the Nominating, Personnel and Strategic Planning Committees in the past year, as well as the Executive Committee.

Gail Johnson was named “Volunteer of the Year.” She serves as membership secretary and on the executive board.

“She works tirelessly behind-the-scenes as head of the Membership Dinner Committee to complete necessary work for the event’s success,” Bonafini said. “She interacts with businesses and private donors to secure auction items. Each component of the evening, including registration tickets, bid slips and more, meets her vision for this important fundraiser and most often touches her hands before it reaches yours.”

Johnson in recent years has spent hours preparing envelopes for all bulk mailing projects. She has become the “go-to volunteer” when an individual is needed to sell or collect tickets at events, Bonafini said.

She also serves on the Strategic Planning and Welcome Center Committees, and has been critical in securing support for the Welcome Center. That project has $575,000 committed to the $750,000 fundraising goal.

ALBION – Orleans County will continue to work with lobbying firm in 2022 at a cost of $90,000 for the year, the same rate as 2020 and 2021.

The County Legislature last week agreed to pay Park Strategies $5,000 a month for government affairs services at the federal level and $2,500 a month for government affairs services at the state level.

Park Strategies was founded by Al D’Amato, the former U.S. senator from New York. The firm has given Orleans County a “louder voice” at the state and U.S. capitols, county officials said.

The firm assists county officials in setting up meetings with representatives from the state and federal governments. Park Strategies also makes the county aware of legislative that could be helpful or harmful to the county, and brainstorms ways to pursue funding for critical projects in the county, including expansion of high-speed internet.

This will be the eighth year the county has contracted with Park Strategies. County officials believe the relationship has benefitted residents.

Park helped make the county’s case to the state Department of Transportation for canal bridges to be repaired. The state spent about $10.7 million recently to fix seven bridges.

The state also has repaved portions of the Lake Ontario State Parkway, committed to dredging harbors on Lake Ontario and also allocated funds to protect lakeshore properties from flooding.

The county also will receive $7.8 million from the federal in American Rescue Plan money, with some of those funds going to expand broadband internet.

Press Release, Congressman Chris Jacobs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) and Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13) announced their legislation, the Reservists Opportunity Act (H.R. 5063), was signed into law by President Biden as part of the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation was also introduced in the Senate by Senators Jacky Rosen (NV) and Joni Ernst (IA).

“Ensuring America’s military is ready to face any threat to our nation requires us to retain the best men and women our country has to offer,” Jacobs said. “The Reservists Opportunity Act helps accomplish that goal by streamlining the process for our citizen-soldiers in the National Guard and Army Reserves to access active-duty opportunities. I’m proud to have successfully led this bipartisan effort to set our military up for future success, and I look forward to seeing our citizen-soldiers find new opportunities to serve our nation.”

The Reservists Opportunity Act (H.R. 5063), would allow for members of the Army Reserves and National Guard to access the Army’s “Tour of Duty” system from personal devices, greatly improving access and making it easier for reservists and guardsmen to access active-duty opportunities. Currently, this system can only be accessed at locations with Department of Defense (DoD) network access.

“When members of our National Guard and Reserve want to step up to serve full-time, the last thing that should stop them are technological barriers,” said Rep. Tim Ryan. “This Reservists Opportunity Act will ensure these servicemembers can access the opportunities available for active-duty service from their personal devices. I’m proud to have worked with my Republican colleague Chris Jacobs and Senators Joni Ernst and Jacky Rosen to get this important legislation across the finish line for our Guard and Reserve members.”

“Providing ease of access for Citizen Soldiers to find their next opportunity to serve is vital to their growth as soldiers and the readiness of the reserve force,” said ROA’s Executive Director, retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Phillips. “ROA is proud to have been an initial partner with Congressman Jacobs in allowing the Tour of Duty system to be accessed at home, removing any barriers to soldiers looking to be ‘twice the citizen’ and schedule the next time they can serve their country in uniform.”

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke

MURRAY –   On Tuesday at 1:15pm, the Orleans County Sheriff’s 911 Communication Center received a call from a male located in a trailer on Newport Drive in the County Line Mobile Home Park in the Town of Murray. The subject reported that he had struck his girlfriend in the back of the head and she was bleeding and unconscious.

As deputies and other law enforcement officers were responding to the scene, the woman in the house called and stated that the male wished to engage with police to cause a “suicide by cop” situation.

Law enforcement arrived and contact was made with the male subject. Eventually, the woman and three teenage children exited the trailer. The woman was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for injuries she had sustained.

Negotiation attempts continued for approximately three hours. At this point law enforcement could hear what appeared to be a person in distress over the phone that had been placed in the residence. Entry was made into the trailer and the male was discovered vomiting and nearly unconscious. Deputies administered two doses of Narcan in an attempt to revive the individual. Monroe Ambulance and Murray Fire/EMS were moved up to the scene and the man was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital.

The man had threatened suicide while on the phone with the 911 dispatchers and apparently ingested some type of substance while in the trailer. The woman told deputies at the hospital that she had taken pills in an attempt to commit suicide. Both individuals were placed in custody by deputies under 941 of the Mental Hygiene Law and turned over to Strong Memorial Hospital for evaluation.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Holley Police Department, State Police, Albion P.D. and the NYS D.E.C. Police. We are extremely pleased that we were able to bring this standoff to a peaceful resolution.

‘The future of farming and food security in our state hangs in the balance’

Press Release, State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt

ALBANY – Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt, along with members of the Senate Republican Conference, yesterday sent a letter to the Farm Laborers Wage Board, urging board members to vote against the reduction of the overtime threshold beyond the current 60 hours established in the Farm Laborer Fair Labor Practices Act (FLFLPA) of 2019.

Rob Ortt

“As we start the new year, the agriculture industry continues to struggle under burdensome state mandates and the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Ortt said. “Lowering the overtime threshold will push workers to other states and drastically lower production, leaving family farmers with a serious risk of losing their livelihoods.”

In January, the New York State Farm Labor Wage Board will revisit the threshold set in 2019 and make a determination on whether to lower the threshold to 40 hours. Ninety-six percent of farms in New York State, most of which are family-owned, are unable to cover the costs of paying time and a half; a threshold reduction would result in less hours for employees to work and smaller paychecks. With farms being local economic engines, this Albany mandate would have devastating effects on communities across New York State.

In their letter, the Republican legislators cited a recent study conducted at Cornell University. The study found that if the overtime threshold was lowered to 40 hours, two-thirds of dairy farmers would make significant changes to their operation, including leaving the industry or investing out of state, and half of fruit and vegetable farmers indicated they would decrease their operations or exit the industry.

“Even the most resilient of these New Yorkers would be forced to relinquish labor-intensive dairy or crops operations, relocate to other states or abandon agriculture entirely,” said Senator George Borrello, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.  “I urge the members of the Wage Board to listen to researchers as well as those on the front lines, including farm workers, and reject any overtime changes. The future of farming and food security in our state hangs in the balance.”

Fellow Members of the Senate Republican Conference Senator Pam Helming, Senator Mike Martucci, Senator Patty Ritchie, Senator Sue Serino, Senator Fred Akshar, Senator Patrick Gallivan, Senator Anthony Palumbo, Senator Tom O’Mara, and Senator Alexis Weik also signed onto the letter.

Belgian Malinois served in Medina PD for 8 1/2 years; meets with residents in farewell

Photos by Ginny Kropf: These children –Chloe Moreland, 9, (left) and Kinsley, 5 – pet Kye at the Medina Senior Center today, where Lt. Todd Draper took the dog so residents could say goodbye to him.

MEDINA – Kye, the Village of Medina Police Department’s K-9 until retiring in November 2020, bid goodbye to handful of residents, Medina police officers and firefighters this afternoon.

Kye’s handler, Lt. Todd Draper, brought the Belgian Malinois to the Senior Center this afternoon, so residents and children could come and say goodbye to the dog, who has been diagnosed with bone cancer.

Lt. Todd Draper waits with Kye to meet the public this afternoon.

Draper knew many children had interacted with Kye at school and public events during his 8 ½ years on the police force, and he wanted to give them a chance to say a final farewell.

When the village decided to have a K-9 on the police force, Draper was named K-9 officer and Kye was imported from Holland when he was a year old. That was in 2012. He had some basic training in Holland, and for a year after arriving in Medina he continued to train in narcotics detection, building searches, criminal apprehension and handler protection.

He served the village well until being retired at the age of 10 1/2. That was little more than a year ago and the village now has a new dog of the same breed, Phoenix. His handler is Officer Jake Reeves.

The first visitors to come and greet Kye on Tuesday were Ashley Moreland of Medina and her children Jaden, 10, Chloe, 9 and Kinsley, 5.

“The children had seen Kye in school and wanted to come and say goodbye,” their mother said.

Draper set up a display with pictures of Kye during his years on the police force, newspaper clippings of arrests he had a part in and posters drawn by children. Many had messages which said, “We will miss you.”

Kye has become part of the Draper family. About 2 1/2 months ago, the lieutenant said they noticed Kye was having difficulty moving. They knew he has undergone a lot of sprains and strains during his police work, but when he got worse, they gave him some medicine. It didn’t help, so they took him to the vet, who also gave him medication, then ordered some tests.

It was confirmed Kye had  bone cancer on his right shoulder. Already the tumor is the size of two grapefruit.

Draper said Kye isn’t in any pain, but he knows the day will soon come when the decision will have to be made to put him down.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has approved the 2022 sales tax apportionment with the 10 towns and four villages in Orleans County.

The annual apportionment shifts some of the sales tax given to the towns and villages. The county divides the village taxable value by the town taxable value to determine the percentages due to the town and village.

If a town’s tax base grows at a greater percentage than the village within that town’s borders, the town gets more of the sales tax and vice versa. The four towns without a village – Barre, Carlton, Clarendon and Kendall – stay unchanged for a decade because the sales tax apportionment once every 10 years is set based on population. For towns with villages the shares are then modified each year after based on changes in the tax base.

The apportionment in 2021 broke a trend in previous years where the village share grew – at the expense of the towns. But 2022 shifts more sales tax to the towns.

The county receives about $20 million in sales tax annually, and shares $1,366,671 with the four villages and 10 towns. They have been frozen at that level since 2001.

The sales tax has been on a big growth swing the past two years with more online sales tax being captured. This year’s growth also is fueled by the higher gas prices.

Once a decade the town and village amounts are set based on local population. However, each year after that the share is modified based on the assessed values of towns with villages.

The villages have seen their share take a hit by nearly $30,000 from 2013 to 2022, falling from $404,661 in 2013 to $375,620 in 2022.

In Albion, the village hit a high of $211,669 in 2004. In 2022, it will receive $165,688, which is $45,981 less than in 2004.

In Holley, the village hit a high of $62,549 in 2002 – 20 years later it’s down to $45,051, a cut of $17,498.

Lyndonville was at $18,592 in 2002 and has dropped to $15,243 in 2022.

In Medina, the village received a high of $173,592 in 2002 and will be at $149,638 in 2021, a decline of $23,954.

The county is using some of the local sales tax to pay $290,000 in AIM payments to towns and villages that were funded by the state. The state also takes $190,274 in the county sales tax and diverts it to “financially distressed health facilities.”

New York will follow the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is shortening the isolation period for those with Covid from 10 to 5 days as long as they don’t have symptoms.

The CDC on Monday updated its guidance after research showed the virus is most contagious in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop. People with symptoms after five days should to continue to remain at home and avoid contact with others.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced the state would reduce the isolation window from 10 to 5 days for asymptomatic essential workers – employees in healthcare, transportation, grocery stores and others. The state will follow the CDC in the 5-day isolation for everyone as long as they don’t have symptoms.

“As we battle this winter surge, we will keep following the data and science-based public health policies to protect New Yorkers,” Hochul said on Monday in backing the new CDC guidance. “This is a critical step to support our small businesses, critical industries, and essential services as we get through this new variant.”

Lynn-Ette & Sons also awarded $148K in state funding

HOLLEY/LYNDONVILLE – The state has awarded grants to upgrade the sewer or wastewater treatment plants for both Holley and Lyndonville.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the awards earlier this month as part of $196 million for 488 projects identified through Round XI of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

The Village of Holley was awarded $783,016 to install ultraviolet effluent disinfection at the village’s wastewater treatment plant. This project will improve water quality by reducing pathogens in the plant’s discharge to East Branch Sandy Creek.

The Village of Lyndonville was approved for $483,460 to install an effluent disinfection system at the village’s wastewater treatment plant. This project will improve the quality of treated effluent entering the Johnson Creek.

Gov. Hochul also announced $148,050 to assist Lynn-Ette & Sons, a vegetable, produce and grain farm in Carlton. Lynn-Ette will invest in a new snap bean processing line and will add cold storage capacity to increase the amount of cabbage that can be stored for sale later into the season.

The number of active Covid cases and hospitalizations is down significantly after hitting a pandemic high for cases earlier this month.

Orleans County today has 130 active cases, which is down from 211 on Thursday and 334 on Dec. 9. The 130 active cases today is 61 percent of the record high of 334 only 18 days ago.

Genesee County also is seeing a decline, at 218 today which is down from 231 on Dec. 23 and 275 on Dec. 20.

The number of people hospitalized due to Covid also is on the decline. Orleans has four hospitalized today due to Covid, which is down from nine on Dec. 23, 12 on Dec. 20 and 17 on Dec. 2.

Genesee County has 27 people hospitalized from Covid, which is down from 29 on Dec. 23, 35 on Dec. 20 and 39 on Dec. 2.

State-wide hospitalizations due to Covid was at 5,526 on Sunday, up by 635 in two days, and up from the 3,909 on Dec. 17.

The active cases are going down because new positive cases are less than people recovering or completing their 10-day isolation and being removed from mandatory isolation.

Orleans County has 50 new cases since Thursday, and 126 more recoveries.

Genesee County has 92 new cases since Thursday and 105 more people who completed their 10-day isolation and have been removed from mandatory isolation.

New York State is seeing a surge in new cases with 26,737 more positive tests on Sunday and a positivity rate of 16.04 percent. The seven-day average for positive tests is at 12.41 percent in the state. That is higher than the 7.8 percent in Orleans and 9.1 percent in Genesee.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature is asking state officials to establish solar panel recycling regulations.

The County Legislature last week passed a resolution that stated there is a rise in the use of solar panels, which has led to an accumulation of waste at the end of the life of the panels.

The solar panels contain recyclable aluminum, glass and plastic, as well as photovoltaic cells, which contain various valuable materials and rare metals, legislators said.

“Proper recycling of the solar panels will ensure that these materials and metals are able to be reused, but also ensures that the panels do not prematurely enter the waste stream where they can have potential negative environmental effects,” county legislators stated in their resolution.

Legislators are urging the state to develop “a convenient, safe and environmentally sound system for the recycling of photovoltaic modules, the minimization of hazard waste, and the recovery of commercially valuable materials.”

The responsibility for the reduction of solar panels in the waste stream should be shared among all stakeholders, with manufacturers financing the takeback and recycling system, county legislators said.

The county said the State Legislature should develop regulations utilizing the state’s own Sustainable Materials Management Model (so that the social, economic and environmental consequences of the choices made today do not adversely impact future generations.

The solar panel recycling regulations also should consistent for all counties in the state, the County Legislature said.

State paying for 17,600 masks for Orleans County

ALBION – Orleans County residents can pick up free KN95 masks at three locations on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m.

Firefighters and EMTs will be handing out the masks at the following locations:

• Murray Joint Fire District Station 1 (7 Thomas St, Holley)
• County Administration Building (14016 Rt 31, Albion)
• Ridgeway Fire Company Station 1 (11392 Ridge Rd, Medina)

The state is paying for 17,600 of the masks to be distributed in the county. Until supplies are depleted, the KN95 masks will also be available to the public during normal county business hours at the County Clerks Office, County Admin Building, Veterans Office, Public Safety Building, and Treasurer’s Office.

Some of the masks are going to local municipalities for essential workers and first responders. Any business in the county in need of the masks should call the county Emergency Management Officer at (585) 589-4414.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has doubled the size of a medical scholarship, from $36,000 to $72,000 over four years.

The county started offering the scholarship in 1966 to entice young physicians to work as doctors in the county.

The Orleans County Medical Scholarship Board recommended the scholarship be increased due to the increased costs involved in medical training.

“The Orleans County Legislature wishes to ensure that Orleans County is meeting the needs of our residents by securing physicians for our future health care needs,” the Legislature said last week in voting to increase the scholarship.