BARRE – The community can share its views with the Barre Town Board during a hearing on Oct. 4 on whether Barre should allow legal marijuana dispensaries. That hearing will be 5 p.m. at the Town Hall, 14317 West Barre Rd.

Towns and villages around the state can either “opt in” or “opt out” of allowing the dispensaries, where people could purchase adult-use cannabis products.

The state has given the municipalities until Dec. 31 to make a decision. If the municipal boards don’t vote on the issue, they are considered by the state to be opting in and allowing the dispensaries, said Sean Pogue, the Barre town supervisor.

Towns and villages can opt out by Dec. 31 and then vote again in the future to opt in. That is the direction Pogue wants to see Barre take. He cited a lot of uncertainty and unknowns with the state’s new marijuana laws.

“I would feel better to opt out now,” he told the other board members during Wednesday’s monthly regular meeting. “This is so new. It’s in its infancy and there has been nothing from Albany on specific regulations.”

Municipalities also need to decide by the end of the year if they will opt out of allowing onsite consumption at businesses such as a smoking lounge.

The state has approved a 13-percent excise tax on marijuana with a breakdown that includes 9 cents for each taxable sale to the state, 3 cents to the municipality that has the dispensary, and 1 cent to the county. Municipalities that opt out wouldn’t be eligible for the 3-cent share of the 13-percent sales tax.

Towns and villages can’t overstep the state and ban recreational use of marijuana. But the towns and villages can prohibit dispensaries and smoking lounges.

If the municipal board for a village or town decides to opt out, residents could still push a permissive referendum, with the matter going on the ballot. They would need to turn in a petition by at least 10 percent of qualified voters within 45 days of the Town Board’s decision to force a public vote.

Provided photo: Mark Scotch, 65, of Wisconsin will be coming to Medina on Sept. 29-30 as part of his second annual marathon cycling trip – “The Organ Trail.”

MEDINA – A marathon cyclist from Wisconsin will be coming to Medina on Sept. 29-30 as part of his second annual ride to highlight kidney disease, living donor awareness, and post-donation functionality.

Mark Scotch, 65, from Plover, Wisconsin donated a kidney in September 2020 to a person in New York. Scotch has continued to live a very active lifestyle – with one kidney.

He will begin the second “Organ Trail” bike ride on Sept. 19 in Martha’s Vineyard. From there in Massachusetts, he’ll travel into New York City, go through upstate New York, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and come back to his hometown in central Wisconsin. He expects to end the ride on Oct. 16.

Scotch will arrive in Medina on Sept. 29 and stay overnight. He will join Orleans Community Health staff and leaders for a news conference on Sept. 30 at the Lake Plains Dialysis Center in Medina.

This will be Scotch’s second marathon bike trip this year to promote the cause. He already rode 1,500 miles in May from Madison, Wisconsin – the home of his transplant center – to Natchitoches, Louisiana, home of his recipient via a voucher donation.

His goal is to raise awareness for living kidney donation and the National Kidney Registry Voucher Program.

“The Organ Trail is all about generating awareness of the need for kidney donors, especially living kidney donors,” Scotch said on the Organ Trail website. “But it’s also about showing people that even with one kidney, you can still lead a life full of activities, even if those activities are sustained and vigorous.”

BARRE – The Barre Town Board on Wednesday approved a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with the developer of a 4.5 megawatt solar project on Route 98 near Lime Kiln Road.

AES DE Devco NC is developer of the “Baird Solar Project” on land owned by Joshua Baird, and Jacob and Melissa Monacelli.

The PILOT agreement calls for AES to pay $7,000 per megawatt or $31,500 total for the first year, with 2 percent annual increases over 15 years.

The money will be evenly split in thirds among the Town of Barre, Albion School District and Orleans County – $10,500 each the first year.

The solar arrays will be located at 4360 Oak Orchard Rd., where the developer can tap directly into a 13.2-kilovolt distribution line. The project doesn’t include battery storage.

There will be 14,118 solar panels and they will be surrounded with a 7-foot-high perimeter chain link fence. There will be 40,543 linear feet of low-voltage and 1,258 feet of high-voltage underground wiring. The project also includes a decommissioning plan.

The plan calls for planting 191 deciduous and evergreen trees along with 92 shrubs and pollinators.

The Orleans County Planning Board last month recommended the Town of Barre approve the site plan and issue a permit for the project.

The Baird project is different from the larger 200 megawatt solar project – Hemlock Ridge Solar – proposed by Community Energy for 1,800 acres in Barre and Shelby.

This 1909 postcard photo taken by W.C. Eaton of Jeddo, shows Main Street, Eagle Harbor, looking north.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Vol. 1, No. 21

EAGLE HARBOR – The hamlet of Eagle Harbor has seen more traffic of late as many avail of its convenient bridge because the Knowlesville bridge on Route 31 is still “Closed” or “Out.”

Named for the eagle’s nest found in a tree there by Canal surveyors in 1815, Eagle Harbor’s growth was due to Canal trade.

In 1894, it boasted a hotel, livery, wagon shop, meat market, grist mill, school, three general stores, two churches, and two blacksmiths. The following photographs from the History Dept. provide interesting visual images of Eagle Harbor’s history.

The old steel arch bridge is visible in this bustling scene.

This 1911 postcard photo also taken by W.C. Eaton, of Jeddo, shows the early stages of the bridge reconstruction project which was necessitated by the widening of the Erie Canal.

This massive reconstruction project was thoroughly documented by the New York State Barge Canal (Western Division). This photograph is labeled “South Wall of Trough, Eagle Harbor, Looking East, 4/12/12”

“Eagle Harbor Waste Weir, Looking S.E., 4/10/1912”

A temporary wooden bridge over the Canal at Eagle Harbor, 1912.

The construction of the Erie Canal presented several engineering challenges and lead to the development of several new types of bridge design. The vertical lift bridge at Eagle Harbor is one of the longer spans of this bridge type. It is one of seven lift bridges in Orleans County.

According to www.historicbridges.org: “This bridge features end posts which extend above the top chord, with a tastefully designed curved plate providing a visual and structural transition from the top chord to the top of the end post…..this bridge stands on its own as a beautiful eye-catching landmark for the area.”

YATES – The Town Board has set a 7 p.m. public hearing on Oct. 12 to hear from residents whether Yates should allow marijuana to be sold from a legal dispensary, where people could purchase adult-use cannabis products. The hearing will be at the Town Hall, 8 South Main St.

The state is giving municipalities until Dec. 31 to decide whether they will opt out of allowing marijuana dispensaries. The municipalities also need to decide by the end of the year if they will opt out of allowing onsite consumption at businesses such as a smoking lounge.

The state has approved a 13-percent excise tax on marijuana with a breakdown that includes 9 cents for each taxable sale to the state, 3 cents to the municipality that has the dispensary, and 1 cent to the county. Municipalities that opt out wouldn’t be eligible for the 3-cent share of the 13-percent sales tax.

Towns and villages can’t overstep the state and ban recreational use of marijuana. But the towns and villages can prohibit dispensaries and smoking lounges.

If the municipal board for a village or town decides to opt out, residents could still push a permissive referendum, with the matter going on the ballot.

Municipalities could also decide to opt out, and later decide to “opt in” and allow the dispensaries and lounges.

Press Release, William G. Pomeroy Foundation

File photo by Tom Rivers: This historic marker acknowledges a horrific day in Albion’s history when a bridge collapsed on the Erie Canal on Sept. 28, 1859. There were about 250 people gathered on the Main Street bridge over the canal to watch a wire walker cross the canal. The bridge collapsed, killing 15 people. There were 11 children among the dead.

SYRACUSE – The William G. Pomeroy Foundation has announced the newest grant round of its Historic Transportation Canals Marker Grant Program, opening Tuesday, September 7.

This program commemorates the historical significance of transportation canals in the United States with roadside markers.

“Historically, transportation canals have played a significant role in development and commerce across the country,” shared Deryn Pomeroy, Director of Strategic Initiatives of the Pomeroy Foundation. “This marker program is an opportunity to put the spotlight on these important historic waterways. Markers help educate the public, encourage pride of place, and promote economic activity.”

Canal markers must be installed near an existing or former canal site and recognize a historical fact that occurred more than 50 years before the year of the grant application, which is currently 1971.

Canal marker grants are available to 501(c)(3) organizations, nonprofit academic institutions, and local, state, and federal government entities within the United States. Grant funding includes the total cost of a marker, pole, and shipping.

Those interested in applying for a marker grant should submit an online Letter of Intent by Monday, October 18. The grant application deadline is Friday, November 19. To learn more about the Historic Transportation Canals Marker Program or to apply online, click here.

Provided photo: Congressman Chris Jacobs met with law enforcement officials on Tuesday at the Clarence Town Hall.

Press Release, Congressman Chris Jacobs

CLARENCE – Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) held a roundtable yesterday with members of law enforcement serving in Erie and Niagara Counties.

“We have all read about recent crime increases in the news, and we have seen the media and politicians demonize our officers without any understanding of the dangerous and challenging work they do,” Jacobs said. “I convened this roundtable for two reasons. First, I wanted to hear directly from the members of our law enforcement community about the obstacles they are facing and what is contributing to spikes in crime. Second, I want to build a strong partnership with our local departments and ensure they know they are supported at the federal level.”

The roundtable was attended by representatives from the New York State Police, the NYS Troopers PBA, the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, and other local town and city departments.

“Today’s meeting was insightful, and some serious changes need to be made to ensure the longevity and effectiveness of our police force,” Jacobs said. “The attacks from the media and the threats to end qualified immunity are causing a mass exodus of experienced officers and making recruitment efforts extremely challenging.

“Additionally, actions taken by politicians to defund our police and the implementation of bail reform in New York are putting communities are greater risk of violent crime from repeat offenders,” he said. “It’s time to get serious about supporting our officers and the brave work they do; I look forward to more discussions and to continuing to fight on their behalf in Washington.”

KNOWLESVILLE – The Orleans County 4-H  Fairgrounds will be the site Sept. 18 and 19 of the 20th annual “September to Remember” to benefit the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.

David Green of East Shelby started the first event 19 years ago as a swap meet for collectors of antique and vintage vehicles. He had a 1953 Buick at the time, which he drove in parades when he was campaigning for sheriff.

He knew when he and other antique car buffs needed parts for their vehicles they had to travel to Carlisle, Pa., where they have one of the biggest automotive swap meets in the country. Carlisle has more than 7,000 vendors and as many as 2,200 vehicles for sale, Green said.

“If you collect old cars and you’re looking for a part, like a simple tail light, you can’t just go to the store and buy one,” he said.

The first swap meet was at the East Shelby Fire Hall and it was a huge success, Green said.

“It was so successful we decided to move it to the fairgrounds, where we had lots of room outside,” he said.

Green has had several old vehicles and now owns a 1980 short box Chevrolet truck and a 1978 Buick Regal Limited.

The Swap Meet has grown over the years to include food, a craft and antique show, flea market and car and truck show.

For $10, a vehicle owner can enter his car or truck he wishes to sell in the car corral.

The event is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will feature a truck show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday will have a car show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Ladies Auxiliary will provide beef on weck, chili, breakfast sandwiches, coffee, cold drinks and donuts.

Vendors will be set up in the Lartz Building. One hundred vendor spaces are available, Green said.

There will be a $5 charge for parking, but admission is free. Proceeds benefit the East Shelby Fire Company, and help make up the revenue lost with the loss of bingo and their chicken barbecue.

ALBION – The Light of Victory Church on Brown Street in Albion is planning a 5-kilometer walk-a-thon or run on Sept. 25 with proceeds going towards holiday food baskets.

The church has organized the 5K for 10 years. The course is along the canal towpath, starting near Brown Street and going east towards Keitel Road and then back.

People can register the day or the event at 8:30 a.m. with the cost $25. The fee is $20 if people pre-register by sending a check to Light of Victory Church, 47 Brown St., Albion, 14411. Mark the check for the 5K and attention Cyndi Mardino, the event organizer.

KENDALL – Dave Warren, a member of Bugles Across America, will play Taps on 4 times on Saturday at the times of the four plane crashes on the 20^th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

Warren will play Taps at the Kendall Town Park across from the elementary school. That park includes a war memorial. He will be among 900 buglers around the country playing Taps.

Warren will play Taps at the following times:

• 8:46 a.m. when Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City
• 9:03 a.m. when Flight 175 crashes into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City
• 9:37 a.m. when Flight 77 crashed into The Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
• 10:03 a.m. when Flight 93 crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pa.

“I believe that all those who perished in this tragic event deserve to be honored,” Warren said. “As an American, and a member of Bugles Across America, I am proud to be part of this event.”

YATES – The Yates Town Board wants to reach out to the community to see if there would be support from dairy farms and residents for a manure digester, which converts methane gas into a biogas that can be converted into electricity.

The board on Tuesday discussed an initial feasibility study that shows there are plenty of cows in Yates and neighboring Somerset to do a large-scale digester that could be shared by more than one farm.

“It’s just an idea,” said Town Councilman John Riggi. “It’s nothing more than that now.”

The town wants to hear from dairies if they would support being a part of a digester, a project that Riggi said would likely come with grants from the state to help drive down the costs.

The digesters have become popular in the dairy industry, with many larger farms doing the projects on their own. Yates is looking at a project that could include more than one farm. If that happened, there would likely be a digester at a host farm, with others farms trucking manure to the site, and then picking up the finished fiber product – which is much less smelly and can be used for cow bedding or for horticultural purposes.

The town will look to form a committee to reach out to the dairy farms and residents. If there is interest in a project from the farms, Yates officials will likely pursue a more detailed feasibility study.

Riggi and Town Supervisor Jim Simon said the board will provide updates about the possible project in town newsletters and upcoming board meetings.

Riggi said he would only support the project if it proves a benefit for everyone in the town, and proves affordable with grants and incentives from the state.

He said a digester could also take pressure off Yates from hosting large-scale wind turbine and solar projects as the state pushes renewable energy.

“Every rural town has a target on its back with the renewable energy mandate,” Riggi said.

He sees a digester – using manure from dairies to ultimately create electricity – as a more appropriate renewable energy project in Yates than the large-scale wind and solar.

This design by the MRB Group in Rochester shows the layout of an improved Yates Town Park.

YATES – Town officials will open construction bids this morning at 10 for an upgrade of the Town Park on Morrison Road. The park is along Lake Ontario.

The state is paying 95 percent of the costs of the project estimated at $2.531 million or $2,404,450. It is part of $300 million in state funding for projects along the southshore of Lake Ontario. (Click here to see a bigger map of the project.)

The local share of the Yates project – $126,550 – will be covered with $26,550 of in-kind services by the town Highway Department and $100,000 in funding by the Lyndonville Area Foundation.

The town is eyeing completion of the project in next September. It would be a big highlight for Yates as the town celebrates its 200^th anniversary in 2022, Town Supervisor Jim Simon said.

After the bids are opened today, they will be reviewed by the town’s engineering firm, MRB Group in Rochester, and then come back to the Town Board for a vote.

During a Town Board workshop meeting on Tuesday, Simon told the other board members the project is on pace to be complete in about a year.

“It’s going really well,” Simon said about the project. “There are no hiccups that I am aware of.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Oct. 23, 2019 shows some of the tables along the shoreline at the Yates Town Park.

Some highlights of the project and the estimated costs include an L-shaped breakwater at $640,000; pavilion with bathroom and fire place, $394,000; park activities (kayak boat launch, dock ramp, ADA compliant playground), $266,000; road, parking, pavement, $95,000; stone dust trail with benches, garbage can, bike rack and plantings, $75,000; stormwater, $56,000; electrical, $42,000; erosion control, $41,000; sanitary/leach field, $31,000 and water service, $20,000.

Engineering costs also are estimated at $372,000, with legal and administration fees at $93,000.

Annual operation and maintenance costs with the added amenities are estimated at $3,000 for water and electric service, insurance, bathroom cleaning and septic tank costs and other operation, maintenance costs. However, the town will save $1,500 annually by not needing portable bathrooms at the park. So the net increased operation and maintenance costs will be $1,500 or an additional penny on the town tax rate, according to the town’s calculations.

Simon believes the park will improve the quality of life in the community, improve health and wellness, and boost property values in that part of the community. It could also draw visitors to the community as the only town park along the Lake Ontario shoreline in Orleans County.

Simon said he would like to see the community eventually work to put in sidewalks from north of the village on Route 63 to the Town Park. That would be an ideal link between the village and park for walkers, joggers and cyclists, Simon said.

Genesee reports a death from Covid, and now records 125 Covid deaths during pandemic

The number of active Covid-19 cases in Orleans County has dropped from 96 on Thursday to 59 today, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported.

Genesee also has seen a decline in active cases, from 70 on Thursday to 53 today.

Both counties are seeing recoveries outpace new infections.

Orleans is reporting 28 new cases over the past five days, and 65 people who have completed their 10-day isolation and been removed from mandatory isolation.

In Orleans, the new cases include people in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. There are currently two Orleans residents hospitalized due to Covid, the G-O Health Departments said.

Genesee is reporting 48 new cases of Covid since Thursday. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Genesee also is reporting 64 of the previous positive individuals have completed their 10-day isolation and been removed from mandatory isolation.

Genesee currently has 16 residents hospitalized due to Covid. The G-O Health Departments also reported the death of a Genesee resident from Covid, a person over the age of 65. Genesee has now had 125 residents die due to Covid since the pandemic started in March 2020.

Provided photo: Todd Bensley, Medina’s village historian, is shown leading a dedication ceremony in September 2016 for the new historical marker at Boxwood Cemetery. The cemetery on North Gravel Road was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. Bensley will lead a tour of Boxwood on Sept. 25.

There will be many local tours, programs and discussions celebrating local history and cultural attractions in September and October as part of “Heritage Season.”

The County History and Tourism departments teamed with local organizations and businesses for the lineup of lectures, luncheons, concerts, walking tours, mystery events, workshops and a French- inspired market. Click here to see the full schedule.

The programs are building off the former Orleans County Heritage Festival and has been extended over two months instead of two weekends.

“A wealth of topics will be explored: historic quilts, the 19th century kitchen, the Orphan Train children,” said Catherine Cooper, county historian. “Genealogy workshops will be held in Carlton. The Oak Orchard Lighthouse Mystery event sounds intriguing. Self-guided tours of Medina’s historic sites and architectural gems may be undertaken at your convenience. Guided tours of the Cobblestone Complex buildings will be available. The Holley-Murray Historical Society Museum will be open to visitors.”

The lineup of events started on Sunday with St. Rocco’s Italian Festival in Hulberton and with genealogy workshops led by Holly Canham at the Carlton Town Hall, 14341 Waterport-Carlton Rd. Canham will be at the Town Hall on Saturdays and Sundays, every weekend in September and October, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for genealogy and local history workshops.

Some of the programs during Heritage Season include:

Oak Orchard Lighthouse Mystery Tour Fundraiser: Sunday, Sept. 12 from noon to 3 p.m. at 14357 Ontario St., Kent. The event includes a mystery tour at four Lake Ontario lighthouses. For $35 the event includes t-shirt, box lunch and commemorative sticker. A $20 option includes a picnic at the Point with a box lunch. Visiting the four lighthouses at your leisure is $10 and includes a commemorative sticker. Click here for more information.

Cobblestone Museum programs at 14389 Ridge Rd., Albion

• Saturday, Sept. 25 at 3 p.m. – Cobblestone Fiddlers Concert at the Cobblestone Museum
• Saturday, Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Fall Open House featuring guided tours of 8 buildings, artisans at work, antiques appraisals, and a Weidner’s Chicken BBQ.
• Thurs. Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. – “With Womanly Weapons Girt”: Women’s Volunteerism and Quilts of the Civil War. Quilt historian, Lynne Zacek will discuss the quilts and other textiles that women created to declare their patriotism and other support from the homefront. Registration required at www.cobblestonemuseum.org or call 585-589-9013.

Tour Boxwood Cemetery “Beyond the Book” on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 11 a.m. to noon at the cemetery on North Gravel Road in Medina. Interesting Stories Not in the Book hosted by Todd Bensley and Friends. Bensley has written a 314-page book, “Boxwood Cemetery: Where the Past is Present.”

Hurd Orchards Heritage Luncheons at 17260 Ridge Rd., Holley, from noon to 2 p.m. Reservations required by calling 585-638-8838. Details at www.hurdorchards.com.

• Thursday, Sept. 23 – The 19th Century Kitchen
• Friday, Oct. 15: A Taste of Time: Recipes from an English Threshing Barn

Hoag Library Lecture Series in the Curtis Room, 134 S. Main St., Albion. Free will offering will be accepted.

• Sat., Sept. 4 at 12:30 p.m. – A Short Visit to Oak Orchard of Olden Days with Dick Anderson
• Sat., Sept 11 at 12:30 p.m. – A Brief History of the Swan Family with Ian Mowatt
• Tues., Sept 14 at noon – Tea With Dee: “The Phipps Diploma”
• Wed., Sept 15 at 6 p.m. – Local Author Presentation & Book Signing – “Hellmira” by Derek Maxfield

Holley-Murray Historical Society Museum will be open every Saturday in September from noon to 3 p.m. at Geddes Street Ext., Holley. Visit the 1907 NY Central Depot restored to a museum including the Halloween Bell cast “1894 October 31st”. Free will offering accepted.

The Medina Historical Society presents “Abandoned: the Untold Story of the Orphan Train” with Michael Keene, Monday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Lee- Whedon Memorial Library, 520 West Ave., Medina.

Medina Railroad Museum Train Excursions on Thursday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 530 West Ave., Medina. Reserve a seat aboard the vintage rail cars and for a 2-hour round trip from the Medina Railroad Museum to Lockport along the historic Erie Canal. Enjoy relaxing music and seeing our crew dressed in period attire. Contact the Railroad Museum directly to reserve your seats at a discounted rate using the code: “Heritage.” Admissions and train fares are listed at www.medinarailroadmuseum.org.

The Market at Maison Albion at 13800 W. County House Rd., Albion. A French inspired market with over 50 local vendors in an historic mansion reimagined. $15 admission. Reserve tickets at www.maisonalbion.com/market.

• Sat., Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Sun., Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

At your leisure and self-guided tours:

• Medina Sandstone Society Hall of Fame: Open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at City Hall on Main Street, Medina.
• Medina Sandstone Architectural Walking Tour: Explore local architecture made of Medina Sandstone. Download the map by clicking here.
• Medina Historical Interpretive Signs: Learn about Medina’s history around historic downtown Medina. Download by clicking here.

MURRAY – A 50-year-old Orleans County suffered an accidental gunshot wound to his upper right thigh on Monday night and was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital by Monroe Ambulance.

Sheriff Chris Bourke said Orleans County Sheriff’s deputies were working a motor vehicle accident on Ridge Road in Murray when at 9:21 p.m. the Murray fire police reported a vehicle had driven up with a male passenger inside with a gunshot wound.

Upon investigating further, it was determined that this individual had been in a vehicle on his property repositioning and moving trailers around, Bourke stated in a news release.

The individual had a Ruger semi-auto .22 caliber pistol unholstered in his shorts pocket. When he put his seatbelt on, the gun reportedly discharged a round into his leg, Bourke said.