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.

Rear half of store will also be unveiled after extensive renovations

Press Release, Author’s Note

Provided photo: Julie Berry, an acclaimed author, purchased the former Book Shoppe in Medina and has made many changes to the Main Street location.

MEDINA – Author’s Note, Medina’s new bookstore, announces its grand opening celebration to be held on Saturday, September 25, featuring a ribbon-cutting ceremony taking place, rain or shine, at 9:30 a.m. in front of the store at 519 Main St. The ceremony will be followed by an unveiling of the newly-refinished rear half of the store.

Throughout the day, giveaways, refreshments, and activities will help commemorate the day. For more details on the unfolding schedule, visit www.authorsnote.com.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the community, which has been so supportive of this project from the moment I bought the store, and we want to thank them,” explained author and owner Julie Berry. “We’re here because of Medina’s faith in and commitment to local small businesses, and to maintaining a vibrant downtown shopping district.”

Berry, a New York Times bestselling, award-winning author, was born and raised in Medina (as Julie Gardner), but hadn’t lived in the area since graduating from Medina High School in 1991. She and her family had been living in Los Angeles for several years at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. When they learned that the bookstore had come up for sale, they took a leap and relocated to Medina to reinvent the store as Author’s Note.

The bookstore, situated in Medina’s historic Main Street shopping district on the Erie Canal trail, occupies the site of the prior store known as The Book Shoppe, which served Medina shoppers for over 20 years.

Berry purchased the bookstore in February of this year and undertook an ambitious renovation and restoration project, dismantling the interior back to its original hardwood floors and antique molded tin ceilings. The front part of the store opened to the public on May 22, 2021, welcoming shoppers and tourists to Medina throughout the summer, but the rear portion, hidden behind construction drapes, hasn’t yet been seen.

“I couldn’t bear the thought of Medina no longer having a bookstore,” said Berry. “Preserving a bookstore in my own hometown was too wonderful an idea to pass up.”

Her vision for Author’s Note includes leveraging her ties to the publishing industry to bring authors and illustrators regularly into Orleans County for readings, signings, school visits, lectures, and events, thus connecting authors and readers in a wider reading community, once the renovation is complete and as pandemic-related health and safety concerns permit.

The independent bookstore offers new books for adults, teens, and children, both new releases and enduring classics. They also offer toys, games, puzzles, stationery, coffee and gifts.

The store serves shoppers at its brick-and-mortar store and nationwide at authorsnote.com, selling books, audiobooks, and e-books. They also offer onsite school and community book fairs, and institutional book-buying discounts to schools, libraries, churches, civic groups, nonprofits, and businesses.

ALBION – A large contingent of firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMS and other first responders are expected for a Sept. 11 remembrance service on Saturday, the 20^th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in the United States.

The service will be at 6 p.m. on the courthouse lawn near the Sept. 11 memorial. Lynne Johnson, the Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, is expected to give the welcome for the event.

When she spoke at the service last year, she said that in the hours and days after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, “America came together like never before.”

She recalled seeing American flags out on “house after house, street after street.”

The country was united in mourning the loss of life and in its response to terrorist attacks.

“There will be no forgetting September 11th,” Johnson said. “It is burned into our souls – those graphic pictures, the smoldering ash, and the endless funerals. We must hold on to our remarkable capacity to mourn those we have lost, be they friends, family or total strangers. Honor the value of all lives. They mattered on September 11th, so must all lives matter today.”

Scott Schmidt will again serve as the keynote speaker at the observance. Schmidt spent three weeks with a federal team – U.S. Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team – and assisted in collecting and identifying remains, and interviewing family members searching for loved ones. He left for New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. He was there for 20 days, including a week at Ground Zero.

“This is our generation’s Pearl Harbor,” Schmidt said today. “It is one of those things you’ll never forget where you were or what you were doing that day.”

Schmidt said Orleans County rallied and was united after the attacks and showed their support for the military and grief of the lives lost with numerous American flags displayed on homes.

He said his comments on Saturday will have a theme of not taking things for granted. The United States nearly 20 years ago was attacked during a time of complacency, he said.

This group of law enforcement officers attended the service last year at the courthouse lawn near the Sept. 11 memorial. The public is welcome to attend a service at 6 p.m. this Saturday at the courthouse lawn.

Photo by Tom Rivers: John Keding is shown outside Keding Automotive in Albion when he celebrated his 80th birthday on Sept. 2, 2015.

ALBION – The Albion Lions Club will be serving sausage on Sept. 11 at the former Keding Automotive at 309 East  Ave. with the proceeds going towards a new scholarship in memory of John Keding.

The scholarship will go to a graduating senior pursuing a career in the trades. Keding worked for 70 years a mechanic and owned Keding Automotive for 46 of those years.

He passed away at age 85 on January 18, 2021. He retired in August 2020.

Keding also was a member of the Albion Lions Club for 52 years. He enjoyed cooking sausage with the Lions at many community events, including the Strawberry Festival. Many of the Lions will be tending the grill from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 11, outside the former auto repair business on Route 31.

The event will also be a chance to celebrate Keding’s life. His daughter, Christine Buongiorne, encourages the community to “bring your appetites and your stories!”

The Lions Club expects the scholarship will become an annual award for a graduating senior.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Dr. Surinder Bath, a Medina physician for nearly 47 years, has announced his retirement, effective Sept. 17.

MEDINA – The medical community in Medina is about to see some changes with the announcement of the retirement of longtime Medina physician Dr. Surinder Bath.

On the heels of that news comes an announcement by Oak Orchard Health that the organization will take over Dr. Bath’s office and start a medical practice in Medina.

Dr. Bath started practicing in Medina in 1974. Growing up in a small town in India, he said he thought he would be an engineer, but a cousin convinced him to become a doctor. He trained in internal medicine for two years, studying clinical pathology hematology. He came to the United States, where he studied internal medicine for four years at Mount Sinai Hospital in Cleveland, followed by two years at the Veterans Administration in Dayton, Ohio.

He discovered Medina when he and his wife Daisy were traveling back from a trip to Montreal.

“I found this place to be very peaceful and calm,” Dr. Bath said. “They were looking for an internist, and I liked the place and people here, so I gave it a try. That was 46 years ago.”

He and his wife have three children, two of whom are in the medical profession – one a radiologist and one an internist. Another daughter got her MBA in business administration and marketing from the University of Buffalo.

Dr. Bath said it will be hard to leave Medina, but at the age of 75, it’s time.

“I have been tied to my patients and gave them so much love and care, but I want to spend more time with my family,” he said.

Dr. Surinder Bath is surrounded by his staff members, Elizabeth “Betsy” Phinney, left; and Theresa Gurney. Absent is Vicki Lynn Cotter, who has been in the office nearly 40 years.

Sept. 17 will be Dr. Bath’s last working day and he and his wife will be moving to Georgia. He said he may try to sell his home in Medina, but he also plans to come back to visit in the summers.

“I have very fond memories from here,” he said. “This community has given me so much love, and Orleans Community Health has been so good to me. The staff and nurses at Medina Memorial Hospital are great and have always been so helpful. I will miss this community, my staff and the love my patients gave me.”

He said he has been blessed with a wonderful staff over the years and he will miss them.

His staff includes Elizabeth “Betsy” Phinney, who is secretary and office manager. She has been with Dr. Bath for 13 years. Theresa Gurney, accountant, started in 1989, left for a few years and came back. Vicki Lynn Cotter, who does business accounting and billing, has been with Dr. Bath for almost 40 years.

“We’re happy for him. He’s been a wonderful doctor,” Phinney said. “He is taking the next step in his life, but we are going to be sad to see him go.”

“I came here to help out for two or three months, and 13 years later I’m still here,” Gurney said. “With him it’s never been about the money. It’s always been about the care.”

“Dr. Bath is looking forward to some free time to spend with his family, and to golf, he said.

The Baths also have six grandchildren, four in Georgia and two in California.

The one message he wants to leave the community is to “get vaccinated so we can get over Covid.”

He said there is so much misinformation out there about the vaccine and it is unfounded.

“Getting vaccinated is the safest thing,” he said. “It can save your life and someone else’s, too.”

“I am leaving very happy and saddened,” Dr. Bath said.

Dr. Bath is happy to see Oak Orchard Health taking over his practice.

“My staff will be working with them and the care of my patients will be ongoing,” he said.

Stacie Bridge, chief operating officer at Oak Orchard Health, said they are excited about offering health care in Medina.

“We definitely hope to be there this fall, but we are waiting for approval from the state on the renovations we plan to make,” Bridge said. “We definitely want to be there this fall.”

Oak Orchard Health has offices in Albion, Lyndonville, Warsaw, Hornell, Brockport, Batavia, Alexander and Pembroke.

“We are a federally qualified health center which targets the rural population,” Bridge said.

They offer health care to the uninsured and underinsured in the fields of medical, dental, vision and behavioral health.

Bridge added Oak Orchard Health will be opening a dental practice in Albion.

Girls soccer and volleyball contests on Tuesday will start a busy week of area high school sports.

The Kendall at Holley girls soccer rivalry game will highlight Tuesday’s action.

The week’s rivalry match ups will also include Medina at Albion in volleyball on Thursday.

The late week football contests will have Albion at Maryvale and Roy-Hart/Barker/Lyndonville at Lew-Port on Friday and Medina at Newfane and Canisteo-Greenwood at Holley on Saturday.

Weekly Schedule

Tuesday

Girls Soccer – Roy-Hart at Akron, 4:30 p.m.; Pembroke at Lyndonville, 5 p.m.; Kendall at Holley, 7:30 p.m.

Volleyball – Lyndonville at Medina, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday

Boys Soccer – Wilson at Medina, Newfane at Albion, Akron at Roy-Hart, 6:30 p.m.

Girls Soccer – Albion at Newfane, 4:30 p.m.

Field Hockey – Akron at Medina, Barker at Wilson, Newfane at Roy-Hart, 4:30 p.m.

Volleyball – Kendall at Pembroke, 6:30 p.m.

Golf – Roy-Hart at Albion, Newfane at Medina, Akron at Barker 4 p.m.

Thursday

Boys Soccer – Kendall at Northstar, 4:30 p.m.

Girls Soccer – Oakfield-Alabama at Holley, 7 p.m.

Volleyball – Medina at Albion, Roy-Hart at Wilson, Akron at Newfane, Lyndonville at Wheatland-Chili, Byron-Bergen at Holley, 6:30 p.m.

Friday

Football – Albion at Maryvale, Roy-Hart/Barker/Lyndonville at Lew-Port, 7 p.m.

Boys Soccer – West Seneca Christian at Medina/Lyndonville, Newfane at Holley, 7 p.m.

Girls Soccer – Newark at Kendall, 6:30 p.m.

Golf – Akron at Roy-Hart, Medina at Albion, Wilson at Newfane, 4 p.m.

Saturday

Football – Canisteo-Greenwood at Holley, 1 p.m.; Medina at Newfane, 2 p.m.

Boys Soccer – Medina/Lyndonville at Rochester Academy, 10 a.m.

Girls Soccer – Lyndonvlle/Medina at Pavilion, 6:30 p.m.; Albion at Byron-Bergen, 7 p.m.

Field Hockey – Barker at Roy-Hart, Akron at Wilson, Kenmore at Medina, 10 a.m.

Volleyball – Albion Tournament, 8 a.m.

Employers need to implement workplace safety plans

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the commissioner of health has designated Covid-19 a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health under New York State’s HERO Act, which requires all employers to implement workplace safety plans in the event of an airborne infectious disease, helping to prevent workplace infections.

The NY HERO Act mandates extensive new workplace health and safety protections in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the law, all employers are required to adopt a workplace safety plan, and implement it for all airborne infectious diseases designated by the New York State Department of Health. Employers can adopt a model safety plan as crafted by the New York State Department of Labor, or develop their own safety plan in compliance with HERO Act standards.

“While we continue to increase our vaccination numbers, the fight against the Delta variant is not over, and we have to do everything we can to protect our workers,” Governor Hochul said. “This designation will ensure protections are in place to keep our workers safe and support our efforts to combat the virus and promote health and safety.”

The HERO Act’s purpose is to ensure that businesses are prepared with protocols and resources to protect their employees and the public from the spread of airborne infectious diseases, like Covid’s Delta variant.

Under the HERO Act, the DOL in consultation with the DOH has developed a new Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Standard, a Model Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Plan, and various industry-specific model plans for the prevention of airborne infectious disease. Additional information and industry-specific templates for employers are available on the DOL’s website (click here).

The plans adopted by employers must address a number of safety measures, including but not limited to: employee health screenings, masking and social distancing requirements, workplace hygiene stations, workplace cleaning protocol, quarantine protocol, and building airflow technology.

Employers are required to distribute their work safety plan to all employees and post it in a visible and prominent location within each worksite.

Additionally, the HERO Act includes anti-retaliation protections for employees which prohibit discrimination or adverse actions taken against an employee for following the requirements of these plans, reporting concerns on the implementation of a plan, or refusing to work.