Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Kaitlin Bennett (left), 12, of Barre and Anna Grillo, 12, of Albion bring buckets of water to their animals at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds this afternoon. Today was moving in day for most for the animals.

Kaitlin will be showing two dairy animals and Anna will be in the show ring with a dairy and beef cow during the busy week.

Monday is opening day for the Orleans County 4-H Fair. Admission for the fair is $3 for adults and $2 for kids, with a $5 pass available for the week. There isn’t a parking charge.

Adele Mathes, 10, of Barre gives one of her goats a rinse after Adele brought a menagerie of animals for the fair, including sheep, rabbits and goats.

She is excited for her first year showing animals as a 4-Her at the fair. Last year she would have made her debut, bought the fair was cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns and restrictions.

Rebecca Scharping, 14, of Clarendon checks in two white silky chickens. Bill Gerling is the co-superintendent of the barn. There are about 90 rabbits/cavies and 80 of the chickens, guinea hens and waterfowl registered.

Rebecca has five chickens in the fair. She is glad to be back and is looking forward to “hanging out with friends.”

Joey Forte, 11, of Hamlin brings a wheelbarrow of straw bedding for his goats. His brother Jacob, 14, is at left and their mother Colleen is in back. The brothers also will be showing beef cows.

Adam Dresser of Medina fastens a sign up high for Romania, a Holstein calf that will be shown during the fair by his daughter Elizabeth. Adam also showed animals at the fair when he was a kid.

Building turned into art showcase by Kim and Neal Muscarella

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Marti’s on Main celebrated its grand opening on Friday evening at the former Cornell Cooperative Extension building at 20 South Main St. About 125 people attended the three-hour open house.

Kim Martillotta Muscarella, third from left, and her husband Neal Muscarella (second from right), greet guests David Purdy and Monica Beck at the grand opening.

The Muscarellas transformed the interior of the building into an art studio and gallery. The open house was by invitation only for local artists and known art appreciators. Mrs. Muscarella said other tours are available by appointment. She can be reached at (585) 589-6715 for more information.

“Mr. Anderson” is a portrait of cat by Chris Versteeg that is displayed on the stairway. Muscarella has work from about a dozen artists on display.

Muscarella likes to showcase artwork throughout the building, including the stairway leading to the top floor.

Kim Martillotta Muscarella has many of her own pieces on display, including the large acrylic painting of “Tall Flowers.”

Monica Beck and David Purdy take a look at artwork — “Green Fun” and “Succulent Girl” — by Kim Martillotta Muscarella.

Purdy, a former professional interior and exterior painter for 22 years, said the Muscarellas did top-notch work in painting the rooms with such vibrant colors.

“They did a phenomenal job,” Purdy said. “It’s nearly flawless.”

One of the guests checks out the art in a room inside the historic building.

Muscarella wanted to open the site to the public sooner, but waited due to concerns and restrictions with Covid-19.

The former Cornell Cooperative Extension building was most recently used an outreach center for the Episcopal Church in Albion. The building was originally a house built in the 1830s.

Muscarella watched the site decline for many years, with little activity inside the doors of one of the prominent buildings in the historic Courthouse Square.

For about a decade she ran Marti’s on Main, an art gallery and studio at her home at 229 South Main St. But that site, which was half of her house, was cramped to display art and accommodate groups of people.

On a whim in December 2019, she decided to look at the old Extension building, which had been for sale for years and was listed by her friend Jim Theodorakos of Morrison Realty. Muscarella and her husband, Neal, were given a tour of the building. (The Extension moved in 2007 to a new building at the 4-H fairgrounds in Knowlesville.)

The walls in the old building were all painted a very pale yellow. The floors covered in green and red carpet or asphalt tiles.

The couple also noted the high ceilings, big rooms and lots of wall space. They decided to take on the building, and give it a new life as an art studio and gallery.

Joe Martillotta (who is Kim Martillotta Muscarella’s brother) and Jim Babcock chat while in a room with many of Muscarella’s unusual sculptures.

Muscarella has art from many local artists on display, including an abstract painting at right by Jim Fiegel. He uses a combination of acrylic, enamel, and water-based paint. He paints on Plexiglass and his paintings are curved. He also creates his own wooden frames and has LED lights behind the Plexiglass.

Muscarella prefers art that is outside the norm.

By Doug Farley, Cobblestone Museum Director – Vol. 2. No. 29

GAINES – Much of the recreational activities of citizens in the Hamlet of Childs and Town of Gaines focused around an organization known as the Grange, or more formally, The Patrons of Husbandry.

While the organization was founded to provide valuable services to farm families, it grew to become a center of community engagement for numerous social activities such as dances, box socials, and even a choir.

The Gaines Grange #1147 was formed on Nov. 30, 1908. In May 1909, 40 people were initiated into membership. The first meeting site was in a building known as White’s Hall, shown above.  The building, located on the southwest corner in Gaines, dated to the turn of the century. Albert Anson Appleton ran a store there, but it also served as headquarters for town meetings, post office, Good Templars, and eventually served as the Grange Hall.

White’s Hall suffered a disaster fire on May Day in 1910, disrupting the lives, in one way or another, of most people in the community.  The hall was rebuilt following the fire and the Grange continued to meet there until 1915.

In the spring of 1915 the Grange purchased Thurber’s Hotel next to the Congregational Church and transformed it into a new Grange Hall. The third floor was fixed up for a dance hall with a superb hardwood floor being installed at the time. This was considered one of the best dance floors around at the time and one of the largest Grange Halls in the region.

A local resident, Fay Hollenbeck, reflected on the Grange dance floor in 1984 at the celebration of the Town’s 175th anniversary celebration. “In Gaines, this little village has got one of the best dance floors in Orleans County. It’s all narrow boards, laid around, across the end and down the other side, and across the other end. So on a Round Dance you are always dancing with the boards never across them. In those days dances would alternate, first a Round Dance and then a Square Dance.”

Photo Courtesy Orleans County Historian

Here we see officers of the Gaines Grange #1147 posed in front of the Gaines Congregational Church in the 1930s. The women in the picture, from left to right, include: Elinor Cooper, Sarah Bacon, Octavia Mather (chaplain), Kate Crowley, Alice Hatch (secretary), Alma Appleton and Wilhelmina Taylor.  The men in the photo include, from left: William Grinelle (trustee), Charles Thompson (trustee), Fred Derisley, Winton Hatch (master), Ronald Spinks, Lewis Reed and William Crowley (trustee).

Local farmer, Charles Thompson (shown in photo above) and his wife, Hannah, were very active in the local Grange. Their daughter, Gail (Johnson) remembered, “My mother used to sell donuts at the Grange square dances on Saturday evenings.”  The Gaines Grange formed the basis of much of the Saturday night social life in the community for decades.

WWII presented many challenges to everyday life in the community and the Grange suffered a decline in membership in the 1940s. One local Granger, Sylvia Ball, recalled the trying times. “The war was on its terrible move and soon the boys were leaving in the service. Most of the women in Gaines began working at one type of work or another in the war effort. Help became scarce and even busy farmers worked a four hour swing-shift at some essential plant. With sickness in my home, the war on, I too began working which gave me no time for picking up where I left off in the Grange. When it was so I could return to Grange it was well under way, there was an active membership, the war was coming to a close all about and people could relax.”

The Gaines Grange #1147 received three plaques from the Sears Roebuck Foundation, along with two $25 War Bonds, for outstanding community service. The awards recognized the Grange’s community service at the time when the Congregational Church burned in 1959.  The Grange allowed the church to use their hall for services during the rebuilding. The usage included scout meetings, auctions, dinners and home bureau. The Grange also assisted with construction of the church and a community playground, baseball field, and water supply pond.

The Grange Hall, seen in 1959, when Dean Sprague had a store there and also the Town Clerk’s office.

In the 1950s, membership in the Grange reached 105 people. Changing times in the 1960s and 1970s saw membership drop to just a handful of members. The building was then sold in 1979 and the last official act of the Gaines Grange #1147 was its own dissolution in 1979.

The Gaines Grange Hall is currently occupied by Americana Unlimited Antiques, Robin Stelmach, proprietor.

Plain Eastern Scorpion proves itself to be a ‘Power Animal’ in Tennessee

The Plain Eastern Scorpion of Tennessee on the Cumberland Plateau – respect and coexistence.

It was quite a shocker when my husband informed me he unearthed scorpions in our pop-up garage in the middle of our new home away from home.

In Albion, these creatures, with pincer claws, don’t skulk under cardboard. For a split second, panic set in. Then I decided there was no need to panic unless Google told me to. Google informed me that the TN Scorpion is a native breed of TN and is not poisonous. Their sting is no worse than a bee sting. Phew, that was good news. I hope to never find this out first hand.

Days passed and as most of us do, when we put caution to the back of our mind, we get complacent. So down to the pop-up I go. My chore for the morning is to situate rain barrels for showers and relocate the wood pile to the top of the property.

First, I spotted a lizard on the wood pile. Awe, he’s so cute. I decided to leave that log behind so he could continue his morning meditation. I reach through the rest of the wood and, yikes! – a scorpion. It was daytime and the scorpion is nocturnal. Once she woke up and we did our due diligence on each other, she moved right along. I faced down the scorpion and lived to tell the tale, but my husband’s story took a turn, more than once.

It was the middle of the night and he started doing some kind of jig around the room in the dark. What in the world?? One of those nocturnal little crawlers was laying in wait under our nice warm covers and was pinching on his toe. They use their pincers to hold their prey before they give them a good zap with their curly tail.

After that, we learned to adapt and adjust to our new environment by checking all shoes before putting them on and shining a flashlight under the covers each night. I tried a natural scorpion repellent by sprinkling cinnamon around the bed. This sent me on a 3-hour sneezing fit. We moved our bed away from the wall, removed any climbable objects from under the bed, and bedding never would be allowed to touch the floor again. Don’t walk around barefoot at night either. I spied a rusty brown, low-crawling creature moving quickly in the dark on the floor. I read they travel in pairs so I kept a look out for her buddy, and she did turn up.

Scorpions are moisture lovers. While enjoying my outdoor shower one crept onto my shower mat! My husband picked up a branch in the woods, grabbed a scorpion and she back handed him with her stingy tail. I read when trying to evoke a “Power Animal” you should call on the scorpion because they represent a good dose of determination.

So in that spirit, when striving for a dream puts you living outside your comfort zone and in a new reality, this dose is greatly appreciated! I hope to harbor the craftiness, grit and self preservation that my tangos with scorpions taught me.

What is your “Power Animal”? Head back to my home page to join my blog and receive new post updates and visit the main menu to read previous posts of positivity! To see a lizard meditate visit my blog  (click here) and catch up on weekly photo perks and previous Sunday posts. Like and share your comments.

Truly,
Debbie Burgoon London 

Pike Place Fish Co, Pike Place Public Market, Seattle. Watching the “fish mongers” throwing fish and joking with the customers is an experience that should not be missed when in Seattle.

Let’s go on an adventure together….to Seattle!

So, let’s go back to my 2017 West Coast Adventure! A quick recap of the previous articles: It was a little over 2 weeks where I crammed in a cruise that went from San Francisco to Ensenada, Mexico and back, several days exploring San Francisco and the surrounding area, an overnight train ride to Seattle, and then spent some time in Seattle.

I planned the timing of my trip so that I would have two full days in Seattle. I didn’t think I would need more than that and I knew that by the time I got to Seattle, I would be at the end of a two week trip and would most likely be ready to head home. Well, in hindsight, I wish I had allowed more time there – at least one more day – maybe two! 

I stayed at the Hyatt Place Seattle Downtown – a great hotel in an amazing location and I got a really good deal through Expedia. It is right downtown – just 2-3 blocks from the Space Needle and my room was very comfortable and spacious. Complimentary breakfast buffets in hotels usually leave a lot to be desired, but theirs was really very good. They also have a free shuttle that is available 24/7 to take you just about anywhere you want to go. It has a route, much like a hop-on-hop-off bus, that covers a large area of the city and most of the usual attractions. You just tell them when and where you want to go, the shuttle takes you, and you call when you’re ready to head back. Sweet!!!

I crammed a lot into my two days. On Day One, I took the hotel shuttle to Pike Place Public Market. This was THE main thing I wanted to do in Seattle. If I didn’t get to see anything else, I would have left a very happy lady! More specifically, I had to see the fish mongers at Pike Place Fish Co – you know, the flying fish guys! The company I worked for (before the wonderful experience of retirement took me to a whole new understanding of loving life and being adventurous) had adopted the Fish Philosophy – a motivational program based on the employees of Pike Place Fish Co. I took the class and then taught the class several times over the years – I loved the video and the guys that throw fish around for a living. So, I always said that if I ever got to Seattle, I would definitely go see this place! So….I did! I stood there for a long time just watching them throw fish and joke around with the customers. It was a blast! 

Fresh crab for lunch at Pike Place Public Market, Seattle. I got to sit in the same seat that Tom Hanks sat on while he was filming “Sleepless in Seattle”.

There was a lot more to the Pike Place Public Market. Lots of vendors and restaurants and street entertainers and things to see and do…..inside and out! I spent several hours there just wandering around, looking, and….of course…..enjoying some fresh seafood for lunch – I found a little place that advertised fresh crab. The best part was that I ended up sitting at a lunch counter to eat right where Tom Hanks sat when he was filming Sleepless in Seattle – one of my all-time favorite movies – there was a plaque and everything! That was a thrill! I ended the day with a cupcake at a place nearby that was by far the best cupcake I’ve ever had! I called the shuttle and got back to my hotel, exhausted.

On Day Two, I decided to walk the 2-3 blocks to the Space Needle. I waited in a LONG line to get tickets to the observation deck (my tip would be to get your tickets ahead of time). When I finally got up to the ticket window, I asked about the possibility of having lunch in the revolving restaurant at the top. As luck would have it, they had room in the next reservation time for one walk-in for brunch. I found out the three course brunch meal was a flat fee of $50, but, I was there and it was a once in a life-time experience, so I did it! It was nice – the views were amazing as it revolved around and the food was really good and I’m glad I did it, but now it is a “been there, done that” kind of thing. After I ate, I went up to the observation deck to enjoy the views in the fresh air – now I can say I was at the top of the Space Needle in Seattle! My advice, though? Unless you really want that experience – which, again, was very nice – save the $$$ and just go up on the observation deck for the stunning views and have lunch somewhere else.

Across the street was the Museum of Pop Culture. I think it cost $25 to get in and another $5 to see the special “Star Trek” anniversary exhibit. I, honestly, was underwhelmed by it. It did have a few things that interested me and I found pretty cool, but most of it was newer pop culture stuff associated with video games that I had no clue what I was looking at, but the kids around me were very excited. So – if you’re into that sort of thing, be sure to put it on your list.

A MUST SEE in Seattle is the Chiluly Garden and Glass Museum next door to the Space Needle. It is absolutely incredible.

The very BEST thing I did while in Seattle….well, probably actually tied with getting to watch the fish throwing guys…..was the Chiluly Garden and Glass Museum next door to the Space Needle. You can get a combo ticket for the observation deck and the Chiluly museum for a discounted price at the Space Needle ticket window. The museum is all glass sculptures created by an amazing artist, including outside gardens all around the museum where the flowers are actually glass sculptures mixed in with live foliage — the place was INCREDIBLE….a MUST SEE in Seattle!!!

On my walk back to the hotel, I noticed a Duck Tour and had time left in my day, so I took it. I got to see pretty much the entire city on land and from the water out in the harbor. It was great – sometimes it is good to just be spontaneous.

That evening I walked a few blocks from the hotel to Zeek’s Pizza and had a delicious pizza and a glass of a very good local micro-brew. It was a great way to end my second….and last…..day in Seattle. The next morning, I had to get up very early to catch my long flight back home. 

I really want to go back, someday. Maybe I’ll take Amtrak’s Coast Starlight Train all the way from Los Angeles to Seattle and then spend some quality time in Seattle!

Check out the Blog post I wrote about my short, but awesome time in Seattle:  (click here). 

Happy Adventuring!

Press Release – Finger Lakes Community College, Genesee Community College, and Monroe Community College

BATAVIA – Labor shortages across nearly all industries are making headlines, but this is a topic community colleges have tackled for years. With increased urgency, local institutions prioritize course and program offerings to meet workforce demands.

The results build strong communities and make some great success stories:

Ryan Vogt, who thought he hated math in high school, said the personal attention his Finger Lakes Community College math professor gave him changed his whole outlook on the subject. Now, Ryan has a doctorate in mathematics and works at a U.S. Department of Energy lab.

Like many scholarship recipients at Genesee Community College, Claire Gardner was inspired and determined when she entered the Nursing Program. Upon graduation in 2019, she was prepared to be effective on the frontlines battling Covid-19, transferred her associate degree to SUNY Brockport to continue her education and landed her dream job as a NICU nurse at Rochester General Hospital.

When his first year at a university fell short of his expectations, Evan Baldwin shifted his educational path. He knew Monroe Community College’s precision machining program was the right fit for him. Evan was hired as a full-time CNC operator a month before earning his associate degree in May.

Though each of their experiences is unique, they represent the stories of thousands of students who start and complete their studies at community colleges every year. Thousands more inspiring stories of how community colleges have transformed students’ lives are waiting to unfold.

Dreams – not debt – are why individuals go to college. Like Ryan, Claire and Evan, New Yorkers go to college to achieve their goals, whether earning an associate degree for an in-demand job, learning new skills to change careers, or pursuing a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or Ph.D. That’s exactly what the State University of New York’s 30 community colleges, including FLCC, GCC and MCC in the Western New York region, are designed for.

At a time when student loan debt is rising across the country, nearly two-thirds of SUNY community college associate degree graduates have zero student loan debt. That means they leave campus with no student debt, but have an accredited SUNY degree and a pathway to a career or an advanced degree. Simply put, community college is the most affordable way to earn a college degree, no matter how far they want to go.

New York State is rebounding and rebuilding after the turbulence of the Covid-19 pandemic. This means job opportunities in many industries will return to full vitality and new, future-looking jobs will be created. With deep ties to their communities and regions, SUNY community colleges can help residents seize this moment – and make education work around a busy life, with flexible on-campus and online associate degree programs for full-time or part-time students.

Applications can be completed online, are easier than ever and free at FLCC, GCC and MCC, like at most community colleges. Knowledgeable faculty and staff are available to guide students through the process. Anyone interested is encouraged to visit flcc.edu, genesee.edu, and monroecc.edu for information on special enrollment opportunities.

2 local counties continue to lag behind state vaccination rate

The Genesee and Orleans County health Departments will both have Covid-19 vaccines available at the county fairs in both communities this coming week.

“The fair is a perfect place to reach members of our community and this is a great opportunity for residents that have not been vaccinated yet, to conveniently get vaccinated while they are visiting the fair,” said Paul Pettit, public health director in the two counties.

The vaccine schedule includes:

Orleans County Fair

• Tuesday, July 27, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 28, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, July 29, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Friday, July 30, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Saturday, July 31, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Genesee County Fair

• Monday, July 26, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 27, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 28, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, July 29, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Friday, July 30, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The vaccines will be available for free at both fairs. The one shot Johnson and Johnson will be available as well as the two-dose Pfizer vaccine. The second dose of Pfizer will be scheduled at the health department in each county.

The Pfizer vaccine is authorized for those that are 12 and older, while the Johnson and Johnson vaccine can be administered to people that are 18 and older. Everyone under the age of 18 seeking vaccination must have a parent or guardian with them to provide permission.

“The vaccination rates in both Genesee and Orleans counties are slowly increasing, but we are still lagging behind New York State,” Pettit. “The majority of the cases we are seeing in both counties are people that are unvaccinated.”

The federal CDC reports percent of New York residents 18 and older with at least one vaccine shot to be 74.3 percent. In Orleans, 54.2 percent of those 18 and older have had at least one vaccine shot, while 61.6 percent have had at least one shot in Genesee.

Anyone who is interested in being vaccinated can stop by the county emergency preparedness and health department trailers and choose the vaccine that is best for them, the local health departments said.

“There is a lot of misinformation out there about the vaccines, so health department staff will be available to answer any questions or concerns that residents have,” the health departments said in a news release.

The local health departments reported on Thursday there were 4 active Covid cases in Orleans and 5 in Genesee. On July 15, there were 9 active cases in Orleans and 5 in Genesee. On July 8, there was 1 active case in Orleans and none in Genesee.

Eric Watson welcomes sister Angela, who served as construction manager for Habitat for Humanity in Buffalo

Photos by Tom Rivers: Angela Watson and her brother Eric Watson work together at Watson Enterprises, and with a new business, Vanguard Interiors.

BARRE – Eric Watson was looking to add a design specialist and construction manager to his business, Watson Enterprises.

Eric didn’t have to look far for that multi-talented person. His sister, Angela Watson, is stepping into the role, allowing Watson Enterprises to provide more services for customers. The two recently also formed a new company, Vanguard Interiors, for the design services that provide detailed simulations for how a new building or remodel can look, including right down to the furnishings. Angela, 31, uses a CAD program to provide a virtual walk-through of the projects.

“You can see the exact colors,” Eric said. “It eliminates the guesswork. You can see what you’re looking to achieve.”

Angela takes measurements of rooms, cabinets, windows – anything in the space. She puts in the data and can show how it can look, tweaking colors, fabrics and changing the size of some elements.

Customers provide input on the colors and furnishings, and they can see on the design program how the space can look with different paint, furniture and other interior design.

Eric Watson, 33, started Watson Enterprises seven years ago, keeping equipment at a hayfield along Oak Orchard River Road in Ridgeway.

He began building pole barns, and expanded to remodeling homes, and doing excavation work and concrete projects.

Angela Watson shows how she can design a house with a CAD program, showing how the house looks with finishes, color and building materials. Watson said the design would be her dream house, a modern version of a Frank Lloyd Wright style of a home.

The business grew and he moved the operations to his home property in Barre. About two years ago, with the business on an upswing, he built a new office building and storage area on West Lee Road (Route 31A) in Barre. Watson now has nine employees.

His sister joined him in April 2020, following five years as a construction supervisor for Habitat for Humanity in Buffalo. They are both Lyndonville graduates.

Angela led about 20 building projects in Buffalo. She has an undergraduate degree in mathematics and master’s degree in public health. She has a passion for construction and design, and saw a perfect opportunity by joining with her brother.

Angela is back in school at the Interior Design Institute and she is becoming a lighting specialist.

“I’ve always liked building stuff,” she said. “I have a knack for the design portion.”

She also likes the challenge of overseeing a construction project – managing construction crews, coordinating with subcontractors, securing building permits and ordering materials.

Eric is pleased to be working with his sister, who he said adds a new dimension to the business.

“I’ve had really great people in my life,” he said. “It’s the people you surround yourself with, and it’s also tenacity and drive to do better.”

For more on Vanguard Interiors, click here. For more on Watson Enterprises, click here.

Press Release, Congressman Chris Jacobs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) has cosponsored a resolution to support Border Patrol (CBP) following recent calls from lawmakers to defund CBP, ICE, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“I’ve met with Border Patrol agents here in Western New York and numerous times at our southern border. One thing is perfectly clear – they love our nation and work tirelessly every day to protect it and keep us safe,” Jacobs said. “Every single day, Border Patrol apprehends dangerous criminals, seizes illicit drugs, and helps put an end to human trafficking. Without them, communities across the country would be endangered.”

The resolution Jacobs cosponsored expresses full confidence in the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and Border Patrol. It also condemns rhetoric from lawmakers attempting to defund these critical agencies and rejects all attempts to strip them of their funding.

“Calls from Democrats to defund Border Patrol are incredibly irresponsible and reckless, especially in the face of the ever-growing crisis at our southern border brought on by President Biden’s failed policies,” Jacobs said. “In fact, Border Patrol needs additional resources to ensure they can continue their critical work under increasingly dire circumstances. I am proud to stand with them and support them, and I urge every single member of Congress to do the same. The work of Border Patrol is paramount to our national security.”

KENDALL – The Kendall Town Board on Tuesday voted to reduce the number of town justices from two to one. The issue is subject to a permissive referendum. Residents who object to the decision have 30 days from July 20 to submit a petition, which could force the matter to go on the ballot in November.

The Town Board voted to abolish one of the part-time positions following the resignation of Town Justice David Gaudioso on April 5. Debra Kluth is the other judge and has been handling all of the cases.

With the Town Board’s vote on Tuesday, Gaudioso’s position won’t be filled and the position would be abolished on Dec. 31.

Many of the vehicle and traffic cases are handled by a Traffic Diversion Program through the Orleans County District Attorney’s Office. That program has reduced the workload for two town justices, said Tony Cammarata, the Kendall town supervisor.

“The Traffic Diversion Program has become a bigger part of process,” Cammarata said. “We don’t see the need for two justices anymore.”

Many other nearby towns have already eliminated the second town justice position and function with one judge.

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board on Thursday evening voted in support of an Albion business expansion, a 5-megawatt solar project in Kendall, a new tank for Helena Agri-Enterprises, and two new ponds in Ridgeway.

• RS Automation expansion – In Albion, the County Planning Board recommended Albion officials approve the site plan for a 9,000-square-foot addition to RS Automation at 4015 Oak Orchard Rd. Rick Stacey, owner of the manufacturing company, said RS is growing at its Route 98 facility.

“We definitely need the space,” he told Planning Board members.

• Kendall solar project – In Kendall, the board recommended approval for a site plan and special use permit for a solar project at 1771 West Kendall Rd., which is south of the intersection of West Kendall and Carr roads.

DG New York CS LLC from Juno Beach, Fla., is developer of the project on land owned by Thomas Munzert. DG would use 34 acres of the site, with the solar panels on a single-axis tracking system. That will allow them to slowly rotate and follow the sun during the daylight.

The project was reviewed by the board in January, but it was up for review again when there was a change in the location of the access road and some of the panels.

There will be a 7-foot-high perimeter fence, and there will be 98 trees planted, spaced every 12 feet. Those trees include 25 Black Hills Spruce, 39 Norway Spruce, and 24 Scotch Pine.

The construction project will take 4 ½ months, company officials told the Planning Board.

• New storage tank for Helena Agri-Enterprises – The board recommended Ridgeway officials approve the site plan for a 73-foot diameter by 32-foot high tank storage for chemical bulk storage at 3956 Allis Rd.

Helena wants to add the storage tank for liquid fertilizer called urea ammonium. The non-flammable chemical is produced by combining urea, nitric acid and ammonia.

The product is in demand for farmers, especially in the spring planting season and also for “side dressing,” applying fertilizer between the rows of growing crops.

Helena will have a “double tank” or a tank within a tank to store the product, said John Ivison, branch manager of Helena’s location in Ridgeway.

• Two ponds in Ridgeway – The Planning Board recommended Ridgeway approve the site plans and issue permits for two ponds that would both be less than an acre in size.

Kirk Nice is proposing to construct a 40,000-square-foot pond to support farm irrigation at 3025 Knowlesville Rd.

Gregory Heitzenrater is proposing a 10,000-square-foot pond for recreational purposes at 2901 County Line Rd.

‘The unfortunate reality is our state is in the midst of a self-inflicted crime crisis.’ – Rob Ortt

Press Release, Rob Ortt, State Senate Republican leader

Photo by Tom Rivers: State Sen. Rob Ortt speaks during the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Luncheon on July 16 at Tillman’s Village Inn. Ortt said new state policies on criminal justice have made New York and local communities less safe. Congressman Chris Jacobs is next to Ortt during the luncheon.

ALBANY – Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt have a sent a letter to the Office of Court Administration and New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services requesting a thorough and transparent analysis on the correlation between changes to New York State bail laws in the 2019-2020 State Budget and the increase in violent crime across the state since those laws went into effect January 1, 2020.

“The recent surge in shootings and violent crime all across the state have confirmed our worst fears – so called criminal justice ‘reforms’ passed under One-Party Rule are a danger to all New Yorkers,” Ortt said. “Shootings are up. Hate crimes are up. While the Governor’s recently declared state of emergency finally acknowledges what the Republican Conference has stated all along, that violence in our cities is a serious problem, it ignores the very policies and rhetoric he has embraced in the past two years: bail reform, discovery reform and a war on our police. It’s time for the Governor to acknowledge the consequences of his actions, and that begins by examining his own state data – not ignoring or whitewashing it.”

The timing of the recent surge in shootings and violent crime directly correlates with the implementation of changes to the bail laws passed by the majorities in the Legislature and signed by the Governor as part of the 2019-2020 State Budget.

Changes to the bail laws, which removed discretion from judges when it came to setting bail for ninety percent of defendants, took effect on January 1, 2020.  Since the start of 2020, shootings, murders, assaults and other violent crimes have skyrocketed all across the state.

Law enforcement experts all across New York have almost unanimously condemned bail reform as a cause of rising violent crime. The NYPD commissioner, Monroe County law enforcement officials, and even Albany County’s Democratic District Attorney have all linked bail reform with rising violent crime in communities all across the state.

“The unfortunate reality is our state is in the midst of a self-inflicted crime crisis,” Ortt said. “In order to come up with solutions, we must fully understand the consequences of recent policies. I believe that by repealing these policies, and increasing support and funding for law enforcement, we can reverse this sharp increase in violence.”

LYNDONVILLE – The Orleans County Planning Board is recommending the Village of Lyndonville approve the site plan for a new farm and artisan market in Lyndonville at 29 South Main St.

Robert Smith, owner of the property, wants to have the market on Fridays, from 4 to 9 p.m. The market will be on the now vacant site where the Pennysaver stood.

That structure had its roof collapse on Feb. 22 from heavy snow and ice. The building from 1899 also had suffered deterioration with its support beams. The building was knocked down in March.

Smith, a Lyndonville native who now lives in Palm Springs in California, used Zoom video conferencing to attend Thursday’s Orleans County Planning Board meeting. He is redeveloping other Main Street buildings.

With the former Pennysaver site, he said there will be room for up to 18 vendor booths in 10 by 10-foot locations, with space for three food trucks on the east end of the lot. He will provide electric hookups for the food trucks, as well as port-a-potties on the 4,000-square-foot site.

He wants to make the market available on Fridays from Memorial Day to October.

“We think this is a good opportunity to bring people into the village,” Smith said. “On Friday night people are headed to the lake. This will be a chance for them to pick up provisions and a meal.”

Lyndonville students also are expected to provide entertainment on some of the market days.

The County Planning Board encouraged the Village Planning Board to seek more information on whether the booths will be set up and taken down weekly, or if they will be permitted structures. The board should also see if there is a parking plan for the vendors’ vehicles and the market visitors, county planning officials said.