Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is announcing the start of a new annual award to recognize women of distinction within the local community in a ceremony to be held in the fall.

Constituents can nominate women of great achievement or those who have made an impact in the lives of others within their community by using the form linked here.

Those selected to be honored this fall will be notified regarding their nomination and the award ceremony to follow.

“There is no shortage of talented and accomplished women here in the 139th Assembly District, and after our communities were forced to come together like never before in this last year, I felt it appropriate to celebrate the life and achievements of women in our community who have made a real impact in the world, whether in business or here in our community,” said Hawley. “I look forward to honoring individuals truly deserving of thanks and recognition, so I eagerly await nominations!”

Editor’s Note: Hawley’s 139^th Assembly District includes all of Genesee County, nine of Orleans County’s 10 towns (all except Shelby) and part of western Monroe County.

New York has reached a milestone in the push to get eligible residents, those 12 and older, vaccinated against Covid-19.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday announced the state is at a 70 percent vaccination rate for those eligible. This includes people who have had at least one vaccination dose.

The state on June 15 was at a 70 percent rate for those 18 and older. On that date, Cuomo lifted most Covid-19 restrictions. The state is currently at 72.6 percent with at least one vaccination dose who are 18 and older.

“We continue to fight this virus by making sure every single eligible New Yorker gets vaccinated for Covid-19, and our state’s ability to beat it for good depends on getting shots in arms,” Cuomo said. “I urge everyone who hasn’t yet taken the shot to do so today—appointments, including walk-ins, are available at sites across the state.”

In Orleans County, 53.4 percent of residents 18 and older have had at least one vaccine dose. Orleans had the lowest vaccination rate on March 24 among all 62 counties. Orleans was at 19.2 percent on march 24, the lowest vaccination rate in the state.

Orleans is now at 53.4 percent of those 18 and older. That is now ahead of seven counties, but about 20 percentage points behind the state average.

Here is a list of counties below 55 percent of those 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose:

• Delaware, 54.5 percent
• Wyoming, 54.0 percent
• Chemung, 53.7 percent
• Orleans, 53.4 percent
• Seneca, 53.0 percent
• Steuben, 52.8 percent
• Lewis, 52.2 percent
• Cattaraugus, 52.1 percent
• Fulton, 52.1 percent
• Tioga, 50.4 percent
• Allegany, 44.5 percent

Here are the vaccination rates in WNY counties (18 and older with at least one dose):

• Monroe, 71.9 percent
• Erie, 70.1 percent
• Niagara, 65.2 percent
• Genesee, 60.5 percent
• Livingston, 58.6 percent
• Chautauqua, 58.1 percent
• Wyoming, 54.0 percent
• Orleans, 53.4 percent
• Cattaraugus, 52.1 percent
• Allegany, 44.5 percent

Contributed photo: Nickie Poler Girardo of Albion recently graduated from the Microenterprise Assistance Program to further her business as a traveling mixologist. With Last Call Cocktails, she can set her portable bar up at any event.

ALBION – One of the most unique entrepreneurs to graduate from Orleans County Economic Development’s spring Microenterprise Assistance Program is Nickie Poler Girardo of Albion.

Girardo is a mixologist who has started a business called last Call Cocktail Company, in which she sets up a full bar at any event.

She has 20 years’ experience in the business, having started as a waitress at age 15.

“I gradually dabbled in every aspect of the food service industry, from waiting on tables and washing dishes to working on a line and gradually working my way up to bartending,” Girardo said. “Bartending is my passion.”

She was manager at 39 Problems in Albion when Covid hit. A lot of her regular customers missed her so much they started asking her to come to their parties.

“I started my business as a hobby, but it took off faster and bigger than I ever imagined,” she said.

She decided to take the MAP class through the Orleans Economic Development Agency because she believes knowledge is power.

“I take every opportunity I can to learn,” she said. “The more I know, the more I can achieve.”

Girardo has two portable bars she can set up. She is hoping to get a grant to purchase a trailer. She is well known for her signature cocktails, but she will make whatever a client requests.

She can be contacted at (585) 590-1773 or by email at lastcallcocktailco@gmail.com. Information about her company can be found online at www.lastcallcocktailco.com.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Nickie Girardo, owner of Last Call Cocktails, served up free cups of hot chocolate on Dec. 19, 2020 outside Hoag Library during a holiday celebration with Santa Claus.

Concert, art show, trivia night and painting classes all in the works

Photo by Tom Rivers: Mike Deniz of Fairport plays the violin during an April 2019 performance by Elderberry Jam at the Cobblestone Church in the Gaines hamlet of Childs. The group will be back for another concert this summer.

CHILDS – The Cobblestone Museum will welcome guests July 17 for an open house and unique fundraiser.

The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when Upstate Bottle Return will be on site with a truck and an attendant to accept empty cans and bottles from visitors. There is no need to count empties. Upstate will donate the full refund for all cans and bottles collected to the museum.

All buildings on the Cobblestone Museum grounds will be open at no charge for this open house event.

“You can visit any or all of our buildings, including the newly acquired c.1920s  Vagg home,” said Doug Farley, museum director.

While at the museum visitors are also encouraged to watch artisans at work in the Blacksmith Shop and Print Shop. Dubby’s Wood Fired Pizza will be on site to sell wood-fired pizzas for lunch.

The public is also reminded they can take their cans and bottles to any Upstate Bottle Return site at any time and just mention the Cobblestone Museum. Full proceeds will be donated to the museum’s fundraising account.

“This will go a long way toward helping us throughout the year,” Farley said.

Farley also announced the Cobblestone Museum will again collaborate with local artist Pat Greene to offer a series of oil and acrylic painting classes. This year, the classes will be taught outdoors at local scenic venues throughout Orleans County. The sites themselves will serve as the background for the painting session. Subject matter will feature clouds, foliage and water, which are all affected differently by light, Greene explained.

The first class on July 24 will take place (weather permitting) at Robin Hill Nature Preserve in Lyndonville. Students will supply some of their own materials. Greene will provide a list of supplies needed for outdoor painting. Cost for each session is $25 for Cobblestone Museum members and $30 for all others. An art exhibit of student work will follow later in the year at the Cobblestone Museum.

On Aug. 8, the family of the late Al Capurso invites friends to a celebration of his life at 1 p.m. at the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse on Gaines Basin Road, which he was involved in restoring. The schoolhouse is located just north of the canal bridge.

Other summer events at the Cobblestone Museum include plans for a Cobblestone Trivia Night series, hosted by Maarit Vaga; a Victorian Mourning Art Online Exhibit beginning Sept. 1; a fundraising concert featuring Elderberry Jam at a date to be announced; and the annual Cobblestone Membership Fundraising dinner Sept. 15 at Carlton Recreation Hall.

Details on these events will be announced at a later date.

Gerald ‘Bud’ Hamann, whose remains were recently identified in Philippines, survived 60-mile Bataan Death March, succumbed to dysentery

Photos by Tom Rivers: The portrait of Gerald “Bud” Hamann is positioned near his grave spot at Lynhaven Cemetery during a service today for him. His remains were recently identified in a mass grave in the Philippines. Honor Guard members from Orleans County are in the background.

LYNDONVILLE – Nearly 79 years after his death in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, Gerald “Bud” Hamann was given a service at Lynhaven Cemetery today.

Hamann survived the arduous Bataan Death March over 60 miles on foot, and then a 25-mile ride standing up in a boxcar packed with fellow soldiers who were prisoners. When he finally made it to the prisoner of war camp at Cabanatuan, Hamann would die from dysentery on July 25, 1942.

He was thrown in a mass grave with over a 100 other soldiers. His remains were positively identified after a niece, Kathy Kage, submitted DNA through ancestry.com.

Scott Goetze, a member of the American Legion in Lyndonville, presents an American flag to Mary Francis, niece of Gerald “Bud” Hamann. Francis traveled from Montana for the service today in honor of her uncle.  Family also attended from Seattle, Minnesota, South Carolina, Texas, Florida and Fort Drum near Watertown in northern New York.

Today, with his family from many states gathered in Lyndonville, Hamann was praised and mourned for his life.

“We are here to celebrate a life of heroism,” said State Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

Hamann and his American regiment helped the Filipino people and then was subjected to “one of history’s most horrific wartime occurrences,” Hawley said.

An estimated 500 to 650 American troops died in the Bataan Death March, when they were denied food, given little water and often beaten or killed with bayonets if they fell out of line or for no reason at all. Filipino troop deaths totaled 5,000 to 18,000 in the march.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley said the Hamann led “a life of heroism.”

After the march, the survivors were packed into sweltering railroad boxcars and taken another 25 miles to a prisoner of war camp. Hamann survived that. At the camp, however, he was the 29^th man to die on July 25, 1942 due to illness, and the 1,187th prisoner to perish.

His death was recorded by a fellow soldier on the backside of a label from a can of condensed milk. Hamann’s fellow soldier wrote he died at 7 p.m. at Cabanatuan on July 25, 1942. He died in barracks # 4, in POW Camp # 1, Cabanatuan.

“How do we know that?” said Matthew Atkins, a chaplain with the 10^thMountain Division at Fort Drum. “Because these heroic men loved one another enough to record it. Because of them, despite their conditions, despite the cruelty, despite the inhumanity, they would not be abased. Each one mattered. Each life sacred. Each brother, inestimably valuable.”

Hamann and his regiment were lacking in food, ammunition and weaponry. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, crippling the U.S. Pacific operations on Dec. 7, 1941, Japan then turned to the Philippines.

Matthew Atkins, a chaplain with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, speaks at the service today for Gerald Hamann. The soldiers with Hamann on the Bataan Death March cared for each other in the face of brutal inhumanity, Atkins said.

The overmatched U.S. and Filipino forces would hold off the Japanese for nearly four months until surrendering on April 9, 1942.

Those four months altered the Japanese timetable in the war, and that extended time made a difference for the Allies who would emerge victorious, said Atkins.

But April 9, 1942, the day of the surrender, may have been “the most brutal time for any soldier every wearing the American uniform,” he said.

The soldiers, already starving and weakened, would be subjected to “unthinkable brutality.”

Early enlister

Hamann enlisted in New York National Guard on Jan. 17, 1938, when he wasn’t quite 18. He asked to be released from National Guard early so he could enlist in Active Duty with Army.

He was stationed 14 months in Hawaii and then was sent to the Philippines, arriving in Manilla in April 1941. It didn’t seem too dangerous of an assignment, Atkins said.

Gerald Hamann’s grave stone notes he is the “beloved brother of Geraldine Kage.”

But then Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941, and 10 hours later the Japanese would attack U.S. military installations in the Philippines. Hamann and the 31st Infantry Division were suddenly in an active combat zone.

Hamann had a twin sister at home, Geraldine. She was married to Herman Kage, who was fighting Germans in Europe.

When a telegram arrived from the War Department, she couldn’t bear to open it, not knowing if it was the worst news about her husband or brother.

Hamann’s grave stone at Lynhaven notes he was the brother of Geraldine.

His remains haven’t been released yet. His family said they are grateful for the military’s efforts to identify and honor him.

Atkins said the U.S. military is committed to trying to identify as many soldiers as possible, and to bring them home.

He noted that Hamann comes from a family where at least eight members have served in the military since World War I. He comes from the town with “a statistically huge veteran population.”

Hamann may not have died in “a blaze of glory” but he and the other soldiers in the Bataan Death March and the POW camps showed each other love while suffering “day after day, mile after mile, indignity upon indignity,” Atkins said.

“We are horrified, and our sense of humanity wounded by the misery that CPL Hamann and so many others endured,” Atkins said. “And we are astounded by their character. These were men of honor, who fought valiantly with next to nothing, endured unspeakable conditions.”

“They lived the most arguably difficult days with principle. In their suffering, they did not surrender their souls.”

Family members attend the service at Lynhaven Cemetery today. The Honor Guard does a 21-gun salute for Hamann. Bogan & Tuttle Funeral Homes assisted the family in arranging the service.

‘Among the finest men this country has ever produced’

Hamann and the soldiers on the march, later in the railroad boxcars and then in the POW camps would share bread crumbs and rice, and care for each other.

Atkins quoted lines from America the Beautiful:

“O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife,

Who more than self, their country loved

And mercy, more than life.”

“Perhaps no collective in American history has embodied that verse more than the soldiers from Bataan,” Atkins said.

The service today for Hamann is “a day of sorrowful remembrance, and grateful thanksgiving.”

Hamann died nearly 79 years ago.

“Many of you still mourn over what might have been – the life Gerald should have lived,” Atkins said. “There is no way we can know what might have been in Gerald’s life – and we are left to judge the whole by its quality of humanity in sacrifice as opposed to its quantity of days. By that standard, CPL Gerald Hamann was among the finest men this country has ever produced.”

Mary Francis, niece of Hamann, thanked the Honor Guard, American Legion members, speakers and others for their presence today at the service.

“Thank you for acknowledging the sacrifice of my mother’s brother,” Francis said.

Preston Kage, a relative from Minnesota, plays Taps during the service today at Lynhaven.

Gary Befus, leader of the Honor Guard, presents the family with three spent shell casings that represent service, honor and duty.

Steve Goodrich, American Legion commander in Lyndonville, presents an American flag to Kathy Kage, one of Hamann’s nieces, today at the family home on Church Street. Goodrich presented the flag after the service at the cemetery. Kage submitted DNA that provided a match to her uncle’s remains in the Philippines.

Press Release, United Way of Orleans County

MEDINA – The United Way of Orleans County is the recipient of a $364,130 implementation grant from the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund administered by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo through its Moving Forward Together initiative.

The funding will be applied over three years to overcome digital literacy gaps by providing digital education and one-on-one community mentors across Orleans County (pop. 40,352). The grant will fund eight mentors this year and 16 by the end of 2022.

The aim of the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative is to bridge access and learning gaps for individuals with limited or no digital dexterity. This grant establishes a foundation for the Orleans United Way to provide support and services throughout the county.

Orleans County residents will soon have assistance applying for jobs, renewing driver’s licenses, making medical appointments, or submitting college applications. Local growers and small business owners will have digital support options to make their local operations more productive and resilient.

Community mentors will be available to seniors to teach them how to use a mobile phone, sign-up for email, and access online healthcare options.

“The Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative was established to address widespread societal gaps created by 20 years of rural digital divide,” said Dean Bellack, Executive Director of the United Way of Orleans County.  “The Moving Forward Together grant from the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund supports the initial phase of digital solutions – one-on-one community mentors, tech and cyber education.”

In 2020, the Orleans United Way formed the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative to study community needs resulting from the lack of reliable, high-speed broadband internet service options in the county. The Initiative, co-funded through the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund, identified communal barriers across 10 towns and four villages that included large gaps in internet availability, significant internet unreliability, economic barriers, and general lack of digital skills across the local population.

A 2021 Digital Literacy survey commissioned by the Initiative revealed those barriers were made worse by the pandemic, which substantially impacted local schooling, businesses, agriculture, health care, and work done by government offices and nonprofits. As the pandemic continued and citizens were unable to access or navigate online portals for essential services, businesses, and education, the Orleans United Way conducted focus groups to evaluate and prioritize solutions designed to largely improve digital literacy. A Community Mentors program was the first of 14 solutions developed to facilitate internet access and digital learning with programs and services more equitable and within reach across the county.

The Moving Forward Together grant will enable the Orleans United Way to embed tech coaches and basic internet education programs into local nonprofit groups, libraries, and community organizations. The grant will be administered by the Orleans United Way in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension Orleans County.

Robert Batt, Executive Director Cornell Cooperative Extension said, “The opportunity to provide digital literacy programs to Orleans County residents and people who work here will strengthen the community. Digital mentors will help people interact with each other, connect, shop, and learn in ways that, in the past, have been inaccessible or intimidating. This funding means there will be friendly, helping hands when you just can’t figure out the digital world.”

“In addition to addressing immediate needs in our community, the philanthropic community has come together through the Western New York COVID-19 Community Response Fund Moving Forward Together initiative to fund innovative collaborative solutions to long-standing systemic challenges,” said Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, President/CEO of Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. “We commend this cross-sector community effort led by the United Way of Orleans County to identify and address critical barriers to digital access that have existed for a long time and were exacerbated by the pandemic. The dedicated partners in this effort have an exciting and innovative solution to addressing digital literacy through mentorship and assistance and we look forward to seeing the impact in Orleans County and beyond.”

“The continued support of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo will offer residents opportunities to update their online skills and actively engage in 21st century connectivity,” said Ken DeRoller, Orleans County legislator and United Way board member. “The WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund grant will also provide more resources for seniors, many of whom did not have the digital awareness or skills during the pandemic to access information about local testing sites or where and how to get Covid vaccines.”.

At the height of the pandemic, more than 1,000 seniors required assistance from the Orleans County Office for the Aging to register for Covid vaccines online “…because they don’t have internet or don’t know how to use the internet,” said Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman.

Julie Christensen, Superintendent of Kendall Central School District said, “It is important to both improve internet access for our families and also to help all to learn how to use it effectively. Covid made this need a crisis, but even without Covid our attempts to connect families to school through technology is hampered.”

While Orleans County led the state a decade ago in identifying digital disparities facing upstate New York’s rural communities, the county has not received state aid or federal assistance to bridge $4.1 million in coverage gaps necessary to bring high-speed broadband services to all Orleans County residents and businesses.

“As the world moves more online, we need to respond in kind to increase digital literacy across Western New York. This grant is the product of excellent work done by the United Way and will allow Orleans County to shrink the digital divide,” said Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27). “I remain committed to expanding access to broadband in Orleans and other rural communities throughout WNY so more students, businesses, farmers, and seniors can access critical services.”

Cornell University defines digital literacy as “the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet.” Pew Research Center studies found most rural counties in the United States have “insufficient broadband options to meet the needs of residents, businesses, and organizations.”

Research from Brookings reflects continuous learning pathways are not available to students who may reside in rural areas, citing implications that are “far-reaching for school-age children without internet access.” During the pandemic, 15 million school-age children were without home broadband access or a device.

“The mission of the United Way of Orleans County is to be a connector of people, ideas and resources that will make the community stronger,” Bellack emphasized. “The Moving Forward Together grant is an important first step to improving the daily lives of all those who live, work, and go to school in Orleans County.”

Announces $138.7 million for intervention, prevention and jobs programs to engage at-risk youth

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today declared the first-in-the-nation gun violence disaster emergency as part of a new, comprehensive strategy to build a safer New York.

This new strategy treats gun violence as a public health crisis, using short-term solutions to manage the immediate gun violence crisis and reduce the shooting rate, as well as long-term solutions that focus on community-based intervention and prevention strategies to break the cycle of violence. The disaster emergency allows the State to expedite money and resources to communities so they can begin targeting gun violence immediately.

To coordinate this nation-leading gun violence prevention effort, the Governor announced the creation of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The Governor also required by Executive Order major police departments to share incident-level data on gun violence with DCJS to compile this data weekly. This data will be used by the new Office of Gun Violence Prevention to track emerging gun violence hotspots and deploy resources to those areas that need it most.

“More people are now dying from gun violence and crime than Covid – this is a national problem but someone has to step up and address this problem because our future depends on it,” Cuomo said. “Just like we did with Covid, New York is going to lead the nation once again with a comprehensive approach to combating and preventing gun violence, and our first step is acknowledging the problem with a first-in-the-nation disaster emergency on gun violence.”

This comprehensive strategy also includes a $138.7 million investment in intervention and prevention programs, including programs that engage at-risk youth in summer job opportunities and community activity programs to get young people off the streets, and supports ongoing gun violence prevention programs.

The Governor also announced the creation of a new State Police Gun Trafficking Interdiction Unit to stop the flood of illegal guns that come into New York from states with weak gun safety laws. Additionally, the State will continue to strengthen police-community relations through a partnership with John Jay College of Criminal Justice to help localities implement and assess the reform plans they developed through the landmark New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative.

Deploying a public health approach to gun violence

The new Office of Gun Violence Prevention will be overseen by the New York State Department of Health and led by a Governor-appointed Gun Violence Prevention Coordinator who will coordinate an all-of-government approach to ensure that state and local programs are advancing unified gun violence prevention strategies.

The office will include a task force of representatives from State agencies including the Offices of Mental Health, Children and Family Services, Temporary and Disability Assistance, the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Victim Services, the Departments of Labor, Housing, Health, Corrections and Community Supervision, as well as Empire State Development, the State Police, Division of Budget, and others.

The Governor will also invite stakeholders to participate in a new Governor’s Council on Gun Violence Reduction to ensure coordination between the State, localities and community groups to address local needs. The Council will review current laws and local proposals for reform and will make recommendations for changes based on science and data.

Targeting “Hot Spots” using science and data

As outlined in the Governor’s Executive Order, police departments from across the state will be polled weekly by Division of Criminal Justice Services for incident-level data on shootings so the new Office of Gun Violence Prevention can identify and track emerging hotspots and direct resources where needed.

As with Covid, the State will use a cluster-based strategy to contain and combat the epidemic and identify gun violence hot spots where clusters of shootings are driven by small numbers of people. Initial hot spots identified in New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse, and Long Island include just 4,090 young men aged 18-24 but account for 48.5 percent of recent gun violence in those communities. View maps here.

Investing over $76 million to create job opportunities and community activities for youth

The spike in gun violence began as Covid kept many young people out of school and work, and disruptions to social supports and services left at-risk youth without safe, productive places to go during the day. These disruptions have had a destabilizing impact, particularly on young people, leading to a rise in gun violence. Research has shown that summer job programs decrease the likelihood of involvement in violence by 45 percent.

To help get young people off the streets, the State will invest an unprecedented $76 million to create jobs and community activities for at-risk youth.

New York will fund over 21,000 jobs for youth this summer, with initial commitments to create jobs by UFT, 32BJ, the MTA, the Partnership for NYC, tech:NYC, the NYC Hospitality Alliance, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Queens Chamber of Commerce and Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and the New York State Parks. Businesses are encouraged to make jobs available on the State’s website. Salaries for these job opportunities will be paid for by the State.

The State will also partner with the Consortium for Worker Education, the workforce development arm of the NYC Central Labor Council to provide new job training, training stipends, credentialing and placement in good-paying, long-term jobs for 2,400 young people who are out of school and live in the neighborhoods most impacted by gun violence.

In addition, the State will increase the funding available for sports, arts and recreational facilities for this summer. Prioritization for the additional funding will be given to programs within identified hot spot communities.

More than doubling state investments in violence intervention programs

Violence intervention programs, which work with impacted communities to break the cycle of gun violence and retaliations, have been shown to reduce violence by as much as 60 percent. The Gifford’s Law Center has pointed to New York State’s program at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx as a best-in-class model.

The State will create a new hospital-based violence intervention program in hotspot communities, expanding the state’s Jacobi model where it is most needed. Hospital-based violence intervention programs have proven to be a successful model by enabling street outreach workers to respond to shooting victims directly, connect victims and their families to wrap-around support services, and deescalate conflicts and retaliation.

The State will also expand the successful SNUG Street Outreach Programs by almost 50 percent. The SNUG Street Outreach program is administered by the Division of Criminal Justice Services and utilizes credible messengers in the community to engage and mentor at-risk youth, host community events, work to steer young people away from gun violence, and respond to shootings to prevent retaliatory violence. Through the almost doubling of this program, the State is taking aggressive action to curb gun violence in the hardest hit communities.

Getting illegal guns off the streets

While New York State has the strongest gun safety laws in the country, 74% of crime guns used in criminal activity across the state were purchased out of state. To combat the flow of illegal guns onto New York streets, the State will create a new Gun Trafficking Interdiction Unit within the New York State Police. New York State will also work with other states in the region to share gun tracing data that can stop inter-state gun traffickers and straw purchasers from introducing illegal guns into New York communities.

Strengthening the police-community relationship

Data shows that when community trust for the police is low, 911 calls and regular patrols decrease while gun violence and crimes rates increase. To build on the New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative that was established in June 2020 and requires police departments to create plans for reform at the local level, the State is announcing a new partnership with John Jay College of Criminal Justice to help select police departments that have implementation strategies for their plans and to develop standards for measuring progress.

The Governor is also directing the Division of Criminal Justice Services to issue new regulations implementing a law signed by the Governor this year that strengthens hiring and background investigations standards for police officers and closes the police officer misconduct loophole by preventing officers who commit serious or criminal misconduct from serving as officers in another police department.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Andrea Walton walks down the driveway of her family farm on Maple Ridge Road in Medina where she plans to develop a family entertainment venue. She recently graduated from the Microenterprise Assistance Program.

MEDINA – Andrea Walton’s proposed new business – an entertainment venue at her family farm – isn’t going to happen overnight.

The Medina resident who was one of the graduates from the recent Microenterprise Assistance Program plans to create the entertainment center at the family farm on Maple Ridge Road. Walton grew up on the farm at 11412 Maple Ridge Rd., a daughter of Sharon and the late Walter Hurd.

Andrea Walton points to Oak Orchard Creek, which runs through her family farm on Maple Ridge Road. Her plans include a miniature golf course where she is standing, gem stone mining and an ice cream stand.

“There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle and I will add one piece at a time,” Walton said.

Her plans for what she is calling the Donkey’s Barnyard are to build a miniature golf course along the bank of Oak Orchard Creek, which runs through the property. Then she wants to have gemstone mining for children, U-pick pumpkins, a corn maze, petting zoo and playground for kids. One of the barns will become an ice cream and hot dog stand.

Walton works for a wholesale plumbing and heating contractor in Batavia and looked at developing such a site 12 years ago. She took an entrepreneurial class then, but the plans fell apart, she said.

“The idea has been back in my head for a long time,” she said.

She decided to take the Microenterprise Assistance Program class for the networking opportunities and potential to work with other entrepreneurs. The program is run through the Orleans Economic Development Agency.

Walton’s parents bought the farm in 1961. The land is rented out now, but Walton plans to repurpose part of it for her venture.

“I want this to be a place where families can have fun,” Walton said.

Her goal is to be able to start construction on the miniature golf course by next spring.

Press Release, FMC in Middleport

Provided photo: Brent Sensenich (left), FMC Agricultural Sciences Plant manager in Middleport, provides a $250 FMC Community Mini-Grant to Lt. Daniel J. Zimmerman of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office for its All-S.T.A.R. (All Students Taking Action & Responsibility) Program.

MIDDLEPORT – FMC Corporation’s Agricultural Sciences Plant in Middleport has awarded a Community Mini-Grant to the All-S.T.A.R. (All Students Taking Action & Responsibility) Program operated through the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office.

Formerly known as D.A.R.E., the All-S.T.A.R. Program provides fifth-graders with the opportunity to learn directly from law enforcement officers about such topics as alcohol, tobacco, drugs, peer pressure, communication skills, building confidence, bullying, online bullying and internet safety.

“There has never been a time more necessary than the present for law enforcement to connect with our community,” said Lt. Daniel J. Zimmerman, Community Services Division/All-S.T.A.R. Program. “What better way to do so than with our children through educational programs in schools, where we can help guide them towards good personal decisions that will contribute to their positive growth, build relationships of understanding, and also benefit the community as a whole. On behalf of the All-S.T.A.R Program and Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti, I thank FMC for its important support with this mini-grant.”

Lt. Zimmerman said the FMC mini-grant will be used to fund a full year of supplies in the 2021-22 school year for the All-S.T.A.R. Program in the Royalton-Hartland School District. Overall, the All S.T.A.R. Program benefits approximately 1,500 students across Niagara County annually by supplying learning materials, school supplies and scholarship opportunities.

The “FMC & You: Community Mini-Grants Program” awards individual grants of up to $250 per request from organizations, groups and projects in the towns of Royalton and Hartland that support one or more of FMC’s four primary philanthropic areas of Health and Human Services, Education and Science, Environment and Conservation, and Arts and Culture.

Grant applications are available at www.FMC-Middleport.com or by mailing, emailing or calling Jessica Heideman at the FMC Community Office at 8 S. Vernon St., Middleport, NY 14105, Jessica.Heideman@fmc.com and 716-735-9769. Deadline for monthly submissions is the last day of the month.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

Provided photo: Mitchell Silversmith of Medina is shown with teacher Bill Rakonczay.

MEDINA – Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering teacher Bill Rakonczay loves when his students get real world experience.

Recently Mitch Silversmith, a senior from Medina, was tasked with making a breaching tool for the Buffalo Field Office Special Response Team (SWAT).

The tool resembles a claw and can be used to create a gap in between the frame and a door making it easier to pry the door open.  The Field Office was thrilled with Mitch’s tool and even refer to it as the “Mitchell.”

They came to the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center to give a demonstration to Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering and the Security and Law Enforcement classes. The students were also able to explore the SWAT vehicle and try out some of their equipment.

At the end of their demonstration on using the “Mitchell” to breach the door, the officers presented Mr. Rakonczay and Mitch a certificate of appreciation.

“It was really awesome to see how my tool was going to be used and get this experience,” Mitch said.

Board backs Albion battery storage regulations, storage addition for Ridgeway book and toy business

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board reviewed several proposals at its meeting last month and gave its recommendation for approval for an entertainment farm with a putt-putt course in Shelby, as well as other proposals.

Andrea Walton is proposing a recreational facility with putt-putt golf, an ice cream stand, gem mining, pumpkin sales and a corn maze at 11412 Maple Ridge Rd. Walton plans to utilize existing buildings on site without new construction.

The Orleans County Planning Board recommended the Town of Shelby approve the site plan for the outdoor recreational facility and activities, which are in an industrial zone.

In other action on June 24, the Planning Board:

• Recommended approval for the site plan and a special use permit for a used car sales business at 5138 South Gravel Rd. in Shelby.

Todd Walter plans to use the site as a pickup location for vehicles that are bought online. He plans to remodel an existing garage and add a 20-by-80-foot lot north of the garage. Walter will be limited to no more than 25 vehicles being offered for sale at the site.

• Backed an 11,200 square-foot addition for product storage at 3161 Fruit Ave. in Ridgeway. Living Waters America LLC, a Christian book and toy business, is adding more room to an existing 4,605 square-foot structure.

• Recommended Town of Albion approve its proposed law to regulate battery energy storage systems. Albion establishes a tier 1 storage system (capacity less than 600kWh) and tier 2 (more than 600 kWh).

Building permits will be required and an electrical inspection must be conducted with the systems. The tier 2 systems will be subject to a public hearing, and adjoining landowners within 500 feet of the property must be notified within 10 days of the hearing. The hearing notice also needs to be printed in a newspaper with general circulation.

The tier 2 systems shall be enclosed by an 8-foot high fence and with a self-locking gate. The tier 2 system also should have screening from adjacent properties “to the extent reasonably practicable” using architectural features, earth berms and other landscaping.

The one-hour average noise generated by the battery storage systems also shall not exceed a noise level of 60 dBA as measured at the outside wall of any non-participating residence or occupied community building.

The operators also need to have procedures for a safe shutdown, de-energizing or isolation of equipment under emergency conditions to reduce the risk of fire, electric shock and personal injuries.

Albion also includes decommissioning requirements for the systems, requiring them to be removed if they haven’t had any electrical storage for six months. Applicants for the systems will need to have a decommissioning plan for the projects.

‘Stay humble. Work hard. Be kind.’

Orleans Hub asked for advice for readers to give the new graduates. We received a lot of responses on our Facebook page. Here are some of them:

Aaron Knights: “Stay humble. Work hard. Be kind. Never underestimate the effectiveness of a personal follow-up on that job you want—it takes more than hitting send on an email to stand out. And send hand-written thank-you notes.”

Julie Ann Bolas Carasone: “Do not live beyond your means. You are only young once, so travel, travel and travel all over the world and see the sites.”

Frank Nash: “If you decide to go to college, go for hard sciences or the medical field. Everyone I know with a degree who is in debt or unemployed has a degree in the soft sciences.”

Cierra Mitravich: “Choose you! Over all drama, ‘boyfriends’ ‘girlfriends’ ‘friends’ in general. Know your worth and don’t put up with anything you shouldn’t. Choose your mental, emotional, and physical health always. But don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid to try new things. And to stand up for you. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Take up all good opportunities. Have fun. And be safe and smart. Too many young kids are having tragedies nowadays. Think about EVERYTHING BEFORE you say and do things.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: Callie Updike, center, and other members of the senior ensemble, sing “Don’t Worry About Me” during commencement on June 26 when 60 students graduated from Holley.

Joey Fiorilli Conlon: “Be true to yourself. Turn off the TV. Conscientiously make every decision with your eyes wide open.”

Karl White: “Be flexible. You may not always get what you want, but you will find what you need.”

Maryann Provorse: “If you made it through the last 15 months you can accomplish anything. Way to go all graduates.”

Cameron Swetland: “Be practical, follow your dreams, but always keep yourself bound to reality. And remember to SAVE. YOUR. MONEY.”

Robert Peters: “Learn a trade. You can have a prosperous career without going to college and getting into major debt.”

Donna Youngs: “People will come into your life. They will either lift you up or drag you down. Don’t let people drag you down.”

Tammy Pecorella: “Live, love, laugh – be true to yourself and be happy. You can do anything you want.”

Joe Randall: “Stay out of debt. Pay cash for everything.”

Photo courtesy of David Klafehn: These Kendall grads include from left: Dylan Gates, Colin Willis, Waylon Peet, Bryce Friedrich, Hayden VanDusen, Joshua Gregory, Hunter King and Michael Samons Jr. They were among 49 to graduate from Kendall on June 25.

Angela Holland: “Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. Congratulations to you all!!!”

Mike Zangerle: “Life…love it, live it. It’s an activity, not just a contemplation. Get to work and have fun doing it.”

Matthew Backlas: “Follow your own dreams – consider the advice of others but your path is your own. Do what feels right. Screw up. You’re young. Enjoy every day. Take chances. Now is the time.”

Stephanie Brownfeld: “Learn how to be present in each moment and appreciate everything life throws at you.”

Janine Miller: “The old saying that I learned in my youth: ‘Only one life, ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.’ You will need Jesus. Check in with Him daily. Read the Bible, pray, listen, and fellowship with others who do these things. He never leaves or forsakes, and you will never serve a better purpose than what He leads you into. Many may reject this advice. But I still felt led to post it, for those who will take it to heart.”

Gail Klossner: “Don’t stay in your comfort zone too long… Explore, life has many adventures, opportunities. Without risk, you won’t discover your true self.”

Jake Zangerle: “Join the Military and then take college classes. Stay out of politics as much as possible while you’re relatively young.”

Photo by Cheryl Wertman: Medina’s 123 graduates celebrated commencement on June 25 with the class all together at Vets Park.

Mary Bannister: “Always be a better listener than talker so when you open your mouth what comes out is relatable.”

Lisa Barthel: “Take care of your birth certificate and social security card! Keep in in a safe place where you can find it!”

Walt Grabowski: “Start a retirement ASAP and put in all that you can and never touch it till you retire.”

Mike Dain: “Do not fear failure.”

Terri Lee Hahn: “Give to the world the best that you have, and the best will come back to you.”

Rob Muhs: “Don’t stop reading! Read everyday, learn histories’ lessons, so as not to repeat them.”

Don McHale: “Life moves faster every year. Find a career and mate that you will love for the Long Trails of Life.”

Angela Burns Baker: “Every day is a gift. Never go to bed angry.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: Alexander Barry, Lyndonville’s salutatorian, walks to accept a scholarship from Darren Wilson, president of the Lyndonville Area Foundation, during Lyndonville’s graduation on June 24. Barry was one of 59 grads in Lyndonville’s Class of 2021.

Marge Colonna Burgio: “Congratulations!! ‘What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger!’ This pandemic has certainly prepared you for the future! Make it the best it can be for success, happiness, community service & love!!”

Patricia Joy: “Choose a career you know you will love long term. Strive to be the best you can be, and last but not least try to make a difference in someone’s life.”

Colleen Elmore: “Never give up; it gets better.”

Carl Nocera: “Skip college go to a trade school.”

Jill Bischalaney: “If you work hard you will be successful.”

Dan Conrad: “Congratulations to our graduating class of 2021.The Albion Lions Club would like to take a moment say that we are all so proud of your accomplishments and all the hard work you have put in. Now your lives are just beginning and the sky’s the limit to make a wonderful life. Go out into the world and fulfill your dreams and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t. Congratulations again.”

Barbara Chappius Papili: “Surround yourself with positive people!!”

Art Hallows: “You can’t hit home runs if u don’t stay in the batter’s box swinging! No matter what you go thru in life – good and bad – never lose sight of your dreams and no matter how low life gets you always keep swinging!”

Mark Oblick: “Keep an open mind and give love freely.”

Anna Christine: “Literally get out of your hometown – you don’t realize how much you miss when you stay in the same place your whole life.”

Matthew Thomas Fudge: “Stay out of debt at all costs.”

Ron Bellamy: “Move out of NY, ASAP! Lol.”

Barb Fry: “Today is the first day of the rest of your life! Take one day at a time!”

Regan Hodge: “Don’t chase the dollar. Chase happiness.”

Kathleen Vicknair: “To thine own self be true.”

Timothy McDonnell: “Do not read the comments section……of anything.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Jahmeek Riley plays a creative game of HORSE with Randy during today’s opening day of the summer parks program in Albion at Bullard Park.

Last year’s program was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. This year the program will run for four weeks, Mondays through Fridays, until July 30.

There will be park supervisors on duty from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with many games, activities and other programs. Parents and guardians can sign up children on site. They can print out the form online at the Village of Albion website. Immunization records also need to be provided and the program will follow state guidelines for summer park programs.

The parks program will be based at Bullard Park on Route 31 and will include the new splash pad.

These sisters, Ashlee (left) and Haylee Young, have fun at the new splash pad. They are from Charlotte, NC and are visiting family in Medina.

The two sisters get soaked at the splash pad. The splash pad is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Lyndonville native survived Bataan Death March, but died from dysentery in POW camp

LYNDONVILLE – The family for the late Gerald Hamann and the local veterans’ community will have a service for the World War II soldier on Tuesday morning, more than 75 years after his death.

Hamann survived the Bataan Death March but would then die of dysentery at a prisoner of war camp. He was buried in a mass grave with at least 100 other soldiers.

His remains were never positively identified until recently when his niece, Kathy Kage, submitted DNA into the ancestry.com database. Kage, a Lyndonville native who now lives in Texas, was contacted by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), which is tasked with identifying and repatriating the remains of fallen US service members.

Hamann was positively identified from Kage’s DNA file. Kage and other family members for Hamann will be giving him a funeral service at Lynhaven Cemetery at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

“It is quite significant that they can bring these men home,” said Steve Goodrich, commander of the Houseman-Tanner American Legion Post in Lyndonville.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – A tree is a silhouette in front of the Lyndonville school while multiple fireworks lit up the sky during a fireworks show on Sunday night

The Lyndonville Lions Club hires Young Explosives for the show, and it is one of the biggest displays in Western New York.

Last year’s fireworks show was cancelled due to ovid-19 restrictions on social gatherings. This year the restrictions were lifted with rising vaccination rates and declining Covid cases.

Fireworks are reflected in the water at the Johnson Creek pond in front of the school on Sunday night during a 40-minute fireworks show.

The fireworks explode in the sky with the steeple of the Lyndonville United Methodist Church in the foreground.

Food vendors were busy in the school parking lot, including this one serving funnel cakes.

Fireworks are launched from the back of the school property near the softball field.

The top of the Presbyterian Church is shown with fireworks going off in the background.

Henry Symmons, 13, of Albion twirls a sparkler before the fireworks show.

Fireworks are reflected in the back of a truck parked on the school campus near the baseball field.

Another photo shows the reflection in the water at Johnson Creek. That spot near the backyard of the Yates Community Library is a popular place to watch the fireworks.