By Doug Farley, Cobblestone Museum Director

Cary H. Lattin (1898-1988) began a family legacy of historic preservation that continues today.

GAINES – The Lattin family name is well known to anyone with an interest in local history.  Three generations of Lattins have lived and worked here with a mission to preserve the stories, architecture and culture of our shared history in Orleans County.

Adrienne (Lattin) Kirby, current Town of Gaines Historian, has been preceded by her father, C.W. (Bill) Lattin, former Cobblestone Museum Curator and Orleans County Historian; and her grandfather, Cary Lattin, seen here circa 1980, who also served as Orleans County Historian.  The Lattins come from a long line of pioneers that have been present in the community for eight generations.

Adrienne shared recently that history, and historical preservation, were literally in her blood, Lattin blood.  After all, she was the child of Bill Lattin and grandchild of Cary Lattin.  From her youngest days she would eat, drink and sleep history.  Her childhood home on Gaines Basin Road was built in the 1820s.

Adrienne said, “The house had the original plaster walls and was painted historic colors.”

She reflects on life surrounded by antiques and objects from a bygone era. Adrienne’s father, Bill, was working as curator of the Cobblestone Museum at that time, and she recalls that she was always being drawn into his work, sometimes by request, and sometimes because, “Dad pressed me into service.”

For Adrienne, born in 1974, seen here, front right, reflected that while some kids would be playing tag or hide-and-seek, she might have been cleaning the historic windows in America’s oldest Cobblestone Church.

“Though I did wash a lot of windows in the church, my sister, Allison, and I played a lot, too,” Adrienne said. “When we played ‘house,’ it was in the Ward House. When we played ‘school’ we had a real schoolhouse to play in. Most kids probably don’t play ‘church’ but we had one to play in, so we did.”

Others assembled here in June 1982 for the dedication of the John Brush plaque in the Church lobby include: Front Row (Left to Right): Three representatives from First Universalist Church of Rochester, Adrienne Lattin, age 7. Row Two: Signe Maine, Melva Roberts, Elton Roberts, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Brush. Row Three: Florence James, Lee Maine, Rev. Richard Hood, Dorothy Pratt, Jean Bistoff holding her granddaughter, Joani Loss.  Row Four: John Pratt, Lenore Houck, Richard Hoffman, Betsy Hoffman, Ruth Needham. Back: Dr. Douglas Houck and C.W. (Bill) Lattin.

Adrienne Kirby speaks during an unveiling ceremony for a sign for Beardsley Creek on July 28, 2018.

By the age of 9 years old, Adrienne could be found helping her father by giving museum tours. “I started by giving tours in the Church where Dad could keep an eye on me,” she said. Soon, Adrienne was leading Museum tours, on her own, up the road to the National Landmark Cobblestone Schoolhouse.

“When you think about it, no one gave it a second thought, a third grader leading total strangers alongside a busy state highway to a destination 2/10s of a mile away,” she said. “Times were different then!”

Adrienne said she really enjoyed giving Museum tours. She recalls that one group of Museum visitors was so pleased with their tour, that they gave her an “E-T” shirt. The guests told Adrienne that she was “Just so darn cute!” Another fond memory was, because she was “always at the museum,” at lunchtime, her dad would give her a dollar and send her to the H&A next door to buy a Twinkie and a comic book. At 7 years old her favorite comic book was “Richie Rich,” or “Mad Magazine.” “But if I bought a Mad Magazine, I couldn’t buy a Twinkie because I wouldn’t have enough money!” Sounds like a valuable life lesson was learned.

When Adrienne was about 9 years old, she recalls that her father took her up to the Cobblestone Schoolhouse and showed her how to use a riding lawn mower. She said, “This was terribly exciting to me, because a riding lawn mower was practically like DRIVING! After instructing me on use of the pedals and so forth, he instructed me to mow the back lawn. Giddy with all the possibilities driving allowed me, my father watched me as I proceeded to make a figure 8 and make all sorts of mazes and cool designs in the grass. He never said a word, but I didn’t get to use the riding lawn mower again!”  However, Adrienne did mow a good deal of lawn behind the church and on Route 98 (with a self-propelled mower). Adrienne also remembers what a “pain in the neck” it was to use the old canister Electrolux to vacuum in the Cobblestone Church. She said, “I was so happy when some kind soul donated an upright vacuum cleaner to the Museum.”

Adrienne also enjoyed the Cobblestone Museum’s annual Flea Market.  She said, “There was so much history to be seen and touched.”  The pie booth held in the old railroad flagman’s shanty on the Museum grounds was another favorite.  Adrienne added, “Over the course of two summers, my Dad taught me how to use the printing press at the Print Shop on Route 98.”

Adrienne’s grandfather, historian Cary Lattin, died when she was in 7th grade. She said, “My dad and grandfather both enjoyed telling stories. But, there was a big difference. Dad always stuck to the facts, but Grandpa was more prone to add some tall tales.”

Following college, Adrienne lived and worked for a brief while in Albany before returning to her hometown to live, work and raise a family.  In 2012 she and her husband, Justin Kirby, purchased the old Proctor homestead in Childs, one of its oldest residences, once owned by the community’s founding father, John Proctor.  Adrienne said, “Buying this house was the opportunity of a lifetime!  We had been living on Ingersoll Street in Albion, but it was just too small. And, it was in the Village. Not that villages aren’t nice, but it was not Gaines. There’s just an amazing appeal to the land of my roots.”

The John Proctor House is seen here in this image from October 12, 1935 on the day of the dedication of the historic marker to honor Proctor.  Katherine Rowley, first Orleans County Historian, is on the far left. This is probably the last photo of her, as she passed away three days later. Next to Miss Rowley is Barbara Balcom, and the girl holding the flag is Elda Barnum, both great-great-grandnieces of John Proctor. The woman at the far right is Grace Bliss, then Regent of the Orleans Chapter, D.A.R.  The historic marker, seen here, was originally placed on the west side of the Proctor House. About 15 years ago, the marker was moved to the east side in order to make it more visible to the public.

In 2018, Adrienne said she got her “dream job.” She was appointed to be Town of Gaines Historian. The job itself is part time, but it allows her to pursue her love for local history and still take care of her young family, who need her help with homeschooling and much more. While on the job, she has really enjoyed exploring the community’s connection to abolition. She said, “There are many primary documents. It’s like solving a mystery!”  Adrienne is particularly interested in the Robert Anderson papers. She said, “Anderson was a possible Liberty Party candidate for Lt Governor in 1848.”

Adrienne said she enjoys her role as Historian, because it allows her time to write. “The town has been very fortunate that it has had historians who like to write, like Cary and Bill Lattin, Howard Pratt, Dee Robinson, and Al Capurso.” She said she finds their historical research and writing fascinating. Adrienne reflected, “Cary Lattin and J. Howard Pratt used to enjoy some friendly rivalry when it came to history. Mr. Pratt would say, ‘My family came to America on the Mayflower,’ and Grandpa would reply, ‘Well one of my ancestors was Native American, so who was here first!’”

Adrienne also explained that as Gaines Historian, she is glad she has been able to digitize many old records. “I’ve been working on the Congregational Church records. The Church recently re-discovered some of their old records. It’s helping me a lot with my research on abolition.  Many churches split at that time over the subject of slavery.” Adrienne shared, “Even after 46 years, I’m still learning new things I hadn’t known about.”

Adrienne’s advice to everyone: “Write things down. Put names on the back of pictures. Write down the family stories. If you don’t, so much history is lost forever.”

Bill Lattin couldn’t be prouder of both of his children, Adrienne who serves as Town of Gaines Historian and Allison who works in Albany with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. History was certainly in Bill’s blood, too. His father, Cary Lattin, served as Orleans County Historian from 1957-1975.

Cary lived in a cobblestone house on Gaines Basin Road that was built in 1842. Four generations of Lattins have now lived in that house, culminating in Bill’s occupancy. Cary enjoyed a membership in the Sons of the American Revolution, a lineage based organization whose members all descend from Revolutionary War patriots. Cary got started in the job of County Historian, following the death of his friend, Joe Achilles, who served in that role before him. Cary became the fourth person to serve in the role of Orleans County Historian, following in the footsteps of Katherine Rowley, then by Theta Brown and Joe Achilles.

Owning a cobblestone home is a good start on becoming an “historian.” Most anyone who has owned a cobblestone home will tell you it’s a love-hate relationship. They love the history, character, beauty and charm, and also dislike the cold winters, hot summers, and continual need for vigilance with the historic mortar. Cobblestone home owners enjoy telling others about the history of their residence. The next logical step is telling the story of the community and families where your house is located. So, the next thing you know, you’re a historian.

Cary Lattin used his time in “office” to write a weekly column entitled, “Out of the Past,” that was printed in several local newspapers. Early in his appointment as County Historian, he became involved with a group of men and women, largely led by history teacher, Robert Frasch, who formed a grass-roots group to explore and do something about the increasing decay and destruction of 19th century cobblestone buildings.

The group’s initial interest was the former Cobblestone Universalist Church in Childs. Weekly services in the church had ended about 70 years earlier. The church is seen here in this 1960 view, prior to restoration. Note the iconic church tower is missing; it was torn off the building in 1919 and wasn’t replaced until 1964.

At the time of this photo, the lower level of the church was being used to store cabbage, the roof was deteriorated, windows broken, terrace missing, and the historic mortar pointing was in rough shape. Without a doubt, the building was destined for destruction without a concerted effort to save it.

Cary Lattin and Robert Frasch joined with the others to create the necessary momentum, and the Cobblestone Society was formed in 1960. He served on the first board of directors, a role he held for many years.

Over the ensuing years, the Cobblestone Society grew in size and mission to save other local cobblestone buildings which in 1993, became the basis for designation as the Cobblestone National Historic Landmark District. This national recognition honors select properties that not only demonstrate an importance to local history, but also tell a story important to the history of our nation.

Cary Lattin was followed in his role as County Historian by Arden McCallister who became the county’s fifth County Historian. Cary’s son, Bill, picked up the torch for historical preservation, too. He lives in the family’s cobblestone house, and accepted a part time job as curator of the Cobblestone Museum in 1971, later expanded to full time. It was a job he held for 40 years, until 2010. During that period, he followed in his father’s footsteps as Orleans County Historian in 1979, and served in that role for 35 years until 2014.

Matt Ballard followed Bill as County Historian and Catherine Cooper followed Matt, becoming the eighth County Historian in the county’s history.

An attempt to list all of Bill Lattin’s activities and accomplishments in the field of historic preservation would be a challenge for sure, if not impossible. Suffice it to say, we will scratch the surface. Here we see Bill (lower right), beside Mark Tillman, in 1983, with the Signature Quilt that was mounted for display at the Village Inn. Behind the men are (left to right) Josephine Howard, Beverly Leigh and Marcia Hart who were in charge of embroidering over 700 names on the quilt. The quilt and its collection of signatures of local individuals from the past is still on display at Tillman’s.

Bill enjoyed the many years of fellowship with other historians, and the thousands of visitors he greeted at the Cobblestone Museum complex, seen here with the Orleans County Municipal Historians circa 1982.

Those present included: Front row (Left to Right): Dee Robinson, Gaines Deputy Historian; Ceil White, Medina Historian; Virginia Cooper, Yates & Lyndonville Historian; Helen McAllister. Second Row: Arden McAllister, Orleans County Historian retired; Eleanor Wilder, Village of Albion Historian; Betsey Hoffman, Carlton Historian; Alice Zacher, Shelby Historian; Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian.  Back Row: Alan Isselhard, Clarendon Historian; Frank Berger, Orleans County Legislator; Evelyn Allen, Ridgeway Historian; Helen Mathes, Barre Historian.

In reflecting on his role at the Museum, Bill said, “I guess I am most thankful that I was able to inspire the Museum Board to look beyond the status quo, and accept a greater mission that led to the creation of the museum’s Route 98 campus of buildings.”

That campus started with the acquisition of the Joseph Vagg Blacksmith shop at the corner in 1975, and grew to include the Print Shop, Harness Shop and Farmers Hall.  The latter being the old Kendall Universalist Church (and Town Hall) that was disassembled and moved to the museum, board by board, to be reassembled by Bill and three part-time, unskilled, CETA workers in 1975.  Most would describe it as a Herculean task. Bill said recently, “If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have started!” The Cobblestone Board went on to dedicate that structure in Bill’s name when he retired as Museum Director in 2010.

Even after Bill’s tenure as Museum Curator/Director ended, he remained actively involved in historical preservation in Childs. He continues to serve on the Museum’s Board, and assisted in the actuation of the Vagg House in 2020, a “John Proctor Era” home, that was once the residence of blacksmith Joseph Vagg and his wife, Nellie.

Nellie was well known for her organizing efforts regarding the Temperance Movement. The home is now interpreting life in the 1920s and is available for public tours. In the photo of the Vagg House, we see a replica 19th century carriage stand that Bill researched and built using a period photograph in his collection as a guide.

Bill also serves as Vice-President of Orleans County Historical Association (OCHA), a group that recently completely restored the county’s oldest cobblestone building, Gaines District #2 Schoolhouse, built in 1832. The Association also moved an early 20th century replica of a 19th century pioneer log cabin to their site on Gaines Basin Road, within eyesight of the northernmost point on the Erie Canal.

Even while completely dedicated to historic preservation tasks, Bill found time for public service, having served, over the years, as Town of Gaines Councilman and Town Supervisor. He also was named a “Heritage Hero” in April 2014 by Genesee Community College and Orleans Hub for a lifetime of working to preserve and promote the county’s history.

As County Historian, Bill, like his father before him, enjoyed writing a weekly newspaper column, Bill’s articles were entitled, “Bethinking of Old Orleans.” Bill said, “I wrote an article, every week, for 35 years.” By anyone’s standards, this is an impressive achievement.

Easter egg hunt will be at museum on Saturday

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Grace Stewart, assistant to the director of the Medina Railroad Museum, holds a T-shirt paying tribute to the museum’s founder Marty Phelps, which they are selling as a fundraiser. They are also planning a chicken barbecue to bring in some income during the pandemic.

MEDINA – Doing business during a pandemic hasn’t been easy for the Medina Railroad Museum, which has been shut down for most of the past year.

With Covid-19 restrictions being eased, the Medina Railroad Museum is planning several events to bring in some revenue during this difficult time. The museum’s major fundraisers, Polar Express and Day Out with Thomas were both canceled last year, and are still on hold for this year, although staff is hopeful they can hold events this year, even on a smaller scale.

One positive thing is that visitation to the museum has been steady during this time, with masks and social distancing required.

Grace Stewart, assistant to the director Janine Klotzbach, said they are now approved for crowds up to 200 people.

She has announced they are planning an Easter egg hunt on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children and adults must wear a mask. There will be a special prize for the children who find the golden egg. The Easter Bunny will also be on site.

For the first time in its history, the Medina Railroad Museum will have a chicken barbecue, again to raise some much-needed revenue. Chicken barbecues have become almost a weekend staple, as a safe way for organizations to raise money. All are taking place as drive-thru, which means social contact is minimal.

The Railroad Museum’s barbecue will be done by local entrepreneurs Carl Dilcher II and Rose Campbell of Oakfield. It is scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. May 16 at the museum. Cars will enter from West Avenue and exit onto Gwinn Street, again, with people not having to get out of their cars. Tickets will be sold until May 1 by visiting or calling the museum at (585) 798-6106. Payment may be made over the phone by credit card.

In addition, the museum is having a raffle for a bucket full of wine and liquor. Information and tickets are also available at the museum.

There are 23 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 reported today in Genesee and Orleans counties, bringing the combined total in the pandemic to 7,257, which 4,674 in Genesee and 2,583 in Orleans, according the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

Orleans County today is reporting 10 new positive cases of Covid-19. The positive cases reside in the West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby) and Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.

Three of the new positive individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. Four more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

Two of the new positive individuals are inmates of the Albion Correctional Facility.

Three of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

In Genesee County there are 13 new positive cases of Covid-19. The new positive cases reside in the Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) and East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 50s, 60s and 70s.

Ten of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

One of the new positive individuals is an inmate at the Genesee County Jail.​

Eight of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

​Since a week ago the number of active cases in the two counties have increased from 91 to 121, with new infections outpacing recoveries. That includes from 37 to 53 in Orleans, and from 54 to 68 in Genesee.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The ladder truck for the Murray Fire District is used to carry a man in a stokes basket at 7 East Union St. He was badly injured when the concrete floor on his porch broke, and he and his son fell about 10 feet at 4:30 p.m.

The son suffered at least a broken ankle in the fall. His father suffered more serious injuries. He was trapped under a heavy chunk of concrete for about a half hour, said Harris Reed, chief of the Murray Joint Fire District.

Three firefighters were able to move the concrete piece off the father. Reed estimated the concrete weighed 1,000 pounds.

A member of the Monroe County Special Operations Team walks away from the front porch area that collapsed today at 4:30 p.m.

Murray and Clarendon firefighters used a rope rescue, putting the father in a stokes basket and lifting him out of the small room under the front steps.

He was taken by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital. His son was taken by ambulance to Strong.

Long-time firefighters said they had never seen such an incident, with the concrete floor of a porch cracking, and collapsing below with a person trapped.

No additional information is available.

The father and son fell about 10 feet after the concrete floor collapsed.

Photo by Tom Rivers: An Albion business has an open sign projecting out on Main Street.

Orleans County unemployment rate has been steadily rising in recent months, going from 5.4 percent in October to 7.5 percent in February, according to data from NYS Department of Labor.

The 7.5 percent is less than half of the unemployment rate during the pandemic high of 16.8 percent in April.

Here are the county’s unemployment rate for 12 months:

• February 2021: 7.5%
• January 2021: 7.3%
• December 2020: 6.6%
• November 2020: 5.7%
• October 2020: 5.4%
• September 2020: 5.6%
• August 2020: 8.9%
• July 2020: 11.5%
• June 2020: 10.8%
• May 2020: 12.3%
• April 2020: 16.8%
• March 2020: 5.6%

Source: NYS Department of Labor

The county’s 7.5 percent unemployment rate in February compares to 5.6 percent a year before. In Orleans County, the number of people working is down by 400, from 16,400 in February 2020 to 16,000 in February 2021. The number on unemployment is up 300 from 1,000 to 1,300 during that time.

In NYS, the number of people working is down 805,600 from 9,130,000 in February 2020 to 8,324,400, with the unemployment rate up from 4.1 percent in February 2020 to 9.6 percent in February 2021.

Nationally the number of people working is down nearly 8.5 million with the unemployment rate up from 3.8 percent in February last year to 6.6 percent in February 2021.

The number of people working declined 21,100 in Buffalo-Niagara Falls metro from 510,400 to 489,400 during the 12 months. In the Rochester metro, the number is down 10,500, from 493,300 to 482,800 during that time period.

New York City is suffering the most with unemployment. The rate was 13.2 percent in February, with the number of people working dropping by 584,300 — from 3,963,800 in February 2020 to 3,379,500 in February 2021.

Locally, Orleans is slightly higher than most other nearby counties’ unemployment rates. Here are some of the unemployment rates of nearby counties for February: Livingston, 6.4 percent; Genesee, 6.6 percent; Monroe, 7.3 percent; Wyoming, 7.4 percent; Orleans, 7.5 percent; Erie, 7.9 percent; and Niagara, 8.3 percent.

File photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from December 2013 shows an artificial Christmas tree on the lawn of the Courthouse Square. The Albion Merchants Association is raising money for a large live Christmas tree.

ALBION – The Albion Merchants Association is seeking donations to have a Christmas tree planted in the Courthouse Square.

The group has an $800 fundraising goal for a “Fat Albert Colorado Blue Spruce” tree. It is trying to hit the fundraising goal soon so the tree could be planted this spring by Preston’s Lawncare.

Artifical trees have been set up at the Courthouse Square in the past by the Village of Albion DPW. More recently, the DPW has set up that tree at the Waterman Park, where there is a large Santa mural. The Albion Betterment Committee is working to have a bronze Santa statue in that park, about a half block south of the Erie Canal.

The Albion Merchants Association said the live tree planted at the Square would be used for events, including tree-lighting, Christmas caroling, family photo opportunities and the annual Hometown Holiday celebration in December. It would also add to Albion’s ambiance as a “Santa village,” said Natasha Wasuck, who is spearheading the project for the AMA.

To see the GoFundMe for the tree, click here.

Photo by Elliott Neidert: This drone photo from February 2017 was taken by Elliott Neidert. It shows the Courthouse Square with a light coating of snow.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Leigh and Chuck Kinsey of Clarendon are leaders of a new Missing Angels group at Orleans Recovery – Hope Begins Here. They are shown with a portrait of their son, Mark, who passed away at age 35 after an overdose on June 1, 2019. The Missing Angels group has been meeting since January with smaller in-person gatherings or through Zoom videoconferencing.

ALBION – A Clarendon couple who lost their son to an overdose is leading a group, Missing Angels, to help others with their grief.

Chuck and Leigh Kinsey are the parents of Mark Kinsey, who passed on June 1, 2019 at age 35. Mark battled substance use since he was 17.

He was home for five weeks while in recovery but died after taking heroin with lethal fentanyl. Two people from Holley went to state prison for providing the highly dangerous drug.

The Kinseys say there are many local families who have endured the loss and grief of a loved one from an overdose.

“We want people in the community going through this to know they are not alone,” Mr. Kinsey said. “There are other people out here willing to talk about this and share their story.”

They have been leading Missing Angels since January. There are meetings through Zoom videoconferencing the first Thursdays each month, and in-person gatherings the third Thursdays. The meetings are at Orleans Recovery – Hope Begins Here, Suite 190 at the Arnold Gregory Office Complex, 243 South Main Street in Albion.

Don Snyder, president of Orleans Recovery, said the organization wants to be a resource for the community and also help overcome the stigma of people suffering from addiction. Snyder is retired a prison chaplain.

“As a person of faith and as a chaplain, I’ve always cared about people are hurting,” Snyder said.

Orleans Recovery started about five years ago by local clergy, former Sheriff Randy Bower and other community stakeholders. Snyder said the group backs the Missing Angels program to help families and loved ones of people who have died in an overdose.

‘We feel the grief process will be never ending. But we have a path that we’ve been down that we want to share with people.’ – Chuck Kinsey

Snyder is thankful the Kinseys have stepped forward to lead the group, and give it structure and compassion.

“This is not a therapy,” Mr. Kinsey said. “This is a place where you can set up your own path for recovery.”

Mr. Kinsey, who is retired as the computer services director for Orleans County, said his son started with substance use at age 17, “unbeknownst to us.”

Mark Kinsey worked as a cook for nearly two decades. He was creative and full of life, his mother said.

The family tried many approaches to push him to long-term recovery. He seemed to be in a good place in his recovery just before his fatal overdose.

“We tried tough love,” Mrs. Kinsey said. “But we showed him how much we love him.”

The Kinseys said holidays are difficult for families who have lost loved ones prematurely to an overdose. They observe Mark’s birthday on Jan. 9 and acknowledge the anniversary of his death on June 1.

They encourage families and loved ones to journal, create a memorial corner in their homes in honor of their loved ones. That corner can be a spot to mediate and pray.

“We feel the grief process will be never ending,” Mr. Kinsey said. “But we have a path that we’ve been down that we want to share with people.”

The number of drug overdose deaths increased 27 percent during the pandemic to 88,000 during the 12-month period ending in August 2020, the leader of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said Thursday.

The Kinseys and Snyder of Orleans Recovery said the opioid overdoses remain a crisis, even though it has been knocked out of the news for much of the past year.

“This is an epidemic that will be with us a lot longer than Covid-19,” Mr. Kinsey said. “There is no vaccine for opioid use.”

Some users can be hooked after the first time they try opioids, and can descend into “full-blown substance use disorder” that often leaves them powerless to fight the addiction.

The Kinseys said their group will be advocating for more service sin Orleans County for people fighting addiction, including daily methadone clinics for people in narcotic addiction.

Snyder said talking about the problem can help the community better respond to people in addiction and offer support for their families.

“There is still a stigma that drives people underground,” Snyder said. “People are overdosing. We’re losing a lot of people.”

For more on the Missing Angels program, contact Orleans Recovery, 585-210-8750, or email orleansrecoveryhope@gmail.com for details on meetings and other programs.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Photo courtesy of State Police: A state trooper puts on a body-worn camera. The first cameras are being deployed in Troop G (Capital Region), and training and cameras will be provided to members on a gradual basis. The cameras will be then be deployed in Troop NYC, with other Troops to follow throughout the summer and fall.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the New York State Police has deployed its first body-worn cameras as the agency’s new program begins its statewide rollout. The requirement for Troopers to wear body-worn cameras is the result of legislation that was signed into law last June by Cuomo.

The body-worn cameras will be worn by uniform members at the rank of Trooper while they are on patrol. The first cameras will be deployed in Troop G in the Capital Region and training and cameras will be expanded to NYSP members statewide on a gradual, rolling basis. The full deployment for Troop G should be completed by late April or early May.

The cameras will be then be deployed in Troop NYC, with Troops K, L, F, C, E, A, D and B to follow throughout the summer and fall. Troopers stationed in Troop T on the NYS Thruway will receive cameras at the same time as the Troop in which they are geographically located. The exact order and timing of the deployments will depend on the completion of infrastructure and information technology upgrades and buildouts at each of the 250 barracks statewide.

“At this highly critical time for the relationship between police and the communities they serve across the state, I am proud that we are implementing this program as police agencies statewide do the important work of reimagining their work and repairing trust in the criminal justice system,” Cuomo said. “This step is part of a progressive package of reforms that will increase transparency in policing and accountability among all law enforcement agencies statewide, and we look forward to continuing this important work in the future.”

Axon will supply the State Police with a total of 3,000 cameras and will provide secure cloud video storage, software, and technical support at a cost of $7.6 million per year.

State Police Acting Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen said, “Body-worn cameras are an important tool that will not only reinforce public confidence in the great work our Troopers do each and every day, but will also serve as a critically important investigative tool. The use of this technology will provide real benefits to the communities we serve.”

Under the law, State Troopers are required to record video immediately before an officer exits a patrol vehicle to interact with a person or situation; for all uses of force, arrests and summonses; all interactions with individuals suspected of criminal activity; all searches of persons and property; any call to a crime in progress; any investigative actions involving interactions with members of the public; any interaction with an emotionally disturbed person; and any instances where an officer feels any imminent danger or the need to document their time on duty. The cameras will automatically start recording whenever a patrol vehicle’s emergency lighting is activated, and anytime a member unholsters his or her firearm or taser.

Photos courtesy of Orleans/Niagara BOCES: Electricity/Electronics teacher Bill Leggett, OCTEC Assistant Principal Nicole Goyette, Alayna Trautman and OCTEC Principal Michael Mann commend Trautman for the award.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Congratulations go to Alayna Trautman, a senior from Royalton-Hartland and an Electricity/Electronics student at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.

Alayna is the recipient of the Thomas Olivo Leadership Award from the New York State Association of Career and Technical Education Administrators (NYSACTEA). This award was named in honor of C. Thomas Olivo, who was the New York State Education Department’s director of Vocational Education in 1966, when VICA (now known as Skills USA) was established.

Dr. Olivo had the foresight to see the value of instituting a youth organization for students enrolled in secondary trade, industrial, technical and health occupations. He advocated developing leadership skills through participation in career oriented student organizations, a goal that ACTEA continues to support today. Students receiving this award are honored with a $500 scholarship from ACTEA.

Dr. Michael Weyrauch, Career and Technical Education director at Orleans/Niagara BOCES, said the school is thrilled with Alayna’s accomplishments.

“She is an outstanding individual,” Weyrauch said. “She is hardworking, dedicated and is always thinking of others. We are very proud of her.”

Dr. Hank Stopinski, superintendent of Royalton-Hartland Central School District, added, “The entire Roy-Hart community is proud of all that Alayna has accomplished during her time at our district and BOCES. She is truly a student who represents all that we hope all students will aspire, living the RAMS way, every day!”

Roy-Hart Superintendent Dr. Hank Stopinski, Roy-Hart High School Principal Gary Bell, Alayna Trautman and Roy-Hart Counselor Colleen Albee celebrate Trautman’s recognition.

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is vocalizing his opposition to the proposed establishment of an “excluded workers fund” in this year’s state budget, which advocates hope will provide over $2.1 billion in new state funding to provide aid to illegal immigrants.

The fund would allocate $2.1 billion in new spending to provide unemployment benefits, including benefits similar to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), for workers federally ineligible to receive traditional unemployment insurance benefits: illegal immigrants and convicted felons.

Non-citizens and other cash-economy workers would be the primary beneficiaries of such funds, as they are ineligible to receive unemployment benefits under current federal Department of Labor regulations. Some beneficiaries would be eligible for payments of up to $27,000 under current Assembly Majority proposals.

“In this unprecedented time of need, as thousands of families struggle to keep the lights on and put food on their tables, we shouldn’t be spending billions to help people who should not be here in the first place,” said Hawley. “Rewarding those who ignore our laws will only further erode the rule of law in our state. In doing so, we would disrespect all who come to our nation legally, as well as those who otherwise live here lawfully but are still struggling to make ends meet.”

Provided photos

ALBION – The Easter Bunny meets Lexington Pridgen in Albion today. The bunny visited kids in Albion today from 5 to 7 p.m., making stops from the back of a pickup truck. The bunny greeted children and gave out candy and some hugs.

Michelle Wiseman was the Easter Bunny. She is shown with Christina Nenni from Best of Tymes Party Rental, who helped organize the outing. They also visited kids in Medina on Wednesday.

Gianna Hyde is all smiles when she met the Easter Bunny.

Olivia, Ella and Allyson Brusk got to meet the bunny.

Drake Neri and Hudson Palmer say hello to the popular character who brightened a cold and snowy April 1st.

Orleans and Genesee counties combined are reporting 18 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the total to 7,234 in the two counties since March 2020.

In Orleans County there are 8 new positive cases reported today for a total of 2,573 positive cases during the pandemic.

The positive cases reside in the West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby), Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre) and East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s.

One of of the new positive individuals was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said.

Two of the new cases are inmates of the Albion Correctional Facility where 29 inmates have now tested positive during the pandemic.

No additional recoveries are reported today. The number of active cases in the county is up from 43 on Wednesday to 49 today.

There are currently 5 Orleans County residents hospitalized due to Covid.

In Genesee County there are 10 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 4,661 positive cases in the pandemic.

The new positive cases reside in the West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke), Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) and East Region (Bergen, Byron, LeRoy, Pavilion, Stafford). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

Genesee is reporting 21 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list. The number of active cases is down from 75 to 65 since yesterday.

There are currently seven Genesee residents hospitalized due to Covid.

Photo by Tom Rivers: These flowers in an Albion backyard were hit with a snow blitz just after 1 p.m. today.

The National Weather Service said a snow squall will affect a line from near Fort Niagara State Park to Lakeside Beach State Park until 1:45 p.m.

The squall will affect parts of Orleans, Niagara, northwestern Genesee and northwestern Monroe counties.

“Visibilities will drop quickly to a quarter of a mile in this squall,” the Weather Service said. “Conditions can deteriorate rapidly in winter weather situations. Be prepared for snow or ice covered roads. Slow down and allow extra time when traveling.”

The Orleans Hub is 8 years old today. We’ve posted nearly 28,000 articles since April 1, 2013.

We’re grateful to serve in this role, connecting people to community news.

We help fill a void for local news with the closings of the former Journal-Register in Medina and the Albion Advertiser. They are among the 1,800 newspapers that went out of business in the United States since 2004.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, 60 newspapers have closed, and many others have cut staff, reduced editions and made other cost-cutting reductions.

It’s a tough business and we’re grateful for the support of our advertisers – many have been with us since Day 1. We also have some Hub readers who send us donations because they appreciate the local coverage.

We don’t charge subscriptions to access the news, or subject people to surveys or annoying pop-up ads.

We appreciate the dedicated Hub readers. There are about 10,000 of them on average everyday. Our readership in 2020 was up by 15 percent, with the pageviews jumping from 9,556,253 in 2019 to 10,932,597. So far, in the first three months of 2021, we are on pace to again top 10 million pageviews.

We plan to keep covering Orleans County – the good and the bad, the successes and the challenges. We thank you all for checking in.