BATAVIA – The mass vaccination clinic at Genesee Community College is targeted for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, but isn’t restricted to those counties.

The three rural counties wanted the clinic to be limited to the three counties, but the state Department of Health is making it available to whoever signs up.

The state has other vaccine clinics listed on its website that have residency restrictions for Albany, Brooklyn, Queens, Rochester and Buffalo.

Because the clinic in Batavia is open to people outside the three counties, local health officials are urging Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming residents to sign up right away this morning before all the appointments are gone. Click here to sign up.

The three counties lag behind the vaccination rates in the nine-county Finger Lakes Region and across the state. In the Finger Lakes the percentage of residents who have received at least one vaccine dose is 16.2 percent and 9.5 percent are fully vaccinated. The statewide averages are 15.6 percent with one dose and 8.4 percent fully vaccinated.

• In Orleans County, only 10.8 percent of the 40,612 residents have received at least one dose and 5.8 percent are fully vaccinated.

• In Genesee County, 14.7 percent of the 57,511 residents have received at least one dose and 8.7 percent are fully vaccinated.

• In Wyoming County, 13.2 percent of the 40,085 residents have had at least one dose and 8.0 percent have had both doses.

The neighboring metro areas in Erie and Monroe counties have higher vaccination rates.

• In Monroe County, 16.8 percent of the 742,474 residents have received at least the first dose of the vaccine and 9.9 percent have completed the vaccine series.

• In Erie County, 16.1 percent have received at least one dose and 9.7 percent are completed with the vaccine series, according to the data on the state’s Covid-19 vaccine tracker.

Site will administer 3,500 vaccines 5 days through Tuesday; Orleans residents urged to sign up

Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

BATAVIA – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Department of Health have agreed to host a temporary regional mass vaccination clinic at Genesee Community College main campus center (1 College Rd, Batavia) to provide the Covid-19 vaccine to rural counties.

The announcement comes after the legislative leaders and public health directors of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties sent a letter last week to the Governor urgently requesting the designation of such a clinic to serve rural populations in the region.

“Orleans County has received lower vaccine allocations throughout the pandemic which has resulted in substantially lower vaccination rates here compared to other regions of New York,” said Lynne Johnson, chairperson of the Orleans County Legislature. “I am pleased our request for a GCC site was well received and hope to work cooperatively with our local partners and the state moving forward to facilitate more mass vaccine clinics for rural residents who have been largely underserved during the crisis.”

This state-run clinic, expecting to vaccinate 3,500, is targeted to Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming County residents who are in the state eligible groupings. The state has confirmed, as of March 2, the vaccine will be the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) one dose vaccine. The clinic is located at the GCC Athletic Center where signs will guide those with appointments to the entrance. The clinic will be held starting:

• Friday, March 5, from noon – 4 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday (March 6th and 7th) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Monday and Tuesday (March 8th and 9th) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Appointments must be made via the New York State ‘Am-I-Eligible’ webpage (click here) or by calling the New York State Covid-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-697-4829 only.

“We are pleased to be a part of this mass vaccination clinic,” stated Rebecca Ryan, Chairwoman of the Wyoming County Board of Supervisors. “This will help put a dent in our priority groups.”

“To say this Covid vaccination site is necessary is an understatement, as I speak with constituents daily who are told they have to travel hours in some cases just to get their vaccine,” said New York State Assemblyman Steve Hawley. “I am hopeful we will see progress made toward opening this site for the convenience of all who wish to receive the vaccination in the Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming County communities. We need to do all we can to stop the spread of Covid-19 throughout New York State.”

“I am very happy that GCC will be serving as a vaccination site for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. In the joint legislative health hearing this past Thursday, I specifically requested Commissioner Zucker establish a vaccination site at GCC,” said New York State Senator Edward Rath. “I am pleased that this all is happening very quickly, and we can work to get residents in our rural counties vaccinated. Thank you to our local leaders for their leadership on the issue.”

“We hope this is just the beginning of our region getting an equitable share of the vaccine,” stated Rochelle Stein, Chairperson of the Genesee County Legislature. “In order to continue to provide vaccine to those in rural counties, we encourage the state to continue to provide these limited mass vaccination clinics to assist our counties and get the vaccine in the arms of our residents who choose to get it.”

Organization moves ahead with expanded services, key capital projects

By Mike Pettinella, GCASA Publicist

ALBION – The Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse is excited about the construction of a 25-bed women’s residence to be located in Albion.

John Bennett, GCASA executive director, said the agency is hoping to have its state Department of Health contract within weeks, with construction bids to go out in November.

“Ten of the units will have the capacity to house women with children,” Bennett said. “It’s sorely needed as there aren’t that many programs around that offer services to women and their pre-school age children, which is a significant barrier for women to receive the intensive-type treatment they may need for addiction.”

He said that there are only two programs west of Albany that assist women and children in this way.

“Our percentage of female population has gone up over the years. I think when we wrote the grant it had gone up over 12 percent in a three- or four-year period – up to the mid- or high-30’s,” he advised.

Editor’s Note: Mayor Eileen Banker said the apartments will be built close to the Orleans Community Health site east of the village near Butts Road.

Return to ‘in-person’ status

As more people get vaccinated and, hopefully, as the Covid-19 infection rate continues to subside, Bennett is increasingly optimistic that all of the agency’s services soon will be returning to “in-person” status.

“The Recovery Station (on Clinton Street Road in Batavia) is open to the public two days a week and our residential program is fully open because we had limited beds for a while,” Bennett said. “We’re starting to do more in-person counseling and actually look to resume in-person group (sessions) by springtime.”

Bennett also mentioned that transportation of clients is starting to pick up and, “as always, our peer recovery advocates are available at all times to help those in need.”

GCASA has expanded its programming through the awarding of grants and is looking forward to embarking upon significant capital projects to provide essential services.

Making room for a detox center

One of the major projects slated for the Genesee County campus on East Main Street is the construction of a 20-bed detoxification facility.

“Work has finally started on the new detox center which will be attached to the existing Atwater Home residential building. This project will have 16 detox beds and four swing beds for a total of 20 beds,” Bennett offered. “The four swing beds can be used as transition beds from detox to another residential setting and/or as overflow for Atwater.”

Bennett said the detox center originally was scheduled to open in December of this year but in all likelihood won’t open until the beginning of 2022.

Supportive living gets a boost

Last month, it was announced that GCASA will receive $250,000 from the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative for an additional 10 units (beds) to go toward operating costs of its supportive living program. This means that the agency will have 15 units in Genesee County to go along with its two units in Orleans County.

ESSHI funds are earmarked for operation of the program, Bennett said.

“The home that we are renovating for this is 99 percent completed and ready to be used for the ESSHI grant,” Bennett said. “This five apartment unit will become permanent housing for individuals who have substance use disorder in the family. It can be a family member who has SUD or the individual who needs housing.”

Bennett underscored the demand for suitable housing for the population that is served by GCASA.

“Having adequate housing, jobs, daycare, food and balanced sober recreational activities can have a huge impact on the outcomes for persons and families dealing with SUD,” he explained. “By building more permanent housing, GCASA is addressing the social determinants of health that can make a difference in person’s recovery.”

Renovations at The Recovery Station

Bennett said GCASA has received several bids to complete the Phase II renovations of The Recovery Station (the old Bohn’s Restaurant). This project will create office space for eight employees of the Genesee Prevention Education department – who will relocate from the East Main Street office — as well as a laundry room, new bathroom and small meeting room.

“A final Phase III project for The Recovery Station will be completed at a future date and will include rebuilding the commercial kitchen, creating storage and two small additional offices,” he said. “This has been an amazing reuse of an old commercial building.”

Another project focuses on renovation of the kitchen space at GCASA’s childcare center on Harvester Avenue, said Bennett, adding that childcare will resume within the month or as soon as the renovations are complete.

Hotline is there in a crisis situation

He mentioned the GCASA peer hotline is available “24/7 for people in crises.” Calls coming into 585-815-1800 will trigger response from the agency’s trained peer recovery advocates.

In closing, he said that the addition of these new programs and projects has increased the organization’s size by close to 40 percent over the past five years.

“All the credit goes to our staff, who have tirelessly worked through this pandemic to serve our communities,” Bennett said, noting that most GCASA employees have been vaccinated.

14 more cases at Detention Center for 105 total during pandemic

Orleans and Genesee counties combined are reporting 28 new confirmed Covid-19 cases today, bringing the total to 6,731 in the two counties since last March, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.

In Orleans County there are 7 new cases for a total of 2,428 confirmed 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, 50s and 60s.

Among the new cases, 2 people were under mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

Orleans is reporting 3 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list. There is currently 1 county resident hospitalized due to Covid.

In Genesee County there are 21 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 4,303 cases during the pandemic.

The new positive cases reside in the Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) and East Region (Bergen, Byron, LeRoy, Pavilion, Stafford). The new cases include 14 inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia, where there have now been 105 confirmed cases during the pandemic.

Of the 21 cases reported in Genesee today, the individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.

Genesee is reporting that 13 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

Genesee currently has 3 residents hospitalized due to Covid.

More from the Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments:

Travel Guidance Update: According to the Governor’s announcement today, those who travel domestically will no longer be required to quarantine or test-out within 90 days of full vaccination. International Travelers will continue to follow CDC quarantine guidance. Check for the updated guidance by clicking here.

Gathering Size: Beginning March 22 for residential gatherings 10 people indoors, and 25 people outdoors. For social gatherings, there can be up to 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors. Click here for updated guidance.

Event, Arts, and Entertainment Venues: Beginning April 2, reopening at 33% capacity, up to 100 people indoors, 200 people outdoors. With attendee testing, capacity increases to 150 people indoors, 500 people outdoors. Rapid test is valid for 6 hours; PCR test is valid for 72 hours. Social distancing and face coverings are required by all attendees. Click here for updated guidance.

Cuomo apologizes, says he didn’t mean to make people feel uncomfortable

File photo from Governor’s Office: Andrew Cuomo speaks in New York City on May 9, 2020.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said this afternoon he won’t be resigning, despite calls for him to step down after three women accused him of sexual harassment.

Cuomo said his “customary greeting” is often to hug and kiss people. But he said he realizes now that his style can make some people uncomfortable and cause them pain.

“I truly and deeply apologize for it,” Cuomo said. “I never meant to offend anyone or hurt anyone or cause anyone any pain. That is the last thing I ever meant to do.”

The governor asked the 19 million New Yorkers to hold off on judgement until an independent review is complete through the Attorney General’s Office.

“I have learned an important lesson,” Cuomo said about his style. “I’m sorry and I’m sorry for whatever pain I have caused someone. I will be the better for this experience.”

The governor held an afternoon news briefing and highlighted declining Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, and an increase in the number of vaccinations.

He is pushing to get a state budget done that can help the state with its economic recovery.

He has no plans to step down as governor, a position he has held for just over 10 years.

“I’m not going to resign,” Cuomo said. “I work for the people of New York State. I’m going to do the job the people of New York State elected me to do.”

ALBION – The above undated news article includes Mrs. Arthur McAllister, left, who was the first woman to graduate from the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School. McAllister graduated from the school in 1949.

The late Charles W. Howard opened the school in 1937 and ran it until his death in 1966. The school continues to operate in Howard’s name in Midland, Mich.

Phil Wenz portrays Santa Claus year-round at the Santa’s Village theme park in Dundee, Illinois. Wenz also is a Santa historian and coordinates annual Santa conferences, which have twice been in Albion.

Wenz is seeking more information on Mrs. McAllister, including her first name and what roles she fulfilled as a Santa ambassador in the community, as well as other biographical details.

Anyone with information on Mrs. McAllister can send it to news@orleanshub.com and we’ll pass it on to Wenz.

Press Release, Orleans County Mental Health Department

The Care & Crisis Helpline (585) 283-5200 serving Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties is back in service after being down and non-operational on Tuesday.

In the case of a mental health crisis or if you are in need of additional information on your counties available mental health resources, please contact (585) 283-5200 or 911.

MEDINA – After being closed for several months due to Covid concerns, the Senior Center of Western Orleans in Medina is again reopen on a limited basis, starting today.

Volunteers will run the Center, which will be open for euchre and pinochle on Wednesdays and Thursdays and euchre on Fridays.

Doors will open at noon each day, with card playing beginning at 1 p.m.

Masks will be required when entering the building or moving about the room. Hand sanitizer will be available on every table. Beverages will be allowed if they are in a covered container.

The Center is also open to the public from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. every Monday for free bread and pastries from Tops.

Organization that serves 13 school districts has responded to Covid challenge from many fronts

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

Photos from the Orleans/Niagara BOCES: The diesel technology program has been offered at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES since the 1960s.

As Orleans/Niagara BOCES celebrates its 65th anniversary, it is also marking a year of dealing with the challenges of providing educational services during a pandemic.

As hands-on and classroom learning went to an all virtual format last March, the summer found District Superintendent Dr. Clark Godshall and the Board of Education making the decision to go back to a five day in-school format for the fall under the safety protocols.

“The efforts of our BOCES staff was admirable and our technology staff went above and beyond to make sure we had the resources to help with their goal to continue in-person and virtual education and providing services,” Godshall said. “The bottom line is we know that the students had to be in school and get the rigor to not only help them educationally, but mentally and socially as well, while adhering to all safety requirements.”

While periodically classes are shut down for quarantining when a positive case or exposure occurs with students or staff, the model has been successful and has received positive feedback from students, parents and the Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ component districts.

“We are very proud of this model and the support of our staff,” Godshall said. “I think it shows how important BOCES is to the community in our career and technical education programs, adult education, special education, safety risk and instructional services.”

Across the state, BOCES are the unsung heroes that need to be recognized. New York State policymakers over 65 years ago had the foresight to build a shared service model into the fabric of our public education system in the form of BOCES – a shared service program with highly trained specialists who would be available to component school districts to improve the quality and depth of learning for students.

To provide some history, the BOCES (Boards of Cooperative Educational Services) was established in 1948 as a way for school districts to work together and provide services that would be difficult and more expensive for them to offer on their own.

This has grown to 37 BOCES across the state that provide hundreds of programs and services, from career and technical education to health and safety services to support in areas such as computer networks, human resources and teacher training. Orleans/Niagara BOCES was established on January 6, 1956.

Some of the current students in the diesel technology program at the Orleans Career & Technical Center in Medina include Jacob McEwen, David Rhim Jr, Jacob Dickson, Jacob Draper and Aidan Pearson.

During the pandemic, New York State has perhaps needed BOCES more than ever. BOCES has been there as a role model for service delivery under strenuous safety protocols. When schools needed to mobilize to efficiently get laptop devices to students and internet connectivity to families in need, BOCES was there. According to BOCES of New York State, BOCES were involved in the procurement of more than 172,000 computers, tablets and laptops for students across the state this past year.

“As our state dealt with the worst public health crisis in a century, administration and staff assisted in ‘flipping’ to virtual instruction, conducting Covid screenings, maintaining logs for  contact tracing, quarantining when needed and adhering to compliance requirement from federal, state and local levels,” said Orleans/Niagara BOCES Board of Education President Ed Grabowski.

Schools who needed to train teachers in distance learning had someone to turn to thanks to BOCES’ Professional Development teams. When schools started reopening last fall, BOCES provided 5,800-plus professional development opportunities, according to BOCES of New York State. Thanks to BOCES, New York’s students are learning, connected with their teachers and classmates and other critical services.

“We have always been a place where public schools can turn to for solutions and we are proud to have been able to assist during this pandemic,” Grabowski said.

Many of our staff members also provided assistance in other ways as well. Teachers used their classrooms’ 3D printers to produce facemasks and shields for healthcare workers, a group of students in our Fashion Design program sewed multiple masks to distribute to the community and not to mention the thousands of masks, gowns, soap, sanitizer and gloves that administration donated to local hospitals from their own medical programs. BOCES continues to be there to help their communities.

The one bright spot of the COVID-19 crisis, is that it has reinforced the saying that “We’re all in this together!” BOCES has been around for more than seven decades, and in the past year has demonstrated why we are so fortunate to have this resource in New York.

Orleans/Niagara BOCES is now celebrating their 65th year of serving their 13 school districts and could not be prouder to do so. Congratulations to all the staff, administration and Board of Education members who have made it a success through their hard work, commitment and passion for education!

Covid has wiped out other events

KENDALL – The Kendall Faculty Association is planning a drive-through pancake breakfast for March 20, a new fundraiser after so many of the KFA events have been cancelled due to Covid.

The breakfasts will help the Faculty Association offer scholarships. The organization offers 6 scholarships in honor of former teachers. They usually range from $500 to $1,000. Once those scholarships are awarded, the KFA has other scholarships that are usually $100 to $200 depending on how much money the KFA was able to raise that year.

The past 12 months has been a challenge for the organization to raise money. In previous years, the Faculty Association held a basket raffle at homecoming, two roller-skating parties, and a movie night.

“All of those events were cancelled due to Covid,” said Heather Tomasino, KFA president and a special education teacher. “The only fundraiser that we have been able to hold this year is the Christmas Sale, which will solely fund our scholarships. This means that we will be forced to award fewer and for smaller amounts.”

Tomasino said the pancake breakfast, if it’s a success, could become an annual fundraiser. There aren’t presale tickets for the event. It’s first come, first serve until sold out. Adult meals are $10 and kid meals are $5 and it includes pancakes, sausage and eggs. The event will be from 9 to 11 a.m. at the high school.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The school district has recently welcomed more students back for in-person learning, from 2 to 4 days a week.

HOLLEY – The district started the school year on a hybrid schedule with students able to take two days of in-person classes a week. The students were split into two different groups in each grade level and those groups alternated days of in-person school with everyone going remote on Wednesdays.

That was done to reduce the number of students on buses and in the school buildings, to allow for social distancing and reduce the chances for spreading Covid.

The district early in the school year increased the in-person days to four days for students in prekindergarten, those in self-contained special education classes and the alternative high school, which is held in a wing of the elementary school.

Those groups are all smaller classes of no more than 12 students where the district can meet the social distancing requirement, keeping desks 6 feet apart.

The district has recently pushed to bring back more students for four days of in-person learning. That includes about 100 students with IEPs who have a learning disability and need some additional educational services.

This week the district also allowed students at the WeMoCo in Spencerport to attend in-person classes four days a week. That started on Monday.

Holley wants to bring back more students for four days a week of in-person learning, but the district needs to ensure it can meet the state mandates for social distancing on buses and in classrooms, said Brian Bartalo, the district superintendent.

Or, the state needs to provide some relief to the 6-foot distance for social distancing to allow more students to be in class. Bartalo said students have been wearing masks inside classrooms which should allow them to be closer together than the 6 feet.

‘I want our families to know we’re working on it. We’re looking at our options. We want the kids to come back but we have to do it in a way that abides by the rules.’ – Brian Bartalo, district superintendent

Paul Pettit, the public health director in Orleans County, said the state is expected to make an announcement soon about the 6-foot buffer between desks and what districts must do to allow students to be closer together.

Some districts have set up Plexiglass barriers between desks. Bartalo said that would be a big expense for the district to go with the barriers.

If the state doesn’t allow desks to be closer than 6 feet, Holley still may be able to bring more students for in-person classes. Holley has about 20 percent of its students fully remote who don’t attend in-person classes this year. That gives the district some room to bring students back for in-person classes four days a week.

“At this time, I want everyone to know that we expect some changes soon regarding how to increase our in-person opportunities for students at school,” Bartalo said in a message to school community on Monday. “As we await new guidance on safety protocols, we’re working diligently at the district to consider all options for transportation and classroom limits to have students return more fully. It’s likely, just as we’ve done with other aspects of our phase-in approach, that we start bringing our younger (elementary) students in more at first, then move to the middle/high school.”

Bartalo said the district would like to keep pushing to have more students in-person by April 19, which is the start of the final quarter when students will be gearing up for final exams and state assessments.

The district will be reaching out to parents and guardians to see if they would support four days of in-person instruction. Bartalo also wants to know if the students who are fully remote would stay that way if they had the option for four days.

The district could find out some families would be uncomfortable with more in-person days and would rather stay with two in-person days or be fully remote.

“I want our families to know we’re working on it,” Bartalo said. “We’re looking at our options. We want the kids to come back but we have to do it in a way that abides by the rules.”

Orleans County will receive over 1,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine this week, which is significantly more than the county typically gets. Last week Orleans was able to administer 400 doses.

The county is getting 500 doses as part of its regular allotment with 300 to be administered by the Orleans County Health Department, 100 by the Tops pharmacy and 100 at Medina Memorial Hospital.

The county also will have an additional 585 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and will working with its partnering healthcare providers to administer those doses, Paul Pettit, the county’s public health director, advised local officials during a conference call this evening.

“That’s great news,” he said about the 585 doses on top of the weekly allotment.

In addition, the Health Department will be giving 200 shots of the second dose of the vaccine during its vaccine clinic Thursday at the Ridgeway Fire Hall.

Orleans also is expecting to hear confirmation soon from the state that the county will be teaming with Genesee and Wyoming health officials for a tri-county mass vaccination clinic at GCC in Batavia. Pettit said that clinic is in the planning stages.

“We are very hopeful this mass vaccination site will come to fruition and provide a much needed boost to Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties,” he said.

In Orleans, about 10 percent of the population has received at least one dose of the vaccine. That is down from a 15 percent rate across the state and in the Finger Lakes Region.

Press Release, Orleans County Department of Mental Health

ALBION – Effective immediately the 24-hour Care & Crisis Helpline serving Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties is down and non-operational.

In the case of a mental health related crisis or for information on available mental health resources in your community, please contact the numbers below, utilizing the number associated with the county in which you reside or contact 911.

• Genesee & Orleans Counties (716) 285 –3515
• Wyoming County (716) 882-4357

Orleans and Genesee counties are reporting 19 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 today in the two counties, which brings the total to 6,703 during the pandemic since last March.

In Orleans County there are 4 new positive cases of Covid reported today for a total of 2,421 cases since last March, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.

The new 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, 40s and 50s.

Orleans is reporting 3 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are currently no residents from Orleans hospitalized due to Covid.

In Genesee County there 15 more confirmed cases of Covid-19 for a total of 4,282 positive cases during 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 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. The new cases include 3 inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia.

Genesee is reporting 26 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are currently 3 residents form Genesee hospitalized due to Covid.

Pictured form left include Landin Flynn (Orleans Learning Center), teacher Jay Kaplewicz, Abigail Garver (Lyndonville), Austin Furness (Albion), Steven Cerros-Secore (Medina) and Allan Bieber (Albion).

Photo and press release from Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Even though oyster mushrooms usually grow in the woods, Landscaping and Grounds teacher Jay Kaplewicz and his class decided to grow them in their classroom at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.

“We were learning about mycology, which is the study of fungi and its relationship to plants,” Kaplewicz said. “We discussed how they are grown commercially and decided that would be a fun project to do in class.”

The class used kitty litter made out of recycled paper inside a plastic bag with holes punched into them and then added mushroom spawn.

“The students were so excited when they grew,” he said. “They are gourmet mushrooms so we are sharing them with our Culinary Arts program and Food Service program for them to incorporate into their cuisine.”

The process took a little over four weeks.

“It was really cool and was a great way to show students how you can grow something valuable out of waste products,” Kaplewicz said. “It gets them thinking about potential business ideas as well.”