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.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: Heather Smith, director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation, volunteered at a food distribution in Medina on June 12.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced an additional $25 million has been directed to New York’s network of food banks and emergency food providers to support the Nourish New York program through July 2021.
Since the Governor launched Nourish NY at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in April 2020, 21 million pounds of surplus agricultural products have been purchased from New York farmers and delivered to more than 1.3 million households in need across New York State.
Purchasing and food distribution using this third round of funding – which was first announced during the Governor’s 2021 State of the State Address – are currently underway. Since the launch of Nourish NY, a total of $60 million has been invested in the program.
“New York is on the path to recovery from the pandemic, but there is a continued need to assist families and our farmers across the state who are still struggling,” Governor Cuomo said. “Since its launch last spring, the Nourish New York initiative has had incredible success in connecting our agricultural producers with food banks in every corner of the state to bring fresh local foods to families in need.”
The Nourish New York program provides funds to New York’s food banks and emergency food providers, who then purchase agricultural products from New York farmers and dairy manufacturers and deliver the food to families in need.
Emergency food providers can use Nourish New York funds to:
Set up food-drive through events/giveaways;
Distribute dairy vouchers that can be redeemed in grocery stores for products like cheese, yogurt, milk, sour cream, and butter, throughout the state, and/or;
Purchase products directly from New York dairy/food manufacturers for their feeding programs.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, farmers experienced a drastic supply chain shift, which resulted in the loss of markets and income and in the waste of fresh surplus foods, particularly fluid milk. Simultaneously, the demand for food through emergency food providers escalated across the state. Seeing the opportunity to feed residents and aid farmers, the Governor launched the Nourish New York initiative. This initiative provided $25 million in funding for the first round and $10 million in the second round of the program for the purchase of foods grown, raised, or processed in New York State and has served as an important alternative revenue stream for farmers and dairy processors during the pandemic. More than 4,150 farms have been impacted through the program.
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Over the last 10 months, the Nourish New York program has helped feed more than one million families with nutritious dairy, fruits and vegetables, and so much more, and helped make sure our farmers had a market for their products.”
New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher said, “This additional funding for Nourish NY is good news for many farmers and low-income people who are still dealing with fallout from the pandemic. The program has coordinated a pathway to move food from farms to food banks in every region of the state, compensating farmers for their products and reducing food waste at the same time. It has proven to be a lifeline for people in need, and we thank Governor Cuomo for continuing the program.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 2 March 2021 at 12:15 pm
Upscale Overstock at 50 North Main St. offers a selection of clothing from newborn to extra large men’s. Here, owner Lynn Palmer holds a toddler’s party dress.
ALBION – When Lynn Palmer decided to open her own business, one of the first things she did was enroll in the Microenterprise Assistance Program run by the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
She graduated from the 10-week class for small business owners in 2019 and opened Upscale Overstock in Medina at the end of the year in 2019.
Palmer was just getting her feet on the ground when the pandemic last March and she was forced to close her doors to the public. She continued to promote the store’s merchandise through a Facebook page and people could pick up the items from the front window.
The store was able to reopen for in-store sales in late May when the state eased some of the Covid restrictions. One of her most popular items early pandemic were masks made by her daughter Samantha.
She shifted to the Albion location at 50 North Main St. on Jan. 18 and Palmer said the prominent spot on Main Street has been good for her business.
The store offers all new merchandise of every kind, including men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, kitchen items and small appliances, professional sports clothing and memorabilia, toys, games, gift items and bed and bath items, including linens.
Upscale Overstock sells general merchandise that was often in the big box stores. When those stores look to change merchandise and switch to a new season, overstock stores like Palmer’s often acquire the items. They are still new, but haven’t been used.
She tends to receive a shipment each week with one or two pallets of overstock items that are all new merchandise.
In addition, Palmer also displays a section of craft items made by her daughter, which include handmade tee shirts, custom-made signs, string art and adult’s and children’s masks.
Palmer plans to feature a fun promotion every month, with March’s being a pot of gold hidden somewhere in the merchandise. The first person to find the item gets 10 percent off their order.
The store is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Palmer also works at Walmart but she said it is her goal to some day be able to spend all her time in her own business.
Information is available on the Upscale Overstock Facebook page or by calling (585) 283-4132.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 March 2021 at 10:36 am
Covid-19 cases were down significantly in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties, after surging from November through January.
The three counties had nearly 3,000 cases in both December and January. Last month there were 965 cases in the three counties, and that included 79 in the state prisons in Wyoming County.
The cases began a sharp upward trajectory in November with 1,133 cases in the three counties and reached 2,993 in December and 2,814 cases in January.
Genesee averaged 45.8 new cases a day in January. The county had 400 new cases in February or an average of 14.3 per a day. Genesee had 151 active cases on Feb. 1 and that was down to 82 on March 1.
Orleans dropped from an average of 25.4 cases a day in January to 9.0 per day in February. Orleans had 98 active cases on Feb. 1 and reported 36 active cases on march 1.
Wyoming County averaged 19.6 community cases daily in January and that was down to 8.3 per day in February or 11.1 per day if the cases in the prison are included. The number of actives cases dropped from 92 on Feb. 1 to 40 on March 1.
Here is a monthly breakdown of the Covid cases in the three counties:
Orleans County (population: 40,352)
First case reported on March 18.
March – 6 cases (6 cumulative cases)
April – 89 cases (95 cumulative)
May – 126 cases (221 cumulative)
June – 45 cases (266 cumulative)
July – 10 cases (276 cumulative)
August – 12 cases (288 cumulative)
September – 29 cases (317 cumulative)
October – 82 cases (399 cumulative)
November – 224 cases (623 cumulative)
December – 753 cases (1,376 cumulative)
January – 788 cases (2,164 cumulative)
February – 253 cases (2,417 cumulative)
Genesee County (population: 57,280)
First case reported on March 17.
March – 13 cases (13 cumulative cases)
April – 136 cases (149 cumulative)
May – 37 cases (186 cumulative)
June – 40 cases (224 cumulative)
July – 32 cases (256 cumulative)
August – 23 cases (279 cumulative)
September – 30 cases (309 cumulative)
October – 66 cases (375 cumulative)
November – 579 cases (954 cumulative)
December – 1,495 cases (2,449 cumulative)
January – 1,419 cases (3,867 cumulative)
February – 400 cases (4,267 cumulative)
Wyoming County (population: 40,085)
First case reported March 17.
March – 8 cases (8 cases cumulative)
April – 60 cases (68 cumulative)
May – 12 cases (80 cumulative)
June – 9 cases (89 cumulative)
July – 18 cases (107 cumulative)
August – 12 cases (120 cumulative)
September – 12 cases (132 cumulative)
October – 69 cases (201 cumulative)
November – 330 cases (531 cumulative)
December – 745 cases (1,276 cumulative)
January – 607 cases (1,883 cumulative)
February – 233 community cases (2,116 cumulative community). Wyoming also has had 486 cases in the prisons during the pandemic, including 79 in February.
Source: Orleans Hub research, local health departments, Census Bureau 2019 estimates for population
Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke
ALBION – Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke is announcing the upcoming civil service exams for both deputy sheriff and police officer for the villages of Albion, Holley and Medina.
Candidates must be legal residents of Orleans County for at least one month immediately preceding the date of the written test.
The last filing date for the exam is March 24 with the physical fitness (agility) test on April 24 followed by the written exam on May 15.
Applications, qualifications and additional information may be obtained through this link (click here) or contact Kate Harvey, the Orleans County director of personnel and self insurance, at (585) 589-3184.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 March 2021 at 9:02 am
Michael Dobell
MEDINA – The new leader of Orleans Economic Development Agency has more than a decade of experience working for major hotels in Buffalo, Rochester and Minneapolis.
Michael Dobell, 36, of Lyndonville said he brings a customer service focus to the job as executive director for the EDA. He started the position last week and succeeds Jim Whipple, who has retired but is staying on in a part-time advisory role through the end of April. Whipple led the EDA for 15 years.
Dobell, 36, was director of sales and marketing at Hyatt Regency Buffalo the past five years. Prior to that he worked for the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis and Radisson Rochester Riverside. In that career, it wasn’t just the hotel he was promoting to clients: it was the overall experience in the community.
Dobell sees a similar message in his role with the EDA. Businesses will be looking at the “total experience” in Orleans County.
“How can we best showcase the entire community?” he said. “We’re in this together. It’s really a team effort.”
Dobell said it will take the efforts of local and state officials, as well as citizens in the county, to make the community an enticing place to live and work.
He sees lots of assets for the EDA to promote to businesses, especially the 300-acre Medina Business Park, which is one of the largest certified shovel ready sites in the state. Whipple in the EDA worked more than a decade to create the park with infrastructure.
“What Jim and his team have done the past 15 years is an amazing job,” Dobell said the EDA conference room at 121 North Main St., Albion. “He laid the groundwork to take Orleans County to the next level.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: The 300-acre Medina Business Park is one of the largest certified shovel-ready sites in the state. It has all the infrastructure in place.
Dobell lives in Lyndonville with his wife, Clancy. She is the daughter of Lynne Johnson, the Orleans County Legislature chairwoman. Dobell was drawn to the Lyndonville community because it is similar in size to where he grew up on a dairy farm in Andover, Allegany County. Dobell was active in the 4-H program as a kid. He earned a bachelor’s degree in financial planning from Alfred University.
“In a small town there is the camaraderie of the community and the business owners,” he said. “I’m excited for the opportunity to be part of the up and coming Orleans County development.”
Paul Hendel, the Orleans EDA board chairman, said Dobell is a “forward-thinking” leader who will make serving the local businesses and prospective companies a priority.
“He is a great fit for this organization and the entire county,” Hendel said. “He has the knowledge, skills and personality, and he has a proven track record in sales.”
Dobell is one of the three full-time staff for the EDA. Hendel agrees with Dobell’s philosophy that economic development will take the work of many in the community.
“As an organization we cannot exist in a bubble,” Hendel said. “We need support from towns, village and county and our state legislators.”
The EDA is in a good position with several sites that should be attractive to companies around the county. Hendel praised Whipple for bringing municipal partners together for EDA projects.
“Jim did a great job putting Orleans County on the map,” Hendel said. “Jim was a superstar for the agency, in my opinion. With Michael, I see a person with lot of same skill sets as Jim and a vision to take organization to the next level.”
Hendel said the economic development business is also about relationships, and building trust with business leaders. Orleans in recent years has welcomed several companies from Southern Ontario, Canada.
That Canadian province has been a “great partner” in bringing jobs to Orleans County, Hendel said.
Hendel expects to see more economic development as more progress is made getting Covid-19 under control.
“We are primed to just explode with the assets in our county and the infrastructure,” Hendel said.
Assemblyman says Cuomo should step down after sexual harassment accusations, nursing home deaths
Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley
Steve Hawley
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) over the weekend spoke with WHAM 13 Rochester and Rochester TV 8 to discuss recent allegations made against the governor by two of his former aides who state he had sexually harassed them in private.
Speaking with these media outlets, Hawley called on the governor to resign immediately in the aftermath of both these sexual harassment allegations and also following reports that his administration actively covered up the amount of fatalities in New York nursing homes during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the interviews, Hawley emphasized that amid an ongoing pandemic, budget negotiation process, a federal investigation into his cover-up of nursing home fatality data, and now an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office, New Yorkers need a governor that can fully devote their time and focus on addressing the needs of everyday New Yorkers in what are unprecedented and challenging times.
“It needs to happen yesterday,” said Assemblyman Hawley in an interview with WHAM 13. “Any time there’s an allegation, it needs to be taken seriously, and we need to move forward with that.”
“[Cuomo] owes it to the people of the state of New York— his constituents, my constituents,” said Hawley, as he spoke with News 8 Rochester. “We have an awful lot going on in the state, in this nation. And the appropriate thing for him to do at this point is resign.”
Hawley also issued this statement after today’s legislative session in the Assembly was cancelled:
“Today’s cancellation of session is extremely disappointing, especially as we are now grappling with multiple crises in our government. We are facing a pandemic, a debt crisis, budget negotiations, and also need to address the accusations made against the governor by two of his former aides, not to forget about his cover-up of deaths that took place in our nursing homes.
“The people need us more than ever, and I am saddened, though not surprised, that the Majority has decided to take a day off today and cover for the governor as he faces investigations by the Attorney General and Department of Justice, rather than address our state’s critical needs.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2021 at 4:22 pm
Orleans and Genesee counties are reporting 38 more cases of Covid-19 today in the first update since Friday. That puts the combined total to 6,684 for the two counties since March 2020.
In Orleans County there are 8 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 for a total of 2,417 positive cases since last March.
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, 30s, 40s, 60s and 80s.
Of the new cases, 3 were under mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said.
Orleans is reporting 25 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list. There are now 36 active Covid cases in the county.
There is currently one Orleans County resident hospitalized due to Covid.
In Genesee County there 30 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 for a total of 4,267 positive cases since last March.
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, 50s and 60s.
Genesee is reporting 43 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list. There are now 82 positive Covid cases in the county.
Of the new cases, 6 are inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia. There are 9 Genesee residents hospitalized due to Covid.
The G-O Health Departments said three positive residents of The New York State Veterans’ Home at Batavia were retracted because they were determined to be duplicates.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2021 at 3:00 pm
Testing is open to Orleans residents, too
The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said there are appointments available for people who want a rapid Covid-19 test on Tuesday.
The Health Departments are running a clinic from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Genesee County Emergency Management/Fire Training Center at 7690 State Street Rd., Batavia.
There are no residency requirements for the testing clinic, the Health Departments said.
People getting a test need to go online to register and to get an intake form. Click here for more information.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2021 at 1:46 pm
Legislators also highlight Probation Department, Arc of Genesee Orleans
Robert Batt and Melissa Blanar have both been recognized as alumni of the year by Leadership Orleans.
The Orleans County Legislature last week recognized two leaders with special recognition awards, and also highlighted the Probation Department.
The Legislature also issued a proclamation declaring March as “Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.”
Robert Batt and Melissa Blanar were recently announced as the Leadership Orleans alumni of the year.
Blanar is director of the Office for the Aging and Batt is executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County. Blanar completed the year-long Leadership Orleans program in 2019 and Batt was in the inaugural class in 2018.
The two have stepped up leading their agencies or organizations in the past year, with added responsibilities due to Covid-19 and the restrictions from the state due to the pandemic.
Blanar and Batt also have been critical to food distributions which started last April and are currently being held most Fridays at a site in the county.
“You have gone far and beyond your professional leadership roles in serving the aging of our county during the Covid-19 pandemic through your extreme efforts in organizing multiple food distributions and other pandemic realities,” The Legislature said in the Special Recognition Award for Blanar. “This will forever be widespread, long lasting and extremely appreciated. The Orleans County Legislature does hereby commend you for your passion and dedication to our Orleans County residents.
Batt was praised his “extreme efforts in organizing multiple food distributions and other pandemic realities. This will forever be widespread, long lasting and extremely appreciated. The Orleans County Legislature does hereby commend you for your passion and dedication to our Orleans County residents.”
• Probation Department: The Legislature also presented a Special Recognition Award to Orleans County Probation Department, congratulating the department on being recognized from NYS Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives. The state praised the county Probation Department for developing a “Best Practice” procedure for the return of Violation Of Probation: Declaration of Delinquency Petitions from the courts.
Probation also was recognized by the state for creating and using a “Probationer Handbook” which is a document developed to assist adult offenders placed under probation supervision with all aspects of their sentence.
“The Orleans County Legislature wishes to share our appreciation for your passion and dedication to the duties of your department and does hereby commend you and your team in the services you provide Orleans County and beyond,” the award states.
• Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month: The Legislature also issued a proclamation declaring March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The Legislature said developmental disabilities affect more than 7 million Americans and their families.
“People with developmental disabilities can be vital and vibrant members of our communities, improving the quality of life for all of us,” the proclamation states.
There are about 600 ARC chapters in the country, including the Arc of Genesee Orleans.
“The Orleans County Legislature proudly recognizes the achievements of Arc of Genesee Orleans and supports this organization’s mission of being a partner for people with disabilities, and a gateway to opportunities for each person to experience their desired potential,” the proclamation states.
Department pursues fairness and equity in the marketplace
Press Release, The Genesee-Orleans County Department of Weights & Measures
Provided photos: Ronald P. Mannella serves as Weights & Measures director in Genesee and Orleans counties.
The Genesee-Orleans County Department of Weights & Measures is responsible for testing all commercial devices used to weigh and measures various commodities.
These inspections are done annually at over 220 businesses which include grocery stores, delis, bakeries, produce stands, laundromats, farms, manufacturing plants, distribution centers, stone quarries, gas stations and non-commercial locations as requested.
The department is also responsible for testing the quality of fuel sold within the counties, a task that is 100% reimbursed by NYS (132 fuel samples were taken in 2020). We celebrate this marketplace protection annually on March 1st, the start of National Weights & Measure Week.
Prior to 2020, Genesee and Orleans County operated separate W&M departments. This changed last January when Ronald P. Mannella was appointed Director for both – a move with estimated annual savings of over $54,000.
2020 resulted in 1,138 total devices tested between the two counties, including a 4.11% increase in Genesee County devices compared to 2019.
“In our first year functioning as a shared department, we were able to serve both communities better than ever before,” Mannella said. “We pumped over 13,000 gallons of fuel and used over 5 million pounds for testing.”
Tested and approved
These seals indicate a device was tested and approved for use by a Weights & Measures inspector. New for 2021, our seals will incorporate two public health messages acting as reminders for residents and visitors to the area.
“Our new seals for this year will address drunk driving and hand washing in an attempt to better the health outcomes of our residents,” Mannella said. “I believe we are the first in the state, potentially the nation, to use health and safety messaging on inspection seals – which have gone relatively unchanged for decades. It’s a great opportunity and use of the space allotted to us.”
Protection at the pump
With support from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Genesee-Orleans and the surrounding counties are cracking down on credit card skimmers and those responsible. W&M inspectors perform random
sweeps of fuel stations looking for these fraudulent devices. Arrests have been made and we want it known that New York will not tolerate these criminal acts.
If you have suspicious credit card activity, call your bank immediately.
For more information about Weights & Measures (click here) or call Genesee County at 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 or Orleans County at 585-589-3278.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2021 at 10:48 am
ALBION – The Village Board last week putting in a four-way stop sign at the intersection of Ingersoll Street and Linwood Avenue. There is currently a stop sign going north-south at the intersection.
Soon there will be stop signs going east-west at the intersection north of the Erie Canal on the east side of the village.
The Village Board had a public hearing last Wednesday on the new four-way stop. Mayor Eileen Banker said some residents in that neighborhood have complaints that traffic is too fast in that area.
“This will slow people down,” she said.
In other matters during the meeting last week:
• The Village Board received a letter from the American Legion asking if there would be a Memorial Day parade this year. Last year’s parade and community observance was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The village is waiting to see if the restrictions will be further eased by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the State Department of Health.
“I’d hate to not have it,” Banker said about the parade. “We’re waiting on the governor. That’s what it’s come down to right now.”
• Adam Rush, chief operator of Albion’s water plant, said the village will be seeking bids to replace a 1 million gallon water tank on Route 98, near Watt Farms Country Market in the Town of Gaines. The current tank is about 60 years old.
Engineers said it should be removed and replaced with a new concrete tank. Rush said the estimates are for $1.2 million to replace the old tank with a new one.
A state grant is expected to help with some of the costs of the project.
• Village Clerk/Treasurer Linda Babcock notified the board by letter she is eligible to retire in the fiscal year. She has served in the position since 2007 and has worked for the village since 1986. She said she expects to retire in April 2022.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2021 at 9:38 am
Snow squalls could also hit area late afternoon, early evening
Chris Ray set in this photo of a recent sunrise in Carlton.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for Orleans County from 1 p.m. today until 1 a.m. tonight. The advisory includes the lakeshore counties of Monroe, Wayne, northern Cayuga and Oswego.
There will be northwest winds from 30 to 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 55 mph, the Weather Service said.
“Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects,” according to the Weather Service said. “Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
The Weather Service has also issued a special weather statement for Orleans County and other WNY counties about possible snow squalls later today with the highest risk from 3 to 8 p.m.
“Snow showers and possible snow squalls will develop in the deepening cold air across the region this afternoon and early evening,” the Weather Service said. “Bursts of moderate to heavy snow would be accompanied by wind gusts in excess of 30 mph…and this scenario would result in greatly reduced visibility along with a quick inch or two accumulation.”
The Weather Service said the roadways could be slippery due to melted snow and the falling temperatures below freezing later this afternoon and into the evening.
“If traveling later today, plan on fast-changing weather,” the Weather Service said. “Motorists that encounter snow squalls should remember to reduce their speed and to keep extra distance between themselves and other vehicles.”
Press Release, Genesee County Economic Development Center
BATAVIA – The Genesee County Economic Development Center board of directors will consider accepting an initial application for incentives for Plug Power’s proposed $232.7 million green energy technology facility at Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) at its March 4 board meeting.
The facility would produce green hydrogen through an electrolysis process of water utilizing clean hydropower. The production facility would produce approximately 45 metric tons of liquid hydrogen on a daily basis and sold to customers to replace fossil fuels in the transportation sector.
Construction is anticipated to begin this summer.
Plug Power would initially create approximately 68 new jobs at an average starting salary of approximately $70,000 plus benefits, totaling over $102 million over 20 years.
The company is requesting $118.2 million in sales and property tax exemptions from the GCEDC. For every $1 of public benefit requested, more than $4.3 of investment is proposed by the company or $520 million over 20 years.
Additionally, under the terms of a proposed 20-year PILOT agreement, Plug Power would pay approximately $2.3 million annually to support local municipalities and infrastructure, including Genesee County, the town of Alabama, and the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District.
Plug Power will also invest $55 million for the construction of a 345/115KVelectric substation in partnership with the New York Power Authority and National Grid to support future expansion and growth opportunities at STAMP.
Plug Power and New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the proposed project on Feb. 25, which is also being supported by the New York Power Authority and Empire State Development.
A public hearing on proposed incentives will be scheduled if the Board accepts the project application.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2021 at 9:07 am
File photo by Tom Rivers: Dennis Stymus looks over his display of vegetables on Oct. 27, 2014 at the former Orleans County Farmers Market, which was located at the Save-A-Lot parking lot. That market was in operation for 10 years before closing in 2014.
ALBION – The Albion Merchants Association is proposing to bring a farmers market back to Albion.
A market operated on Saturdays at the Save-A-Lot parking lot on Route 31 until 2014. The Merchants Association wants to bring the market to downtown Albion on Sundays.
The Merchants Association filed a special events permit with the village, seeking to run a farmers market on Sundays from June 13 to Oct. 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Merchants want to use the village-owned lot at 19 North Main Street. This is the space next to the First Presbyterian Church.
In the application, the Merchants said the market would include vendor tents, food trucks and possibly music.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Mayor Eileen Banker said during last week’s Village Board meeting. “I would encourage that.”
The board wants to check with the Presbyterian Church to see if the congregation has concerns about any music from the market and possibly set a timeframe for when there shouldn’t be music at the market so it doesn’t interfere with the church service.
The village also wants to hear from the church leaders if the parking lot is used by the congregation on Sundays.
