Genesee reports 3 more deaths for 22 so far this month

There are 182 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 to report today in Genesee and Orleans counties.

In Orleans County, there are 40 new positive cases, bringing the total to 1,342 confirmed cases since March.

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, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Of the 40 new cases, 4 of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee & Orleans Health Departments reported.

Orleans has had 16 of the previous positive individuals recover and be removed from the isolation list.

The county has 21 of the current positive individuals hospitalized with Covid.

In Genesee County, there 142 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 for a total of 2,372 positive cases since 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, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

The county also is reporting 68 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

Of the new cases, 20 are residents at LeRoy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility, 8 are residents at the New York State Veterans Home in Batavia, 2 are residents of Genesee Senior Living, 1 is a resident of Premier Genesee Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation, and 1 is a resident of the Batavia VA Medical Center.

The nursing homes in Genesee County have now had 273 residents test positive for Covid-19 during the pandemic, including 83 at Le Roy Village Green, 74 at NYS Veterans’ Home in Batavia, 59 at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia, 32 at Genesee Senior Living in Batavia, and 25 at Premier Genesee Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation.

(Two nursing homes in Orleans had the majority of their cases in the spring. The Villages of Orleans Health & Rehabilitation Center has had 92 resident test positive and the Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina has had 62 test positive.)

Genesee County is reporting three more deaths from Covid today, after 5 were reported on Tuesday. The three reported today include a resident at LeRoy Village Green, a resident at the New York State Veterans Home in Batavia, and a community resident under the age of 65.

“We will not be releasing any further information to protect the privacy of the individuals and their families,” the Health Departments said in a news brief. “Our deepest condolences go out to the families and friends of these individuals during this difficult time.”

Genesee says 4 of the positive individuals are hospitalized, which is down significantly from 34 who were reported as hospitalized on Tuesday. Several of the patients were discharged.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Erie Canal towpath which is part of the Empire State Trail is shown today in Eagle Harbor near the lift bridge.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced completion of the Empire State Trail, now the nation’s longest multi-use state trail, which will be fully open on December 31.

The trail spans 750-miles total, 75 percent of which is off-road trails ideal for cyclists, hikers, runners, cross-country skiers and snow-shoers. The new recreational trail, which runs from New York City through the Hudson and Champlain Valleys to Canada, and from Albany to Buffalo along the Erie Canal, will provide a safe and scenic pathway for New Yorkers and tourists to experience New York State’s varied landscapes. The Empire State Trail is expected to draw 8.6 million residents and tourists annually.

“Nearly four years ago, we announced plans to build the Empire State Trail and I am excited to announce it’s been completed on time and will open on New Year’s Eve,” Governor Cuomo said. “There’s no trail like it in the nation – 750 miles of multi-use trail literally from Manhattan to the Canadian Border, from Buffalo to Albany. Not only does it provide an opportunity to experience the natural beauty and history of New York, but it also gives New Yorkers from every corner of the state a safe outlet for recreation as we continue to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic. As we approach the holiday weekend, there is no better time than now to put on your mask and experience it for yourself.”

Introduced in the Governor’s 2017 State of the State address, the Empire State Trail will be open year-round, including winter. It connects 20 regional trails to create a continuous statewide signed route. As part of the 58 distinct projects to complete the Trail on time, more than 180 miles of new off-road trail was created and 400 miles of previously disconnected, off-road trails were linked to eliminate gaps and ease engineering challenges such as railroad and water crossings in high traffic areas.

The New York State Department of Transportation improved 170 miles of on-road bicycle route sections to enhance safety and travel on low-speed rural roadways and city streets when possible. New York State also installed 45 gateways and trailheads along the route to welcome visitors and branded the trail with signage, interpretive panels, bike racks, and benches.

The Empire State Trail website provides quick and easy access to trail information including segment descriptions, access points, trail distances, parking areas, restrooms, and nearby amenities and attractions.

The website’s responsive and user-friendly design allows users to access interactive maps from mobile devices, zoom in to specific location of interest, and download/print maps of trail segments. Cyclists can print “cue sheets” with highly detailed directions for following a selected trail segment. The site also features information about the variety of activities and destinations on or near the trail such as campgrounds, parks, historic sites, and popular stops among the local communities.

Recently completed projects that finalize the trail include:

Hudson Valley

• Albany-Hudson Electric Trail: The Hudson River Valley Greenway constructed 36 miles of off-road and on road trails from the city of Rensselaer to the City of Hudson in Rensselaer and Columbia counties. The $45 million trail follows the historic route of an electric trolley which operated from 1900 to 1929. The corridor is owned by National Grid, which authorized New York State to build a trail on the route.
• Maybrook Trailway: Metro-North Railroad constructed a new 23-mile rail-trail on its inactive “Beacon Line” corridor from Hopewell Junction in Dutchess County to Brewster in Putnam County passing through the towns of Pawling, Southeast, Paterson, Beekman and East Fishkill. Along the route, the trail winds through rural landscapes and wooded areas featuring seasonal waterfalls and crosses the Appalachian Trail. The $42 million Beacon Line was the first all-rail freight connection across the Hudson River north of New York City. It originally opened as a rail line in 1892 and served as a vital transportation link between New York and southern New England, carrying trains between Derby Junction and Maybrook, via the bridge over the Hudson River at Poughkeepsie that is now the Walkway Over the Hudson.
• Hudson River Brickyard Trail: The City of Kingston constructed a new 1.5-mile Empire State Trail section along the Hudson River shoreline. The $1.4 million project was built with City of Kingston and Town of Ulster funds matched by state grants from the Department of State and Hudson River Valley Greenway.
• Battery Park City Gateway: The $450,000 gateway marks the southern terminus of the trail in Lower Manhattan.

Erie Canalway Trail

• The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Gateways: These four gateways in Western New York provide a welcoming connection for trail visitors at key access points in: Buffalo Harbor State Park in Buffalo; at the western entrance to the Erie Canal in Tonawanda; at Five Locks Park in Lockport; and in Genesee Valley Park in Rochester. The gateways include kiosks featuring local and statewide trail information, bicycle racks, and shaded granite block seating. Each gateway features a “Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.” memorial plaque honoring the late owner of the Buffalo Bills. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation provided $2.6 million dollars for the gateways.
• Macedon Bridge: NYSDOT restored a closed vehicle bridge over the Erie Canal. The $4.2 million investment created a bicycling and walking trail and created a local park.
• Erie Blvd-Syracuse: NYSDOT constructed a 3-mile trail in the median of Erie Blvd, from East Syracuse to DeWitt. The project cost $23 million.
• Loop the Lake Trail-Syracuse: Onondaga County constructed a new 1.5-mile trail on the south shore of Onondaga Lake, including a new bicycle/pedestrian bridge over CSX’s rail line. The project was funded with County and federal funds.
• Utica: New York State Canal Corporation constructed a new 3.5-mile trail east of Utica for $9.3 million
• Herkimer County: New York State Canal Corporation completed a new 2.2-mile trail section Lock E18 to Route 167, a new 1.3-mile trail section Frankfort to Ilion, and a new 2-mile trail from Ilion to Mohawk. These projects totaled $16.4 million.

Champlain Canalway

• Fort Edward to Fort Ann: The New York State Canal Corporation constructed two adjacent trail sections. The $14.3 million investment created a 12-mile trail from Fort Edward to Fort Ann.
• Fort Ann to Comstock: NYSDOT built a new 0.75-mile off-road trail in Washington County and designated a 7-mile route on local roads and cost $2 million.

New York State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said, “The Empire State Trail is a testament to Governor Cuomo’s vision to make New York State an unmatched destination for outdoor recreation. Everyone from the most experienced long-distance cyclists to family groups with children will enjoy this pathway. People can take a quick bike ride or walk close to home, or they can plan a multi-day adventure to take them from one end of the state to the other.”

New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “Governor Cuomo’s vision for the newly-completed Empire State Trail merges economic development with the beautiful views along the Canal system to create exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities, both for residents of canalside communities and for visitors from across New York and beyond. The Erie Canalway and Champlain Canalway Trail segments of the Empire State Trail reintroduce New Yorkers to the historic towpaths of our state’s storied waterways and connect a new generation to the rich heritage of the New York Canal system.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: This field of cut corn along Long Bridge Road in Albion has some icy spots this morning. The temperatures would warm up to 46 later in the day.

There won’t be a deep freeze or snow to ring in the new year. The forecast in Orleans County on New Year’s Eve shows a high of 35 and a low around 24 on Thursday night.

On Friday, New Year’s Day, it will be partly sunny with a high near 36 with a chance for rain after 4 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

There is also a chance for rain on Saturday with a high near 40.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was joined by Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula this afternoon in announcing that 6,772 fans will be allowed in the stands for the team’s first home playoff game in 25 years.

That game will be played on the weekend on Jan. 9-10. The 6,772 fans is less than 10 percent of the stadium’s capacity.

The governor said no tailgating and will be allowed and mass gatherings are discouraged away from the game. The fans also need to have a Covid-19 test within three days of the game and they must bring a receipt of that test to the game. Fans also need to wear masks once they leave their vehicles. They will sit in social distanced pods in the stadium.

“For all the Bills fans please everyone take these measures seriously,” Cuomo said today.

He sees the effort as a pilot to guide attendance and other games and venues.

Terry Pegula said the Bills organization “misses the energy of our fans at the games.”

There will be about 6,200 tickets available for purchase on Dec. 31 to Bills season ticket members that opted into purchasing tickets earlier this year. Season ticket members will be notified by email from the team based on seniority.

Cuomo said he wants to be one of the fans at the game. He said the Bills, currently at 12-3 and the AFC East champions, have captured the admiration of New Yorkers throughout the state.

“They have given us good news in a year that we really needed good news,” Cuomo said. “This is a great opportunity to cheer for the Bills and cheer for New York.”

Press Release, Niagara County Sheriff’s Office

LOCKPORT – The coronavirus pandemic has been a way of life for the entire country for several months. At the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office we have evaluated and adapted operations as needed to keep our employees, inmates and the public as safe as possible.

During a recent round of testing in the correctional facility, 12 inmates tested positive for the coronavirus. All inmates that tested positive are doing well, currently asymptomatic and have been isolated.

To date, 156 inmates have been tested. Our current inmate population is 284. We are coordinating with the Niagara County Health Department and our medical provider to ensure all protocols are followed related to the recent positive cases.

Throughout the pandemic we have followed guidance from the CDC, NYS Health Department, NYS Commission of Corrections and Niagara County Health Department. Further testing will be conducted for staff and inmates as deemed appropriate by guidance and tracing.

“The safety of our staff, inmates in our facility and the general public have been at the forefront of every decision made regarding our operations,” said Sheriff Michael Filicetti. “Minimizing the effects of Covid-19 remains a top priority for this office.”

Orleans Renaissance Group has brought stars to community, and helped stabilize Bent’s

MEDINA – Establishment of the Orleans Renaissance Group can be credited to a group of Medina citizens who were engaged in casual conversation as far back as the 1990s.

As the New Year is ushered in, ORG can delight in their accomplishments as the Bent’s Opera House, whose restoration began as a dream of ORG’s, gets ready to open one of its doors to the public.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Matthews House Movers in Rochester arrived in Medina at Bent’s on Oct. 14, 2013 to replace the beams at the corner of the building. Matthews workers were rigging or installing “cribbing” that will serve as a temporary support so the rotted beams could be removed and the new supports installed.

Medina entrepreneur Roger Hungerford, who has been restoring the former Bank of America building on the corner of Main Street and West Center, has said they are planning to open the Harvest Restaurant on the first floor at the end of January, barring any unforeseen obstacles due to the Covid pandemic.

ORG was born one afternoon in the 1990s when Chris Busch and Merle “Skip” Draper were sitting around musing how great it would be to have the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra perform at St. Mary’s Church. A short time later, Busch reached out to the BPO and asked if they would be interested in coming to Medina.

Their answer was “Yes.”

“I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” Busch said. “We knew then if we were going to pursue this we needed to organize a group to oversee it. With the help of Norris Webster, we formed a 501c3 corporation.”

Original members who formed the Orleans Renaissance Group included Busch, Sally Webster and Marsha Winters.

Andrew Meier, who became a member of ORG, shared a story about their early planning, where someone discovered a story about the famous author John Steinbeck. The story goes that Steinbeck was traveling through the area and passed through Medina. He stopped to ask where he was, and someone allegedly told him “Egg Street.”

Meier said no one can verify the story, but former mayor Adam Tabelski thought it was very interesting and chose Egg Street as ORG’s web address.  The moniker was used for a time for ORG’s production efforts, but they have since rebranded and now use “Medina Alive.”

In 2001, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, with Barker native Paul Ferington conducting, made its first appearance to a full house at St. Mary’s Church. The 700 seats sold out, Busch said. That set the stage for many more cultural events to follow.

Provided photo: A major accomplishment of the Orleans Renaissance Group was securing a Seven to Save designation for Bent’s Opera House from the Preservation League of New York State. Announcing the award in April 2012 are, from left, Dave Callard from the Orleans County Legislature; Tania Werbizky, Regional director of the Preservation League; ORG president Skip Draper; Andrew Meier, Medina mayor and ORG board member; Catherine Schweitzer, board member of the Preservation Buffalo-Niagara League; New York State Senator George Maziarz; and Chris Busch, ORG vice president.

ORG took a short hiatus for a couple of years, but when Meier and Tabelski joined, ORG had a rebirth.

Performances of the BPO Brass were held at the Presbyterian Church on Main Street, followed by the Easy Street Big Brass.

“At some point in our conversations about 2008, discussions of the opera house building with Bank of America evolved,” Meier said. “There was talk of them giving us control of the opera house on the third floor. Their branch manager was very receptive to the idea. That led to more formal talks with BOA corporate.”

Corporate agreed to give ORG the bank building and the drive-thru on the corner of West Avenue and West Center Street.

“That blew us away,” Meier said. “I don’t think any of us expected that.”

Originally, BOA was going to give ORG the building and lease bank space from them. That all changed when BOA announced they were going to close the bank and pull out of Medina.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Victoria Perez, a singer with the Buffalo Tango Orkestra, performed at The Pillars in Albion in May 2015 as part of an event that included tango lessons and dinner. The Orkestra was welcomed to Albion as part of a concert series by the Orleans Renaissance Group.

Meier said everything really popped when they took possession of the building in 2010.

“We were left with an empty building, but we were in control, nevertheless,” he said. “Now what were we going to do with it.”

“We needed to dig deep into its history and find what it was about that place that made it special,” Busch said. “It had been many decades since anyone had been there for any events.”

First, they had to start accessing the condition of the building, Meier said.

And, they had to access what might be the best use of the building as a whole.

“We had a rude awakening as we removed a lot of non-historic additions, and discovered the building was structurally compromised and required immediate attention,” Meier said. “We had to do some major scrambling to take steps to correct it.”

They applied for and received a designation from the Preservation League of New York State as one of Seven to Save.

“That was big,” Meier said. “It opened up emergency funding of $200,000 for emergency stabilization, and we needed all of that to support the front of the building.”

“The front was in immediate danger of collapsing into the street,” Busch said.

“After we stabilized the building, we started to develop a plan of what to do with it,” Meier said.

“The cost and scope of restoring the building was way more than ORG could handle,” Busch said.

The ORG spearheaded having 11 interpretive panels highlighting Medina history placed around the downtown business district in 2014.

Five years ago, Tom Hungerford, a nephew of Roger Hungerford and a member of ORG’s board, contacted some Western New York developers, including Roger.

“Tom opened the door for us,” Meier said.

Roger Hungerford stepped up and purchased the building from ORG, something which, had he realized the cost, he might not have done, he told Orleans Hub a year ago. Restoration, which began three years ago, with several months off due to Covid, has cost millions.

Hungerford did say, however, it would be pretty difficult to see a prominent building on the four corners of his home town fall into ruin, and not do something about it.

“We were all very excited and optimistic about what Roger would do with the building, and its future in the village,” Meier said. “It had become our ‘baby’ and there was a little bit of separation anxiety when we sold it.”

“We learned about all the incredible things that had happened there in the past, and we bonded with it,” Busch said. “There was quite a myriad of emotions when we had to let it go. When we think about it, we’re at a loss for words. We look at the building now and realize it hasn’t looked that good since 1865. That’s since Lincoln was president. It blows your mind. It’s one of the oldest opera houses in the country.”

ORG was instrumental in having a historical marker placed on Main Street, in honor of two speeches given in Medina by famed orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Shown at the dedication in April 2015 are Lincoln re-enactor David Kreutz; Ulysses S. Grant re-enactor Ed Brodbeck; and a group of Oak Orchard School students.

Meier explained the term “opera house” didn’t come into use until after the Civil War. Medina’s opera house was built as “Bent’s Hall.”

Meier acknowledged selling the opera house to someone with resources to bring it back set the trajectory for its restoration.

Now that ORG is free of its responsibility for the opera house, they have their hands in quite a few things, Busch said. Most recently, they brought renowned tenor Ronan Tynan back for a second performance. Prior to the pandemic, they had plans for several things, including entertainment in State Street Park.

ORG was instrumental in having a pavilion built in the park, and they were planning a blues concert there in the summer.

ORG sponsors the Canal Village Farmer’s Market on the corner where Bank of America donated their drive-thru. They were also responsible for the interpretive signs which are placed throughout downtown.

Until the pandemic, they sponsored an annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at St. Mary’s Church, and hope it can return next Christmas.

They were working to bring a prestigious saxophone quartet from Texas to Medina when the pandemic brought an end to those plans.

“That would be a large-scale event in conjunction with the Genesee Chorale, which Ric Jones of Medina directs,” Meier said.

ORG was meeting quarterly before the pandemic and members hope they can resume soon.

Members are Chris Bush, president, and Andrew Meier, treasurer. Before his death earlier this year, Bruce Krenning was vice president, but that office has not yet been filled. Cindy Robinson, Kathy Blackburn and Jake Hebdon are also members of the board.

Provided photo: The SUNY Fredonia Trombone Choir is one of the musical groups which the Orleans Renaissance Group brought to Medina. Under the director of the late Carl Mazzio, they performed at St. Mary’s Church in 2012 and 2014.

The food distributions that started in April near the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic will continue with the next one Jan. 15 in Albion at the Main Street Store parking lot, 131 South Main St.

Whether more food distributions will be scheduled depends on having volunteers to help run the events, said Melissa Blanar, director of the Orleans County Office for the Aging.

Foodlink is willing to do the distributions into February as long as there are volunteers to organize the events, and hand off the 20-pound boxes of food into trunks of cars or the backs of trucks.

The Albion event on Jan. 15 will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m. and will last until the food is gone. About 300 boxes of food are expected to be given away.

Volunteers are needed for the events from about 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Masks and sanitizer will be provided. For more information about volunteering, contact Blanar at (585) 589-3191.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is funding the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program nation-wide.

Kast ran a tractor until he was 97 and still keeps an eye and the daily comings and goings at the farm

Photos courtesy of Kathy Kast

ALBION – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley stopped by Stanley Kast’s home on Densmore and West Transit roads today and presented him with a special citation from the State Assembly for Kast’s 103^rd birthday.

Kast was born in the house and has worked the farm in Gaines his entire life. He was out in the orchards operating a tractor until he was 97. He still keeps track of the daily comings and goings on the farm, including the corn truck traffic, what varieties are being planted in the orchards, and what fruit trees are being trimmed, sprayed or picked.

About 20 cars stopped by and family and friends waved to Kast from his window. The people came from the Albion area, with some from Buffalo, Rochester and Williamson.

Stanley Kast watches the parade of people – wishing him a happy birthday today.

He was married to Evelyn Denagel Kast and raised two sons, David and Paul. Kast has three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Stanley Kast is greeted outside his window on his birthday.

There was some friendly teasing from his family on his birthday.

5 deaths also reported in Genesee County

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported 115 new confirmed Covid-19 cases today in the two counties. That brings the total in the two counties to 3,534 since March.

In Orleans County, there are 63 new positive cases of Covid for a total of 1,302 cases since March.

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, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

Of the new cases, 11 were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

The county ran a rapid testing clinic on Monday for people who are asymptomatic. There were 532 people tested, and 54 were positive for Covid or 10.2 percent. Of the 54 who were positive, 49 are Orleans County residents.

Orleans also is reporting 39 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

The county has 19 residents hospitalized with Covid.

Genesee County is reporting five deaths from Covid, bringing the total to 26 during the pandemic and 19 this month. The five deaths include a resident at Genesee Senior Living, a resident at Premier Genesee Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation and three community residents. Two of the community residents were over 65 and one under 65.

Also in Genesee, there are 52 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 2,232 positive cases since 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, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

Among the new confirmed cases include 17 residents of nursing homes, including 7 at the New York State Veterans Home in Batavia, 6 at LeRoy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility, 3 at Premier Genesee Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation and 1 resident of Genesee Senior Living.

Genesee is reporting 118 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

Genesee currently has 34 residents hospitalized with Covid.

• Health Alert – People should monitor themselves for symptoms of Covid-19 if they were at Pub Coffee Hub in Batavia from approximately 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Dec. 17-19, and Dec. 21-24, and also at Denny’s in Pembroke from approximately noon to 1 p.m. on Dec. 21.

If the symptoms develop, contact a primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until the test results are received.

Symptoms of Covid-19 include but are not limited to fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New Yorkers can begin using sick leave benefits under the state’s nation-leading paid sick leave law starting January 1, 2021.

This legislation, which was advanced in the Governor’s 2020 State of the State address and enacted as part of the FY 2021 Budget, secures paid sick leave for workers at medium and large businesses and paid or unpaid leave for those at small businesses, depending on the employer’s net income.

Under this groundbreaking law, New Yorkers can use guaranteed sick leave to recover from an illness themselves, care for a sick family member, or address safety needs if they or a family member are the victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking. More information is available on the state’s Paid Sick Leave website (click here).

“Even before the coronavirus pandemic, we knew that no one should have to make the unimaginable choice between keeping their job or caring for themselves or a loved one,” Cuomo said. “This public health crisis has put that need in even greater relief. Now, as we continue to beat back Covid and build a stronger New York, we are expanding this fundamental right to all New Yorkers.”

New Yorkers earn sick leave based on the hours they work, earning one hour of leave for every 30 hours they work, retroactive to September 30, 2020. New York’s new guaranteed sick leave law requires businesses to provide different levels of sick leave depending on their size:

• Businesses with 100 or more employees must provide up to seven days (56 hours) of paid sick leave per year;
• Businesses with five to 99 employees must provide up to five days (40 hours) of paid sick leave per year;
• Businesses with fewer than five employees, but a net income of more than $1 million must provide up to five days (40 hours) of paid sick leave per year; and;
• Smaller businesses with fewer than five employees and a net income of less than $1 million must provide up to five days (40 hours) of unpaid sick leave. However, those already providing paid sick leave can continue to do so.

Prior to the law’s passage, approximately 1.3 million New Yorkers did not have access to paid sick leave – forcing them to either take unpaid leave and risk losing their jobs or show up to work while sick, potentially spreading communicable diseases to coworkers and the general public. Nearly one-in-four workers had reported being fired or being threatened with termination for taking sick time.

“The lack of a paid sick leave policy was hurting our most vulnerable New Yorkers, and that is simply unacceptable,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “Governor Cuomo has been a champion for workers – and under his leadership, New York has been a progressive leader on issues important to working families. With this new law, we will remain at the forefront of the effort to restore economic parity and secure social justice for all. New Yorkers will no longer have to choose between staying home and getting healthy, or going to work to pay their bills.”

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that unemployed New Yorkers will begin receiving extended and expanded federal unemployment benefits next week — the first week these benefits can be paid under federal law.

New York is able to provide these benefits immediately due to proactive work by the State Department of Labor to prepare for the federal government finally enacting a bill to extend unemployment programs originally included in the CARES Act that were set to expire at the end of 2020.

The programs extended include Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which provides benefits for those not covered by traditional state unemployment insurance; Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which provides additional weeks of benefits after an individual exhausts the 26 weeks of state unemployment insurance; and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, which provides all New Yorkers receiving unemployment benefits an additional $300 weekly payment.

“This pandemic has created an unprecedented economic crisis, and New Yorkers have waited in uncertainty for far too long,” Cuomo said. “I have repeatedly called on the federal government to do the right thing by renewing critical benefits to support millions of unemployed families through to the end of this pandemic – and now that Washington has finally acted, New York is immediately delivering those funds.”

The federal government has extended federal unemployment benefits for an additional 11 weeks through March 14, 2021. New Yorkers currently receiving benefits do not need to call the Department of Labor to receive these extended benefits — they should continue to certify for unemployment benefits in their usual manner and will automatically receive extended benefits.

Those whose unemployment benefit year has ended should reapply online. Details of how New York will implement these extensions follows:

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance – New Yorkers can now receive up to 57 weeks of PUA benefits, with the program extended from the week ending Jan. 3 through March 14, 2021. New Yorkers currently receiving PUA should continue to certify as usual and will continue to receive their benefits. According to the Federal government, additional eligibility documentation will be required beginning Jan. 31, 2021. The Department of Labor will directly contact claimants who need to provide additional documentation.
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation – New Yorkers can now receive up to 24 weeks of PEUC (up from the 13 weeks originally authorized in the spring) with the program extended through March 14, 2021. New Yorkers who have exhausted the 26 weeks of state unemployment insurance should continue to certify as normal and will automatically receive up to 24 weeks of PEUC. Individuals who previously exhausted the original 13 weeks of PEUC and transitioned to the Extended Benefits program will begin receiving extended PEUC benefits after they exhaust their EB benefits. The Department of Labor will automatically handle these program transfers.
• Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation – New Yorkers’ FPUC benefits will resume the week ending January 3, 2021 and will last for 11 weeks. During that time, all New Yorkers who are receiving unemployment benefits — including traditional state UI, Shared Work Benefits, PEUC, EB, or PUA — will receive an additional $300 payment per week. Per federal guidelines, FPUC benefits will not be backdated, and can only be provided starting the week ending January 3, 2021.

“The extension of these federal unemployment benefits is a lifeline for many New Yorkers, and we will continue to do everything we can to bring relief to those who remain unemployed due to this unprecedented pandemic,” said NYS Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “We have paid out more than $59 billion in benefits to over 3.9 million unemployed New Yorkers during this crisis — nearly 28 typical years’ worth of benefits paid in ten months — and we will continue to move heaven and earth to serve our neighbors.”

New Yorkers may be eligible for an additional $100 per week through the Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation program. MEUC benefits are provided for individuals who earned at least $5,000 a year in self-employment income but are disqualified from receiving more substantial PUA benefits because they may be eligible for traditional state UI. New York has signed an agreement with the US DOL to offer MEUC benefits and is currently awaiting additional guidance from the Federal government on implementing the program. The Department of Labor will provide more details as they become available.

Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Oct. 28 shows Bent’s Opera House facing West Center Street. Bent’s will pay the costs to cut into the sidewalk near the intersection to create two pull-off spaces.

MEDINA – Bent’s Opera House has the Village Board’s permission to cut into a sidewalk to create two pull-off spaces in front of the building on West Center Street.

Those short-term spots are needed for limousines and other vehicles to do quick drop-offs and pickups at the site, which could open in the spring.

The building is being transformed into a restaurant, 10-room hotel and events center. Roger Hungerford is leading the redevelopment of the 30,000-square-foot building at the corner of Main Street and West Center Street.

The pull-off spots will allow people to safely exit and enter vehicles by the building, Village Board members were told recently by Charlie Spencer, project manager of the restoration of Bent’s Hall for LeChase Construction.

“We’re trying to prevent traffic tie-ups,” Spencer told the board recently.

The board approved the pull-offs on the south side of Bent’s. The board said the village would review the pull-offs in about two years “to make sure it’s not a hindrance to the village,” said Village Trustee Tim Elliott.

The project will be paid for by Bent’s, which also needs to put up signage directing people to the pull-offs, which won’t allow for parking, just for quickly dropping off or picking up passengers for a vehicle.

MEDINA – A village resident has proposed setting up bluebird houses at Boxwood Cemetery and State Street Park to encourage the presence of bluebirds, the official state bird.

Daniel Rosentreter presented the idea to the Village Board earlier this month. Rosentreter would like to have 50-55 bluebird houses up by spring.

There would be two bluebird houses mounted on each galvanized post. The posts would be spaced apart about 1,000 feet, Rosentreter told the Village Board.

Rosentreter and volunteers would maintain the bluebird houses, he told the board.

The Village Board would like to get a map of where the posts and bluebird houses will be located.

“In theory I think it’s a good idea,” Village Trustee Todd Bensley said. “It’s just a matter of the getting the details worked out.”

Rosentreter said the bluebird houses should be located on the borders of park and the edge of the cemetery.

“We always look forward to people stepping up in the village doing projects, and this will be one,” said Mayor Mike Sidari. “It should bring people into the village looking at bluebirds.”

Positivity rate much higher with last 50,000 tests, compared to first 50,000

Orleans and Genesee counties have passed 100,000 Covid-19 tests in the two counties during the pandemic.

The updated daily report from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments on Monday showed the two counties were at 101,307 Covid tests, with 3,419 of those coming back positive, for a positivity rate of 3.37 percent. (On Thursday, the last update before Monday, the two counties were at 98,908 tests.)

It took five months at the beginning of the pandemic to reach the first 50,000 tests in the two counties and about 2 ½ months to get the second 50,000 tests. That shows the testing availability has increased locally, especially with rapid testing clinics twice a week in Genesee and now weekly in Orleans.

The two counties passed 50,000 tests on Oct. 9. At that point there were 50,312 tests with 661 positives for a positivity rate of 1.31 percent.

In the next 50,995 tests, there were 2,758 positives for a positivity rate of 5.41 percent.

The two counties have a similar positivity rate since March.

• Genesee County: 66,684 Covid tests with 2,180 positives for a positivity rate of 3.27 percent.
• Orleans County: 34,623 Covid tests with 1,239 positives for a positivity rate of 3.58 percent.

The two counties have just under 100,000 people with 40,352 in Orleans County, and 57,280 in Genesee, according to the 2019 Census estimates. Some of those residents have been tested numerous times if they work in nursing homes, healthcare, hair salons and other businesses where the state requires frequent testing.