Let’s go on an adventure together….across the big pond!

Cohb, Ireland – memorial statue to Annie Moore. Annie was just 15 when she got on a ship in Cobh to travel to America with her two younger brothers in 1892 and became the very first person to be processed through Ellis Island. This photo shows her memorial with our modern cruise ship behind her.

I can’t believe I’ve been writing these articles once-twice a month for a year, now! When I was first approached about doing them beginning in January, I was sure I’d run out of things to write about pretty quickly. But, here I am in my twelfth month and I am just as excited about what I might write about next as I was that first month.

I’d like to finish off 2020 with an adventure that was really special to me in many ways. I’ve said many times – I don’t have “favorite” adventures or places or experiences because I find something to love and to say “this is the best thing ever” everywhere I go. But, I can honestly say this one was pretty darned special. So, let me take you across the pond as I write about my 2019 Transatlantic Cruise.

I’ve always wanted to sail across the Atlantic Ocean….or even the Pacific. Other big items on my Bucket List were visiting Ireland and seeing where it all started for the Beatles. So, when I found a great deal on a cruise that checked all three items off my list, I jumped at it! The cruise sailed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, across the ocean with stops in the Azores, Cork Ireland, Liverpool England, and ended in Dublin Ireland, taking fifteen days.

I had a lot of friends ask me what I would do to keep from being bored trapped on a boat for seven days. First – I love being on the water, so it was never a question of whether or not it would bother me to be out in the middle of the ocean for so long. But, the real answer to their question was – everything or nothing at all! You have to remember that a cruise ship is a floating resort with tons of activities and entertainment and food going on all day and night – if you can’t find something to keep yourself occupied, you’re not looking. Also, the beauty of being on a cruise ship is the ability to just do nothing at all and sit back and enjoy the sun, read a book, take a nap…..whatever. I loved that I had seven days to take full advantage of all the ship had to offer. Usually, there are only one or two full “sea days” on a cruise, so that really was a luxury, this time.

My favorite way to kill the time while sailing for seven days across the ocean

This transatlantic cruise was on the Celebrity Reflection April 22 – May 7, 2019. The weather was amazing and the ocean was smooth. Once we got further north in our cruise, it did get chilly, but it was still great weather for the trip. It took seven days to sail across the ocean and then we spent another week in ports before flying back home from Dublin through Lisbon and JFK in NYC.

First stop was two days in Ponta Delgada, Azores off the coast of Portugal, where I went whale watching, enjoyed a Portuguese dinner and traditional folk song/dance show at a local venue, and took a bus tour around the island that included a botanical garden, a pineapple plantation, and twin crater lakes inside an inactive volcano. It was fantastic. The Azores are so beautiful and peaceful.

Then, we spent another two days at sea before stopping in Cork, Ireland. What a thrill! It was even more beautiful than I ever imagined it to be. We spent two days there – the first day I took a tour of County Cork and the Tipperary areas. I saw a lot of the stunning country side, several castles, and had a wonderful lunch that included a pint of Guinness with our meal. The second day, I went to Blarney Village. We were docked at Cohb, which was the last port of the Titanic before it began its journey to America. I loved Cork / Cobh – it was simply incredible, rich in history, and exactly what you think of when you imagine Ireland.

Our next stop was the highlight of the trip, for me – Liverpool, England. It was very emotional for me to visit all the places that told the story of the Beatles – Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, The Cavern Club, Mathew Street, the childhood homes of John and Paul, and so much more. I still want to go to London, someday, and see even more of their story.

That’s me standing by one of several signs around the Penny Lane district in Liverpool, England.

The cruise ended in Dublin. I had a reservation at the lovely Castle Hotel so that I could spend another day exploring Dublin and see as much of that city as I could. I took a bus tour and then explored on my own a bit. I saw a lot of wonderful historic sites, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral that dates back to 890 AD – WOW! I would so love to go back to Ireland and see more of the country. Cork and Dublin were so different and I’m curious as to how the rest of the country compares.

I left for home the next day, flying from Dublin to Lisbon to JFK to Buffalo. It was a long trip home and I was so tired and happy to be home. But, it was so worth it for the trip of a lifetime. I really want to do another Transatlantic Cruise and maybe even a Transpacific Cruise. I thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but I enjoyed it so much I would do it, again, in a heartbeat if I got the right deal for the right combination of stops.

Visit these blog posts for more stories and photos from my amazing Transatlantic Cruise – including each port I visited:

The Cruise: https://thoughtsbykim.com/2019/06/06/2019-transatlantic-cruise-tac-1-overview/

The Azores: https://thoughtsbykim.com/2019/06/07/2019-transatlantic-cruise-tac-2-azores/

Cork, Ireland: https://thoughtsbykim.com/2019/06/07/2019-transatlantic-cruise-tac-3-cork-ireland/

Liverpool, England: https://thoughtsbykim.com/2019/06/10/2019-transatlantic-cruise-tac-4-liverpool-england/

Dublin, Ireland: https://thoughtsbykim.com/2019/06/11/2019-transatlantic-cruise-tac-5-dublin-ireland/

Happy Adventuring!

Photos by Tom Rivers

RIDGEWAY – I’ve seen the icicles inside the Canal Culvert before, but I wanted to see them again. I stopped by this morning at one of Orleans County’s most iconic structures. The culvert is the only place where traffic goes under the canal.

The freezing temperatures and the seeping water in the tunnel have proved ideal for icicles.

Mark Eaton of Medina came out to get some photos of the icicles. He knows when the temperatures drop below freezing in November and December, the icicles will probably be hanging in the Culvert.

There are sidewalks on each side of the road in the Culvert for people to walk through the passage.

Most of the big icicles are concentrated on the west side of the Culvert.

Photos of the Culvert with the icicles have been popular on social media locally.

The three local rural counties – Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming – combined have passed 500 active cases of Covid-19 for the first time.

The three counties combined had a record high of 497 on Thursday. That total increased by 30 to 527 on Friday.

All three counties are near record highs in the pandemic for active cases. Genesee is now at 254, with Orleans at 151 and Wyoming at 122. (The record highs for active cases in each are 269 in Genesee on Dec. 7, 159 in Orleans on Dec. 17, and 123 in Wyoming on Dec. 10.)

An active case is someone who has tested positive but hasn’t been cleared from mandatory isolation. If people test positive for Covid, they must be in mandatory isolation for at least 10 days. They are cleared after they have been fever free the last 3 days with symptom improvement. Sadly, if people die after contracting Covid, that also is no longer an active case.

Public health officials and leaders of the County Legislatures in Orleans and Genesee have pleaded with residents to take precautions against spreading Covid.

They are urging people to wear masks, adhere to social distancing and limit social gatherings. State officials say 74 percent of the recent Covid spread is from private social gatherings and households.

To see more data on Covid cases in the three local counties, click here.

Captain’s Cove owner funds gift card promotion at Black North Inn, Tillman’s and Roadies

File photo by Tom Rivers: George Lacey, owner of the Captain’s Cove Motel and Marina, joins office manager Alexis Montes at the business on Roosevelt Highway in Carlton, near the bridge over the Oak Orchard River. This photo was taken in October. Lacey said the business kept going through his dedicated employees, including Montes, Taylor Paniccia, Luanne James, Mark Darrow and Kevin Richardson.

CARLTON – George Lacey, owner of a marina and motel in Carlton, said his customers’ happiness is often tied to whether they catch a big fish – and get a good meal at a local restaurant.

Lacey can’t guarantee they will reel in a big Chinook salmon or brown trout, but he feels confident in telling them they will be satisfied if they eat at the Black North Inn, Roadies Pizzeria and Sports Bar or Tillman’s Village Inn.

Lacey, the owner of Captain’s Cove, said his customers give him very positive feedback about those local eateries, and those places are a big part of them having a good experience when they stay at Captain’s Cove.

Lacey knows the local restaurants have had a very difficult year. They were limited to take-outs only early in the Covid-19 pandemic. Then they could offer outdoor dining and then at a reduced capacity indoors.

Lacey’s business, which includes 14  motel rooms, was booked solid since the summer and through Nov. 30. Many of the customers are fishermen, but Lacey said there was a big increase in people staying from New York City. They wanted a break from the city during the pandemic and sought out a spot near water, Lacey said.

Captain’s Cove has had some difficult years recently. In 2017, flooding devastated docks and a building near the river. That building was demolished and Lacey rebuilt on higher ground. He put in new docks. Flooding hit again in 2019.

He worries about the restaurant operators. They are his friends and he knows the winter months tend to be lean times for those businesses.

Lacey decided to put $5,000 towards a promotion to give those businesses a boost. He reached out to the Orleans Hub and Lake Country Pennysaver for ideas. The sales representatives worked with Lacey and the three businesses to have a matching gift card promotion, where people get a free $25 gift card if they buy one at $25. Lacey will pay up to $1,600 for the free ones at each of the three businesses. He also is spending $200 in advertising to promote the gift cards.

“I’ve been in business my whole life and I know how hard it is to run a business in New York State,” Lacey said. “Orleans County needs business. We have people coming from all over the country and we need to support one another. This is about small business supporting small business.”

The gift card promotions started today. They are good while supplies last. They were in hot demand at Roadies today, which reported they were sold out. The Black North Inn went through the first $500.

Alana Piccirilli and Kristin Rowell have owned the Black North the past 3 ½ years. This year many of the concerts, fishing tournaments and other events that draw people to Point Breeze were cancelled.

“This pandemic has been very difficult for all of our businesses,” Piccirilli said.

She thanked Lacey for funding the gift cards. By making them a matching offer, the three businesses will see nearly $10,000 in sales from the promotion.

“He’s a great guy,” Rowell said. “It’s a wonderful thing he’s doing.”

Piccirilli said the businesses near the Point look out for each other.

“We send people there and he sends people to us,” she said. “We all stick together. We are a community down here.”

The Black North is currently serving customers through take-outs only. People can call and the Black North will bring the gift cards out to customers if they buy a matching gift card. Rowell and Piccirilli said the customers have been supportive during a difficult year.

“We’re grateful for George and we’re grateful for all the community support,” Piccirilli said. “Hopefully we can get more people to shop local and think about the restaurants.”

At Tillman’s, Lacey has been a long-time customer and friend, said Samantha Tillman, the front house manager.

She said the Village Inn has endured a slow year, with a spike during the summer. The gift cards should help bring in customers after the holidays when traffic usually is at the low point for the year.

“It been extremely tough for all of us,” Tillman said. “It’s because of the community that we are still there. It’s hard to survive but we’re in it for the long haul.”

Schedule includes ride through village to greet kids

Provided photo: Santa Claus stopped by the Community Kitchen in Albion this evening. He handed out some goodie bags and presents. Santa is joined by members of the Multicultural Club from Albion High School, including from left: Leah Kania, Faith Bennett and Olivia Morrison. The Community Kitchen will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day and will reopen on Jan. 8.

ALBION – Santa will be busy in Albion on Saturday. His day begins at 10:30 in the morning with the Hands 4 Hope Ministry at the Hoag Library parking lot.

Santa will be with Hands 4 Hope from 10:30 to noon. From there Santa will stop by the Clover Hill adult residence in Albion.

Then he will be back at the Hoag Library parking lot from 1 to 2:30 p.m. He will visit with children and their families as long as they are wearing masks and adhering to social distancing.

The Albion Lions Club is planning that event, which will also will include a visit by Deputy Jeff Cole and his K-9 Otto, and an appearance by Dominic the Donkey and his horse friend.

After that outing, Santa will ride around the village to wave to children and may deliver some presents to children.

The route includes:

• Starting at the library going east on Chamberlain Street, north onto Mckinstry, west on West State, north on Ingersoll, east on Linwood;

• North on Brown Street then to Lydon Drive (back to the apartments), south back on Brown, west on Caroline, south on Main, west on West Bank;

• South on Clinton, west on Washington, north on King, east on East Park, east on East Park.

Depending on the schedule, Santa may extend the route and he may be accompanied by a special friend.

ALBION – Two local law enforcement officers have been recognized with “Life Saver” awards from Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke after they revived a man in the Albion Walmart.

On Nov. 3, State Trooper Scott Gregson was handling an incident in the Security Office of the Walmart in Albion. Trooper Gregson was in the process of conducting interviews when a 77-year-old man slowly sat down, leaned over face first and grabbed his chest.

Trooper Gregson contacted the Sheriff’s Dispatch Center for an ambulance. Orleans County Sheriff’s Investigator Kevin Colonna arrived on scene.

The man had become unresponsive and was not breathing. Gregson and Colonna began chest compressions and connected an A.E.D. (automated external defibrillator) and a shock was given. Shortly thereafter the man began breathing and had a faint pulse.

Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance (COVA) arrived and took over the medical assistance to the victim, and transported him to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

“The quick decisive actions of Trooper Gregson and Sheriff’s Investigator Kevin Colonna on November 3rd, 2020, without doubt, saved the life of another human being,” Sheriff Bourke said. “The seamless coordination and quick response by these law enforcement officers serves to exemplify the great working relationship that exists between the New York State Police and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.”

Bourke last month presented Gregson and Colonna with the Sheriff’s “Life Saver” award. The two were also recognized on Wednesday at the Orleans County Legislature meeting. Legislators acknowledged the life-saving actions of the two law enforcement officers and read into the record the details surrounding the Life Saver Award.

Orleans Correctional Facility has 12 new confirmed cases

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported 82 new confirmed cases in the two counties today.

In Orleans County there are 30 new positive cases of Covid-19 and the county is close to reaching 1,000 cases since March. Orleans currently stands at 998 cases during the pandemic.

The new confirmed cases today reside in Albion, Carlton, Clarendon, Gaines, Murray, Ridgeway and Shelby.

The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. Only 2 of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

The new cases also include 12 inmates at Orleans Correctional Facility. That men’s prison has now had 15 inmates test positive. The women’s prison, the Albion Correctional Facility, has had 12 inmates test positive during the pandemic.

Orleans is also reporting that 25 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are two residents currently hospitalized due to Covid-19.

• Kendall Central School was notified today that an elementary school has tested positive for Covid-19. The student was last in school on Thursday, Dec. 17.

“School will continue as scheduled and we will monitor the situation and work with health officials,” Julie Christensen, the district superintendent, said in a letter posted on the district website.

Department of Health contact tracers will call people who are considered close contacts. That process may be delayed due to a high number of cases in the county and region. Christensen said the school nurse may contact some people if there is a chance they are a close contact. Those people should stay home until determined otherwise by the Department of Health, Christensen said.

In Genesee County there are 52 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 1,672 confirmed cases during the pandemic.

The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Byron, Corfu, Darien, Elba, LeRoy and Oakfield. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

Nine of the new cases are residents of nursing homes with 6 at LeRoy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility, 2 at the New York State Veterans Home in Batavia, and 1 at Premier Genesee Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Batavia.

Genesee is reporting 18 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

The county has a new high of residents hospitalized due to Covid with 29.

• Health Alert – This is a new format for announcing when there is a time when the G-O Health Departments cannot contact potential close contacts. This will replace several press releases and will be reported as needed.

The Health Departments encourage all businesses and organizations to take down names/contact information and time in attendance at their business to assist with contact tracing should someone be positive for Covid-19. This may eliminate the need for a press alert if the health officials are able to contact potential close contacts.

For people at Town and Country Restaurant in Batavia in Batavia on Dec. 13, between 3 and 4 p.m., they should monitor for symptoms of Covid-19. 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.

Dr. Sallah Abbasey

MEDINA – Orleans Community Health has announced the retirement of Dr. Sallah Abbasey, effective at the end of 2020.

Dr. Abbasey has practiced surgery for more than 30 years and has been chief of surgery since 1997 at Orleans Community Health.

In a press release Friday morning, Orleans Community Health expressed thanks to Dr. Abbasey for all his years of dedicated service to Medina Memorial Hospital and the community. His legacy of high ethical standards and devotion to his profession and community have been outstanding.

Dr. Abbasey came to the United States from Pakistan in 1963 to train as a surgeon. He interned at Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C. before coming to Buffalo, where he did his surgical training at the University of Buffalo. In 1968 he completed the program. While studying for his surgical boards, he briefly joined the VA Medical Center in Canandaigua.

He came to Medina, where he explored the area and established his business.

A group of citizens, including Barbara Waters, Van Hungerford, Jack Botsford and several others in Medina had a vision to bring specialists to the community and Medina Memorial Hospital. They were able to recruit a surgeon, an OB/GYN, an internist and a pediatrician through this program.

Dr. Abbasey was part of their vision and established his surgical practice in Medina in 1970. It is noted he was the first county board certified general surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons for Orleans County.

On his first day of practice, Dr. Abbasey had an emergency case at midnight, where he had to activate the on-call surgical team. The case could have waited until morning, however, Dr. Abbasey was nervous with his first emergency case. The surgical team was very professional about coming in so late and everything went well for that first emergency. No one can say what would have happened if they had not acted when they did.

On a whim, Dr. Abbasey offered to take the medical director position temporarily when he learned they were having difficulty filling that job. The temporary position lasted from 1997 to 2020. During his tenure, Dr. Abbasey has been president of the medical staff, president of the County Medical Society, the Cancer Society, as well as a member of the County Health Board, to name a few.

Dr. Abbasey has been married to the former Christine Siedikowski from Buffalo for 52 years. They have four children and now enjoy their many grandchildren. Dr. Abbasey still considers Medina to be his home, even though he and his wife have moved to Rochester to be near one of their daughters. He appreciates all the love and support given to him and his family through his long career in Medina.

RIDGEWAY – Sue Slingerland sent in this photo today of icicles hanging inside the Canal Culvert on Culvert Road in Ridgeway. This is the only spot on the Erie Canal where traffic goes under the canal.

The freezing temperatures and seeping water from the canal make for ideal icicle-making in the Culvert.

Those icicles should get bigger the next few days. Today is forecast to be sunny with a high of 27, followed by a high of 36 on Saturday and a high of 32 on Sunday.

Press Release, Medina Police Chief Chad Kenward

MEDINA — The Medina Police Department arrested Brodes J. Gibson, 59, of Batavia and Cierra Sylar, 35, of Corfu after a vehicle pursuit that started in Medina on Thursday at 10:20 p.m.

Medina police officers were dispatched to the 800 block of South Main Street for loud music/noise (suspicious activity). An occupied vehicle at the scene took off when officers arrived leading Medina Police, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department and State Police on a two-county vehicle pursuit.

Eventually, the suspect vehicle crashed into a fence on Dublin Road, off Fruit Avenue in the Town of Ridgeway. There were three occupants in the vehicle, and two out of three, Gibson and Sylar, fled on foot into the woods.

Albion Police Department K9, Niagara County Sheriff’s Department K9 and State Police K9 all played an active part in the apprehension of the suspects.

Brodes Gibson, who has an active warrant out of the City of Batavia, was issued numerous vehicle and traffic tickets and an appearance ticket for reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and unlawful fleeing a police officer.

Cierra Sylar has an active warrant out of Genesee County. The third occupant was released with no charges.

“I would like to thank the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, Albion Police Department, New York State Police and Middleport Police Department for their assistance in this incident,” Medina Police Chief Chad Kenward said. “I would also like to thank the Medina Fire Department for their assistance as well.”

Nearly 500 cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming

The three local rural counties of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming combined have reached a new high for active cases of Covid-19.

The data reported Thursday by the health departments in the three counties puts the active cases at nearly 500 in the three counties, which combined have about 140,000 residents.

The 497 active cases reported Thursday passes the previous high of 449, which was recorded on Dec. 7 and Dec. 10. On Wednesday there were 446 active cases, which was up from 417 on Tuesday.

An active case is someone who has tested positive but hasn’t been cleared from mandatory isolation. If people test positive for Covid, they must be in mandatory isolation for at least 10 days. They are cleared after they have been fever free the last 3 days with symptom improvement. Sadly, if people die after contracting Covid, that also is no longer an active case.

Orleans County currently has its record-high for active cases with 159. The previous high was 144 on Dec. 11.

Lynne Johnson, the Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, urged the community to take precautions to slow the spread of Covid. She worries the county will be designated a micro-cluster zone by the state, with restrictions imposed on businesses.

“What we need to do is get our numbers down before we are shut down,” Johnson said during Wednesday’s County Legislature meeting.

Genesee and Wyoming also are near their pandemic highs. Genesee on Thursday recorded 220 active cases. It’s high was 269 on Dec. 7.

Wyoming was at 118 active cases on Thursday. It’s high during the pandemic is 123.

Orleans also reports a death from Covid, now 60 during pandemic

There are 86 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Orleans and Genesee counties today, the local health departments reported in a daily news briefing at about 9 p.m.

• In Orleans County, there are 38 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 968 cases since March.

The new positive cases are residents of Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, Murray, Ridgeway, Shelby and Yates. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 80s.

Of the new cases, 8 of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

Orleans also is reporting 12 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are two Orleans residents currently hospitalized due to Covid, according to Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

A resident over age 65 also has passed away from Covid, bringing the total deatsh in the county due to Covid to 60 in the pandemic.

“We are saddened to report the Covid-related death of a community resident,” the Health Departments stated. “The individual was over 65 years old. We will not be releasing any further information to protect the privacy of the individual and their family. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of this individual during this very difficult time.”

One of the new positive cases counted on Dec. 16 was determined not to be an Orleans County resident and has been deleted from the county’s total numbers.

• Lyndonville Central School was notified that a student has tested positive for Covid-19. The student hasn’t been on campus in several months, District Superintendent Jason Smith said in a letter on the district website.

There is no need for contact tracing at the school campus with this particular case, and therefore, no quarantine directives will be issued by the Health Department for students who attend school full-time on our campus and staff, Smith said.

Students who attend off-campus programs may be required to quarantine, and this information will either come from the Health Department or the student’s off-campus program provider.

• In Genesee County, there are 48 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 for a total of 1,620

positive cases since March. (Two of the new positive cases are residents at LeRoy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility.)

The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Bethany, Byron, Darien, Elba, LeRoy, Oakfield and Pavilion.

The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

Genesee also is reporting 27 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

Genesee has 24 residents hospitalized due to complications from Covid.

This is each region’s 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days.

• State-wide Data: There were 202,772 tests reported yesterday and 10,914 were positive or 5.38 percent.

The state reported 6,147 patients hospitalized due to Covid statewide, up by 50 from the previous day. There were also 1,095 patients in the ICU, which was down by three.

There were also 120 deaths due to complications from Covid, bringing the state total to 28,222 during the pandemic.

“On Covid, let’s solidify a simple message that we can all agree with. We want to slow the spread, we want to avoid shutdowns, and together we can do it,” Governor Cuomo said. “We slow the spread by being smart during the holiday season. It’s a difficult situation and people come together. There’s a feeling of safety in your home and there’s a feeling of safety when you’re with your family, but it just takes one person who’s infected and doesn’t know it. Half the cases are from people who had no symptoms.”

• Rapid Testing: Pre-registration is required for rapid testing clinics.

Correction for the total number of positives reported for the Orleans County rapid testing clinic on Wednesday: 10 Orleans County residents tested positive, as well as 2 non-county residents, for 12 total.

Orleans County will be hosting a rapid testing clinic on Monday, Dec. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. Click here to register online.

The focus is for asymptomatic individuals and is free. This is a self-administered rapid test at the Orleans County 4- H Fairgrounds, 12690 Rt. 31. Please use the Taylor Hill Road entrance.

If you have a printer, complete and bring your GO Health Intake Form (click here for the form). If you need assistance with online registration because you don’t have internet, call the Orleans County Health Department at 585-589- 3278.

To register for upcoming Genesee County drive-thru testing clinics on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m., click here for the registration link. If you have a printer, complete and bring your GO Health Intake Form (click here).

Anyone needing additional help for online registration may contact the Genesee County Health Department at 585-344-2580 ext. 5555. There will be no rapid test clinics on December 24th or December 31st in Genesee County.

BARRE – The Orleans County Planning Board met this evening and recommended the Town of Barre extend a moratorium on applications for solar energy installation systems by another six months.

The town’s moratorium is to expire this month, said Tom Keeler, a member of both the county and Barre planning boards.

Barre wants more time to put a policy in place for battery storage systems for larger-scale solar projects.

Barre is looking at what other towns have done for regulated the battery storage systems for the projects, Keeler said.

The County Planning Board also voted on two other referrals from Barre:

• Barre Zoning Change – Expanding General Business District: The County Planning Board recommended the Town of Barre amend its zoning map to expand the B-General Business District along Route 98, within and south of Barre Center, Maple Street in Barre Center and West Lee Road to the west of Route 98.

The changes make the town’s zoning in line with the town’s comprehensive plan and will guide future development in the town, county planner said.

• Barre Zoning Change – Residential-1 to Agricultural Residential District: The County Planning Board supported Barre’s proposal to amend the zoning map to rezone the R-1 District to the AR District. This will be allow the town’s zoning map to be in line with the town’s comprehensive plan.

The majority of the R-1 District will change to Agricultural-Residential except for those along Route 98 from Route 31A south to West Barre Road, except for the existing Business District; and a small portion of Route 31A west, starting at the Light Industrial District.

The intention of the change is to “retain the small town atmosphere and rural character of Barre,” town officials said in the referral to the county.