ALBION – District Attorney Joe Cardone is leading an effort to gather information and study whether it makes sense to have district courts in Orleans County, rather than 10 town courts.

Joe Cardone

Joe Cardone, the district attorney the past 28 years, is gathering information from the 10 towns on how much they spend annually for their justice courts, with salary and benefits for judges and court clerks, as well as other costs – security utilities and equipment.

Cardone said the data could show the court system locally could be more efficient and offer better service with district courts, which might be set up with one court for western Orleans, one in the central towns and one on the eastern end.

“This is something we’re looking at as a possibility,” Cardone said during a recent meeting with local elected officials at the village, town and county level. “I think we should at least keep our eyes open to the different possibilities.”

Orleans municipalities have already taken steps to make the courts more efficient. Albion and Medina about a decade ago abolished their village courts, with the function handled by the towns. Shelby and Ridgeway use the same building – the Shelby Town Hall – for court. Many of the towns have also eliminated one town justice position and have one person in the role, with agreements with neighboring towns to fill in when needed.

If the local municipalities decided to have a multi-jurisdictional district court, they would need state approval, Cardone said.

The study should show how many judges and support staff would be needed for a district court, and whether the community would be best be served with the existing 10 town courts, or one, two or three district courts.

“We want to study the issue,” Cardone said. “I don’t think we’re doing our jobs if we don’t study it.”

The DA also is compiling information on code enforcement in the local towns and villages to see if it would be better to have centralized code enforcement through the county.

The DA’s office is gathering the data from the local municipalities on the code enforcement budgets for 2020 and 2021, with the salary and benefits of personnel, as well as other expenses.

Some counties, such as nearby Wyoming County, run code enforcement through the county, where there is a full-time presence. In Orleans, most of the municipalities have part-time code officers.

“Right now with codes we are lacking standardization and consistency,” County Legislator Ken DeRoller said at a recent meeting with the Orleans County Association of Municipalities.

HeBrews 5:9 serves more than coffee – prayers and praises embraced

The coffee shop displays prayer requests and praises.

ALBION – Jim Nowaczewski moved to Albion two years ago drawn initially by the low-priced real estate.

He liked the small town feel, and the diversity of the community, and he said he has been blessed with friendly neighbors.

Nowaczewski, who grew up near Buffalo, was working for a safety company about a year ago, a job promotion that took him to southern California. He worked out there until May, when the Covid-19 pandemic prompted him to live more simply. Southern California “was insane” with the traffic and the fast pace.

Nowaczewski, 37, thought one day he would run a coffee shop. He was thinking that would be years in the future.

But Nowaczewski said he felt a calling and passion to open the shop now – in the midst of a pandemic in downtown Albion.

He opened the doors of HeBrews 5:9 on Nov. 28 during the “shop small” celebration of small businesses in Albion and across the U.S. The coffee shop soon picked up positive reviews from community members on social media.

“It has exceeded my expectations so far,” Nowaczewski said. “I didn’t grow up here but I’m already feeling the support of the community.”

He isn’t running the normal coffee shop. HeBrews has a Christian flavor, with a bulletin board to display prayer requests and praises. Even the name is a book of the Bible, and Hebrews 5:9 is a Bible verse that states: “and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”

The name “HeBrews” for the Albion coffee shop also sends a message that men are encouraged to stop by. Nowaczewski said many coffee shops seem to cater to women. He wants everyone to feel welcome at HeBrews. The 5:9 in the name comes from the business’s address at 59 North Main St.

Nowaczewski said he became a Christian five years ago and wants HeBrews to be a ministry for the community. He wants the location to be edifying, but he doesn’t want people to feel like religion is being pushed “down their throats.”

The prayer and praise board already is filled with notes from customers, with most of the messages left anonymously.

“I believe prayer does something,” Nowaczewski said. “It brings the community together to bear one another’s burdens. And the praises show a grateful attitude.”

Jim Nowaczewski serves up coffee at the HeBrews 5:9. He offers a monthly subscription for coffee and curbside service.

He sees a downtown coffee shop as an important metric in the quality of life for a town. He wants college students and teens to feel welcome to stop in for conversation, to plug in their devices and use the internet.

“It can be a change of scenery from their room,” he said about the increasing number of students who are doing remote learning at home.

Other professionals or people needing a charge – caffeine or WiFi – are welcome to stop by.

“Coffee shops are a litmus of the vibrancy of a community,” he said.

He also has offered the space inside to book groups and others looking for a group discussion.

Nowaczewski senses that people are increasingly polarized and stressed. He wants HeBrews to offer a safe place to relax and have candid, but non-threatening conversations.

“This is just a place where we can be people again,” he said.

Nowaczewski is experimenting with the hours and the menu. Right now he is open 6:30 to noon, and then 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. from Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

He has a monthly subscription for coffee where those customers can text their order and Nowaczewski will bring their coffee out for curbside service. He also makes tea and hot chocolate.

He sells baked goods from Pretty Sweet Bakery in Albion and soon will be offering homemade bagels from Papa Thom’s Rockin’ Bagels.

KNOWLESVILLE – Local officials were notified this week there will be one more food distribution in Orleans County this month, in what might be the final one in the program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

The schedule had Dec. 11 as the last distribution of the year, but a new one was added for this Friday at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds. There will be 300 boxes of produce and 300 boxes of dairy given away, beginning at about 8:30 a.m. Each vehicle will get one of each box.

All cars must enter the Fairgrounds on Taylor Hill Road. If the line extends out of the Fairgrounds, the line needs to go south on Taylor Hill Road so no traffic will be backed up on Route 31.

‘We really need to buckle down.’ – Paul Pettit, public health director

ALBION – Orleans County has the highest percentage of positive cases in the Finger Lakes over the past seven days and on Monday.

And that is in a region which leads the state for the highest percentage of positive tests – 8.17 percent on Monday.

“We’re trending in the wrong direction,” Paul Pettit, the county’s public health director, told local elected officials in a conference call this evening. “We really need to buckle down.”

Orleans has had far fewer Covid cases than neighboring Genesee in recent days and weeks. But Genesee is testing a lot more people and has a lower positivity rate. That rate is one of the key indicators the state uses in determining whether an area will be designated a yellow, orange or red micro-cluster with added restrictions on businesses, schools and for gatherings.

Orleans had a 9.7 percent positivity rate on Monday and has a 9.5 percent rate the past seven days. The Finger Lakes Region has had the highest positivity rate each day among the 10 regions since Dec. 7, averaging 7 to 8 percent nearly every day.

Here are the rates among the nine counties in the region:

• Genesee: 4.9% on Monday (27 out of 555); 8.6% over 7 days
• Livingston: 6.0% on Monday (33 out of 546); 6.1% over 7 days
• Monroe: 7.9% on Monday (548 out of 6,949); 8.7% over 7 days
• Ontario: 7.6% on Monday (46 out of 602); 7.1% over 7 days
• Orleans: 9.7% on Monday (17 out of 175); 9.5% over 7 days
• Seneca: 4.4% on Monday (8 out of 181); 6.3% over 7 days
• Wayne: 6.7% on Monday (34 out of 504); 6.1% over 7 days
• Wyoming: 7.6% on Monday (19 out of 249); 7.9% over 7 days
• Yates: 3.7 % on Monday (3 out of 81); 5.6% over 7 days

The City of Batavia and an area with the Batavia zip code was designated a yellow zone on Monday by the state. That is a precautionary zone with the least restrictions of the three zones. (Orange and red are more restrictive.)

Pettit said Orleans is trending towards a micro-cluster designation. He urged the community to adhere to social distancing, wear face masks when in public buildings, stay home if showing symptoms and try to avoid social gatherings of any size.

Those gatherings are responsible for 74 percent of the Covid spread in the state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

Pettit, who is also public health director in Genesee County, said the gatherings, even three or four people, are big factors in the local spread as well.

“What we know about Covid is it does a very good time of spreading in close gatherings,” Pettit said.

Many people are contracting the virus at work and then bringing it home, where it spreads to family. If friends come over, it can spread from that indoor social gathering, Pettit said.

These are the percentage of positive tests by each region the past three days.

KNOWLESVILLE – Orleans County has already had a big response to the first day of free rapid Covid testing in the county with 480 people already preregistered for the event on Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m.

The county expects to offer the events every Wednesday until late January at the Fairgrounds. People should enter from Taylor Hill Road and then will exit on the east side of the property on Wood Road.

All of the slots for the self-administered test are full for tomorrow, and a new link will be posted on Thursday for people to sign up for the testing on Dec. 23.

The focus is for asymptomatic individuals. Genesee County has already had four of the events, with all of the slots filling up beforehand.

For both Genesee and Orleans, the Health Department advises the following guidelines:

• You must pre-register for any of the county clinics.
• If you have a printer, complete the GO Health Intake Form (click here) and bring it with you. If you completed the Intake form online please print it out and bring it with you. If you don’t have a printer, the form will be provided for you at the clinic.
• Make sure you have a pen in your vehicle.
• Everyone in the vehicle is to have their mask on when they pull up at the testing site.
• For those who are getting tested, they may get a call fairly quickly from an unknown number…please answer the phone. Staff cannot leave messages and can only give results to the individual tested or the guardian of minor children. Hard copy results will be e-mailed within 48 hours if we have a valid e-mail address.

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments are reporting 83 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 today for the two counties.

In Orleans County, there are 19 new positive cases of Covid for a total of 903 positive cases since March.

The new positive cases reside in Albion, Carlton, Clarendon, Kendall, Murray, Ridgeway and Yates. The individuals are in the age groups of 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

Five of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. Orleans also is reporting 24 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

Three Orleans County residents are currently hospitalized due to complications from Covid-19.

In Genesee County, there are 64 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 1,510 cases since March.

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

The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. (Three of the new positive cases are residents at Premier Genesee Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation.)

Genesee is reporting 50 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

Genesee has 24 residents hospitalized due to Covid, the most during the pandemic.

• 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 St. Paul Lutheran Church in Batavia on Dec. 6, between 10 and 11 a.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.

• 3-county data (active cases increase from Monday): Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. There are currently 417 active cases in the three counties, up from 409 on Monday.

Genesee has 184 active cases (173 on Monday), Orleans has 134 (132 on Monday) and Wyoming is at 99 (104 on Monday).

Local group wants to reach goal of 5,000 completed surveys

Local leaders trying to document the needs for high-speed internet in Orleans County are pleased so far with the response to a survey of residents about their internet access and needs.

In the two weeks the survey has been available online, 1,700 people have responded, with 20 percent of those 17 or younger. (Click here to see the survey.)

Other notable feedback in the survey so far:

• 17% of residents who responded do not have internet at home, and of those, 88% do not have an option of purchasing it.
• Only 21% of respondents said that their internet is very reliable.
• Females are participating in the survey at a rate of 2 to 1 to males.

Mary Beth Debus, president of Program Savvy Consulting, shared some of the early results of the survey with the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative Steering Team. That group has a goal of 5,000 surveys from the community. The more data from local residents, the better the county can document the situation in the community for internet access and need, and can make a stronger case to potential funders, Debus said.

“Our ability to attract funders will be enhanced by being able to show the degree of engagement on this issue,” Debus said. “The participation in the survey is one way to measure engagement.”

The Orleans County United Way received a $50,000 grant to study the issue. It has hired a consultant who has interviewed school, business and community leaders on the issue. Debus prepared the 48-question survey for residents to share about their internet access and how it affects them. The online survey will be available soon in Spanish.

The United Way has formed a steering committee for the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative. The committee includes Dean Bellack, executive director of the Orleans County United Way; County Legislator Ken DeRoller; Kelly Kiebala, director of the Orleans County Job Development Agency; Robert Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County; and Greg Reed, director of the Orleans County YMCA.

Debus is interviewing community members and expects to have the surveys tabulated for a report in March. That information will allow the county to then pursue funding through the state or federal government, or through at least 20 foundations.

ALBANY – Rob Ortt has been unanimously re-elected by his Republican colleagues in the State Senate as the conference leader.

Rob Ortt

Ortt, a North Tonawanda resident, has a district that includes Orleans, Niagara and part of western Monroe counties.

“I’m proud that my colleagues put their confidence and faith in me to lead the New York State Senate Republican Conference,” Ortt said. “I am prepared to work tirelessly to put forward an agenda that helps ensure all New York families across the state thrive. It is time to bring back affordability and say ‘NO’ to higher taxes. I, along with my Republican colleagues will make it a priority for our small businesses to succeed now more than ever and continue to promote economic development growth.”

The Senate Republicans saw their numbers shrink after the November election and Democrats now have a supermajority, 43-20. That gives them enough for a super-majority where they could override a governor’s veto.

The Democrats in the State Senate re-elected Andrea Stewart-Cousins as their leader on Dec. 7.

“During our first session as the Democratic Majority, we enacted historic legislation to protect and expand New Yorkers’ rights and build a stronger and fairer state for all residents,” Stewart-Cousins said. “The voters clearly supported our efforts and agenda as they elected the largest majority in Senate history and the first modern Democratic supermajority. We will use this mandate to help lead New York State forward as we address the ongoing pandemic and rebuild from this economic crisis.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Metro Environmental in Niagara Falls uses an excavator to knock down a house a 221 West State St. in Albion today.

The house is one of three that were badly damaged in a fire on Dec. 5. This house suffered the most damage and village officials wanted it taken down because it posed a threat to the neighborhood, said Kevin Sheehan, the village’s code enforcement officer.

“This house is a danger,” Sheehan said. “It’s a hazard. They are knocking it down and taking it away.”

The neighboring houses on each side also may be removed. Insurance adjusters are reviewing those structures. Sheehan said they don’t pose an imminent threat to the neighborhood, like the one at the corner. The village closed off a section of the East Academy Street in front of the house, out of concern the structure might topple.

Before Metro Environmental started knocking down the house, the village was able to assure the company the site was cleared of explosives after the FBI and ATF checked the scene.

The fire started when a resident, Gary Tarr, was testing fireworks he made in the garage at 221 West State St. Tarr mixed compounds with fireworks in the garage and lighted a small portion of one to test it, Albion police said. That set off a series of explosions, destroying the garage with the fire spreading to the three houses. Tarr faces felony charges of reckless endangerment and arson.

Provided photo

MIDDLEPORT – Employees from FMC’s Agricultural Sciences Plant in Middleport, working with Local 1180 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and plant management, helped to collect and donate more than 100 pounds of non-perishable food and toiletries to the Middleport Area Community Food Pantry.

Assisting in dropping off the donated items are Brent Sensenich (left), FMC plant manager, and Joe Burkett, FMC employee and union steward.

ALBION – Inspectors from the New York State Commission of Correction Inspectors visited the Orleans County jail recently and concluded the site has the needed protocols in place to protect against the spread of Covid-19.

The jail has recently had an outbreak with 13 corrections officers and three inmates testing positive.

Commission of Correction staff reviewed the jail’s protocols for screening of employees, incarcerated individuals and anyone entering the facility. They also said signage throughout the facility, disinfecting procedures and the utilization of face coverings are consistent with the guidance provided by the Commission, the New York State Department of Health, and the Center for Disease Control.

Allen Riley, Chairman of the Commission, sent a letter on Dec. 9 to Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke, informing him of the results of the visit.

“As you are aware, detention facilities are at a greater risk for the spread of COVID-19 due to the close proximity of the individuals who reside and work in these facilities,” Riley wrote in the letter. “As such, a facility must take all available precautions to minimize the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak, while simultaneously maintaining a secure facility.”

Bourke said the jail staff have stepped up their efforts to keep the facility clean and fight off Covid.

“I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication by Superintendent Scott Wilson, the Jail Command Staff, Correction Officers, Cooks and nursing staff during these unprecedented times,” Bourke said.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Volunteers carry 20-pound boxes of produce and food during the rain on May 29 at the Orleans County 4-H fairgrounds. Volunteers distributed 1,200 boxes of food that day.

KNOWLESVILLE – The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County each year presents a “Friend of Extension” award, typically to a volunteer or supporter of the agency.

This year many of the Extension activities were cancelled including the 4-H fair due to Covid-19. The fairgrounds, however, were a busy place on about a dozen days, when the Extension distributed boxes of produce, meat and dairy products. On those dates, more than 1,000 vehicles stopped by the fairgrounds for the food.

The Extension counted about 50 people who volunteered for the food distributions. Many stayed for several hours, sometimes in the rain, and other times in stifling heat.

The Extension’s leadership decided to recognize those volunteers with the “Friend of the Extension” award for 2020.

“We are extremely grateful for all the people who came out because we couldn’t have participated in these distributions without them,” said Robert Batt, the Extension executive director.

Each volunteer will receive a thank you card and a small gift card to Dunkin’ Donuts. (This doesn’t include the volunteers who helped with the distributions in Albion, Holley and Medina.)

The Extension hosted and coordinated the distributions from May until early December. The U.S. Department of Agriculture hasn’t said if the program will continue after Dec. 31.

Photos courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office: Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and U.S. senator, served as electors for the state in a vote in Albany today.

The Electoral College affirmed the presidential victory for Joe Biden today, giving him 306 votes to 232 for Donald Trump. The electors also cemented Kamala Harris as the next vice president.

The votes will be sent to Congress to be counted on Jan. 6. Biden is to be inaugurated at noon on Jan. 20.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo presided over the Electoral College vote in New York today, with all 29 electors in the state casting votes for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo presided over the Electoral College vote today in Albany in the State Assembly chambers. Cuomo also served as one of the state’s 29 electors. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the former first lady and secretary of state, also were electors for the state.

Judith Hunter of Geneseo served as an elector, representing rural New York.

“The brevity of our proceedings does not minimize the gravity of our actions,” Cuomo said in the Assembly chambers. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite. This pandemic, these masks, this physical configuration, are a stark reminder to the nation that government matters, and leadership matters, and good government can not only improve people’s lives, but can literally save people’s lives. So today, let the people choose our government and let us move forward.”

Biden, the president-elect, later addressed the nation and condemned Trump’s efforts to undo the results of the election through legal challenges and pressure on officials in battleground states that Biden won – Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia. Judges, including at the U.S. Supreme Court, have dismissed the Trump election lawsuits.

“In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed,” Biden said. “We the people voted. Faith in our institutions held. The integrity of our elections remains intact. And so, now it is time to turn the page. To unite. To heal.”

In the popular vote nationwide, Biden had 7 million more votes than Trump, or 81,283,495 to 74,223,755, according to the Associated Press.

Press Release, VA Western New York Healthcare System

BUFFALO/BATAVIA – VA Western New York Healthcare System announced it has been selected as one of 37 VA sites to receive initial doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

VA WNYHS was selected for its ability to vaccinate large numbers of people and store the vaccines at extremely cold temperatures.

In accordance with Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, VA Western New York Healthcare System will begin vaccinating VA health care personnel and veterans in VA’s long-term health care facilities now that the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the vaccine.

Covid-19 vaccine implementation will include an initial limited-supply phase followed by a general implementation phase, when large supplies of the vaccine will be available to veterans who want to receive one. Our goal is to offer it to all veterans and employees who want to be vaccinated. As more vaccine becomes available, we will announce it to schedule appointments with eligible veterans.

“We are very excited to provide a vaccine that has the potential to help get Covid-19 under control when used alongside public health measures such as masking, physical distancing and frequent handwashing,” said Michael Swartz, Executive Director.

Veterans seeking additional information should visit the VA Coronavirus FAQs webpage. VA will provide more information to enrolled veterans when the phased mass vaccination will be scheduled.

Part of Genesee County – Batavia to East Pembroke – are now in a yellow micro-cluster zone, where there are some added restrictions intended to slow the spread of Covid-19.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today that an area of Genesee County has been put in a precautionary yellow micro-cluster zone.

The area includes Batavia, East Pembroke, and goes as far north on Route 98 to near Elba, just north of Edgerton Road and south of the village. Click here to see a more detailed map.

In Genesee the cases and hospitalizations due to Covid-19 have surged since Nov. 1. As of Oct. 31, Genesee had 375 Covid-19 cases in the first eight months of the pandemic. It had 579 more in November.

In the first 13 days of December, Genesee has 492 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, and has suffered 12 deaths due to Covid. Genesee currently has 21 people hospitalized due to the virus.

The state also has expanded the Yellow Zone in Niagara County. Niagara’s Yellow zone was confined mostly to North Tonawanda, but has been expanded to include Lockport, Sanborn, and Lewiston. Click here to see the Yellow Zone map in Niagara County.

The restrictions and guidelines for the micro-cluster zones include:

Yellow

• Non-residential gatherings: 25 people maximum, indoors and outdoors
• Residential gatherings: 10 people maximum, indoors and outdoors
• Houses of worship: 50 percent of maximum capacity
• Businesses: Open
• Dining: Indoor and outdoor dining permitted but limited to a maximum of 4 people per table, and bars and restaurants close at 10 p.m. for on-premises consumption.
• Schools: Open but 20 percent weekly testing required for in-person students and faculty.

Orange

• Non-residential gatherings: 10 people maximum, indoors and outdoors
• Residential gatherings: 10 people maximum, indoors and outdoors
• Houses of worship: Lesser of 33% of maximum capacity or 25 people
• Businesses: Gyms, fitness centers and classes operate at 25% capacity; barber shops, hair salons, personal care services can provide services so long as employees performing services are tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis.
• Dining: Gyms, fitness centers and classes operate at 25% capacity; barber shops, hair salons, personal care services can provide services so long as employees performing services are tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis.
• Schools: Closed to remote-only but can reopen if they follow new guidelines that require mass testing in schools before they reopen followed by vigilant symptom and exposure screening conducted daily.

Red

• Non-residential gatherings: prohibited
• Residential gatherings: prohibited
• Houses of worship: Lesser of 25% of maximum capacity or 10 people
• Businesses: Non-essential businesses are closed
• Dining: Takeout or delivery only
• Schools: Closed to remote-only but can reopen if they follow new guidelines that require mass testing in schools before they reopen followed by vigilant symptom and exposure screening conducted daily.