By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 December 2020 at 11:25 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – FFA members and some of the Albion football players are pictured this morning after loading a flat-bed trailer and another smaller trailer with 53,000 pounds of produce, milk and other food.
They then delivered and unloaded the food at Community Action of Orleans and Genesee on East State Street.
This is the 11th year the Albion FFA has organized the food drive. The 53,000 pounds breaks the record of 40,000 pounds set last year.
Albion football player Adonis Guzman was among the helpers this morning. He is in the ag shop moving eggs donated by Kreher’s.
Bailey Nesbitt, the FFA president, carries a box of produce from the flat-bed trailer. She said the farm and agriculture community responded to a bigger need in the community due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic hardships for many local residents.
The Albion FFA started calling farms and ag businesses about a month ago. Many already had set aside food for the drive, and gave more than they had in previous years. Some new contributors also joined the effort this year.
“This year everybody realized people needed help,” Nesbitt said.
She has been a part of the food drive the past four years. When a flatbed truck from Panek Farms arrived at Community Action, the agency and volunteers gave the FFA loud cheers and applause.
“It’s very exciting to give back and see the smiles on their faces,” Nesbitt said.
Gina Sidari holds a crate with four gallons of milk. The Upstate Niagara Cooperative donated 108 crates or 432 gallons of milk for the food drive.
The food will go to about 10 local soup kitchens and food pantries, and also for 150 food baskets for families served by Community Action.
“This is a godsend,” said Annette Finch, the community services director for Community Action. “If we didn’t have this we’d have to go out and purchase it which is hard to do on donations.”
FFA advisor Betsey Krenning takes a box of produce from her husband Adam, who used to be the FFA advisor.
The food drive donors this year include:
Orleans County Farm Bureau
Triple G Farm
Panek Farms
Root Brothers
Kludt Brothers
Nesbitt Fruit Farms
Orchard Dale Fruit
Kreher’s Eggs
Martin Farms
Kirby Farms
Partyka Farms
CY Farms
Starowitz Farms
Poverty Hill Farms
Torrey Farms
Dale Root
Colby Farms
Mortellaro Farms
My-T Acres Farm
Lynnette and Sons
Mayer Bros.
Schutts Apple Mill
Intergrow Greenhouses
Upstate Niagara Cooperative
Rush’s Vegetables
Champion Moving & Storage
Lake Ontario Fruit
H. H. Dobbins
Citrus (Sue Holland and Laura Simboli)
Mickey Edwards, who starts as Albion’s new superintendent of schools on Feb. 1, helped unload the produce this morning.
Brad Pritchard, the middle school principal, got a workout moving the heavy bags and boxes of produce from the flat-bed trailer.
Olivia Krenning reaches for these tomatoes donated by Intergrow Greenhouses.
Click here to see a video of the FFA students in action.
Photos and information courtesy of Lyndonville Central School
LYNDONVILLE – The school district held its National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society induction ceremony on Thursday evening. The students inducted into the National Honor Society include Tessa Heideman, Megan Ostrowski, Ethan Gardner, Amanda Garza, Shawna Grabowski, Alexis Hughes, Aasiya Huzair, Ella Lewis, Kate O’Brien, Maddox Stirk and Jack Whipple.
These students have maintained a 90% GPA from 8th grade through their present grade. Students were selected for membership based on their scholarship, service, leadership, character and citizenship.
National Junior Honor Society members include Madalynn Baker, Daniel Barry, Phinn Cousins, Bradley Jisa, Elizabeth Whipple and Tisha Zeitz.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced new metrics by which micro-cluster focus zones will be determined to help control Covid-19 spread and protect hospital capacity.
Additionally, the Governor announced new directives to further grow hospital capacity, as well as updated calibrations to business guidelines based on recent CDC guidance, advice of public health experts, and data from state’s contact tracing program.
Under these calibrated business guidelines, indoor dining in New York City will be suspended on Monday, December 14, and gyms and salons will now be allowed to remain open with restrictions in Orange Zones.
Updated Zone Metrics
As New York has grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor and NYS Dept. of Health have made it a priority to continuously calibrate the metrics governing restrictions to protect public health, without causing undue harm to the economy.
The updated metrics unveiled today and over this past week continue to focus on limiting viral spread in communities with the highest rates of case growth and hospital admissions, and factor in a region’s hospital capacity.
“This is not high science we’re applying here—these are common-sense rules,” Cuomo said today. “Where the virus is highest, you have to take action. We’re changing rules for the hospitals in the state. We’ve already announced that all hospitals have to do a 25 percent increase in staffed beds. Hospitals must remain under 85 percent, either by adding up to 25 percent of beds, reducing or eliminating elective surgeries, or both.”
Under these updated metrics, micro-cluster zones will now be determined as follows:
Red Zone
A red zone will be implemented in a region where hospital capacity is within 21 days of reaching 90 percent, even after the cancellation of elective procedures and a 50 percent increase in bed capacity in hospitals in the region.
Orange Zone
A geographic area will be eligible to enter an Orange Zone if it has a 4 percent positivity rate (7-day average) over the last 10 days and it is located in a region that has reached 85 percent hospital capacity. Alternatively, a geographic area may also become an Orange Zone if the State Department of Health determines the area or region’s rate of hospital admissions is unacceptably high and a zone designation is appropriate to control the rate of growth.
Yellow Zone
A geographic area will be eligible to enter a Yellow Zone if it has a 3 percent positivity rate (7-day average) over the past 10 days and is in the top 10 percent in the state for hospital admissions per capita over the past week and is experiencing week-over-week growth in daily admissions.
Updated Hospital Directives
Earlier this week, the Governor directed the State Department of Health to begin implementing the state’s “surge and flex” protocol and a number of steps were initiated as part of that effort. Specifically, all hospitals were mandated to begin expanding their bed capacity by 25 percent to further prepare hospitals for a future COVID-19 surge. Additionally, the Governor issued a call to all retired doctors and nurses urging them to return to service if they are able to do so and hospitals were reminded of the requirement to report data and to ensure they maintain a 90-day stockpile of personal protective equipment.
Today, the NYS Dept. of Health is issuing a directive for hospitals to take steps to remain below 85 percent capacity by either adding an additional 25 percent of capacity, eliminating elective surgeries, or by taking a combination of both steps.
Updated Business Restrictions
Suspension of Indoor Dining in New York City – Beginning on Monday, December 14, indoor dining will be suspended in New York City. This measure comes after the federal Centers for Disease Control updated its guidance to say “Exposures at nonessential indoor settings and crowded outdoor settings pose a preventable risk to all participants. Indoor venues, where distancing is not maintained and consistent use of face masks is not possible (e.g. restaurant dining) have been identified as particularly high-risk scenarios” and New York City continues to see increased positivity, cases per capita, daily hospital admissions, and total hospitalizations.
This suspension will continue to be re-evaluated based on updated data over the coming weeks, and to provide additional support to the industry during these difficult times, the Governor is extending the state’s moratorium on commercial evictions and is renewing his call for Congress to include support for bars and restaurants in the next stimulus package.
Updated Rules for Gyms and Salons – Gyms and personal care services were originally higher risk environments for viral transmission, but the State’s latest data shows that the rate of spread has been reduced in businesses that are operating in accordance with the Department of Health’s New York Forward guidance.
Following the State’s principles of recalibration and balancing public health measures with economic impact, these businesses that are within orange zones may operate with additional services restrictions, starting Monday, December 14.
Specifically, gyms and fitness centers – which are currently closed in orange zones – will be allowed to operate at 25 percent capacity, reduced from 33 percent. Personal care services – for example, salons and barbershops which are also currently closed in orange zones – will be allowed to provide services so long as the employees performing services are tested for Covid-19 on a weekly basis, and obtain a negative test result prior to opening.
“We’re also calibrating the risk level of the economic activity to ensure we are respecting public health, while limiting economic disruption to the extent possible,” Cuomo said. “This pandemic has required us to stay nimble from the very beginning and we will continue to follow the data to make smart, informed decisions.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 December 2020 at 7:09 pm
Events include tree-lighting at Waterman Park, selfies with Santa
Photo by Tom Rivers: This Christmas tree is shown last December at Waterman Park by the mural showing Albion native Charles Howard as Santa, flying over the downtown and Courthouse Square. The tree will be lighted up at 4:15 on Saturday during the Hometown Holiday celebration.
ALBION – The Albion Merchants Association has several activities planned for Saturday as part of the annual Hometown Holiday celebration.
The schedule includes:
10 a.m. to noon – Selfies with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Beaver Alley
10 a.m. to noon – Ribbon ornaments at Town and Country Quilter
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Ornament kits at Red Check Rustic
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Christmas Time Fun at 49 Main St. while supplies last
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Letters to Santa at Downtown Browsery
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Dubby’s Wood Fired Pizza at The Lockstone
11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Ornaments with Mrs.Claus at The Back Room
Noon to 4 p.m. – Cocoa & Christmas Canvases at He Brews 5:9/Marked by Janna
2 to 4 p.m. – Free ice cream at Tinsel
4:15 p.m. – Tree Lighting Ceremony at Waterman Park
The winners of the storefront decorating contest will be announced at the tree-lighting. People can vote for their favorite on the AMA Facebook page (click here).
The events on Saturday also include at a ribbon-cutting at Maison Albion, the former Pillars at 13800 County House Rd.
Kerri and Cole Glover, the owners of Maison Albion, will host a grand opening with a Victorian holiday party with a French flair. Click here for more information on the party – Fête de Nöel.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 December 2020 at 4:23 pm
In past week Orleans reports 143 new cases while Genesee has 251 more
Orleans and Genesee counties combined are reporting 52 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 today. That brings the totals in the past seven days to 143 new cases in Orleans and 251 more in Genesee County.
In Orleans County, there are 21 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 reported today, bringing the total to 829 positive cases since March. For the first time, one of the new cases is an inmate at the Orleans Correctional Facility, a men’s prison on Gaines Basin Road.
The new positive cases reported today in the county reside in Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, Gaines, Murray, Ridgeway, Shelby and Yates. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.
One of the cases is a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, a nursing home on Bates Road in Medina.
Of the new cases, nine were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said in a new briefing at about 4 p.m.
Orleans is reporting 14 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.
The county has three residents hospitalized due to Covid-19.
• Holley Central School is reporting a bus driver has tested positive for Covid-19. The last day the driver worked was Tuesday, Dec. 8.
“The Health Department is still processing this case with the driver and we will cooperate with them,” Brian Bartalo, district superintendent, said in a letter on the district website. “If warranted, any official communication for mandatory quarantining of students or staff members will come directly from the health department. If the health department indicates to us that there is quarantining required for the students who rode that bus, we will reach out to those families ASAP. In the meantime, if you don’t hear from the school district or the department of health, there’s nothing for anyone to do at this time.”
• Kendall Central School is reporting the first student in the district has tested positive for Covid-19. The student is in the elementary school and was last in the building on Dec. 3. No students or staff need to be quarantined and school will continue as scheduled, according to a letter from Julie Christensen, the district superintendent.
• Medina Central School is reporting a high school student tested positive for Covid-19 and a middle school staff member also tested positive. The Health Department has worked with the school district to see if any students or other staff need to be quarantined. Those school contacts have been notified. The Health Department may reach out to others if they determine there was potential Covid exposure outside of the school, District Superintendent Mark Kruzynski said in a letter on the district’s website.
In Genesee County, there are 31 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 1,337 positive cases since March.
The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Batavia, Bergen, Byron, Darien, LeRoy, Oakfield, Pembroke and Stafford.
The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
Genesee is reporting 42 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.
The county has 22 people hospitalized due to Covid, a high for Genesee during the pandemic.
• 3-county data: Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. There are currently 443 active cases, which is down from 449 on Thursday.
Orleans has a new record high of 144 active cases, which is up from 139 on Thursday, 122 on Wednesday, 92 on Tuesday and 89 on Monday.
Genesee, which had 269 active cases on Monday, has been able to reduce that number to 176 today.
Wyoming has 123 actives cases, which ties its record high from Thursday. The 123 is up from 110 on Wednesday, which matched the previous high set on Dec. 4.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 December 2020 at 4:04 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Dancing Derrick Bradley entertained motorists this afternoon at the northeast corner of the routes 98 and 31 intersection in Albion.
Bradley made his first dancing appearance in Albion since last summer. He dressed as an elf and danced to Christmas music.
He also was raising money for a close friend, Bobby Maxwell. His house was badly damaged in a fire on Saturday, when his neighbor was making fireworks in his garage and one of them exploded. Three houses were destroyed from the ensuing fire.
Maxwell was proud of his house on East Academy Street. He worked several years to upgrade the residence. He lived there with his girlfriend, his daughter and two grandchildren.
Derrick Bradley dances at the corner of Albion’s busiest intersection today.
To see a video of “Dancing Derrick” from today, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 December 2020 at 3:14 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Students in the Science of Food Class in Albion get boxes ready for apples that will be delivered this afternoon as part of the FFA food drive. The students include, from left: Lauren Wehling, Charley London, Cam Bell (in back), Sam Williams and Betsey Krenning, the FFA advisor.
The FFA has set a goal of collecting 50,000 pounds of food that will be delivered Saturday morning to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee in Albion. Community Action will then share it with other food pantries and agencies.
Local farms and agricultural businesses started delivering food on Tuesday for the annual food drive, which the FFA has coordinated since 2010. The first year there was 3,000 pounds and it has steadily grown, reaching 40,000 pounds in 2019. The FFA believes it has reached its goal of 50,000 pounds for 2020.
Photos courtesy of Betsey Krenning: Faith Woody, Emily Graham and Samantha Basinait put apples from a bin into boxes.
The food drive donors this year include:
Orleans County Farm Bureau
Triple G Farm
Panek Farms
Root Brothers
Kludt Brothers
Nesbitt Fruit Farms
Orchard Dale Fruit
Kreher’s Eggs
Martin Farms
Kirby Farms
Partyka Farms
CY Farms
Starowitz Farms
Poverty Hill Farms
Torrey Farms
Dale Root
Colby Farms
Mortellaro Farms
My-T Acres Farm
Lynnette and Sons
Mayer Bros.
Schutts Apple Mill
InterGrow Greenhouses
Upstate Niagara Cooperative
Rush’s Vegetables
Champion Moving & Storage
Lake Ontario Fruit
H. H. Dobbins
Citrus (Sue Holland and Laura Simboli)
Bailey Nesbitt and Adam Krenning unload a truck that delivered produce for the food drive.
You’re here checking the site, so you know: Orleans Hub is a vital resource for our community. Day in and day out, we share information and insights that matter to those who live and work in the towns, villages and hamlets of our county. Local advertisers help make the Hub possible, and so can you. We do not charge for subscriptions, we do not have pop-up ads or ask you to do surveys to access the news.
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A check can be mailed to Orleans Hub, P.O. Box 231, Albion, NY 14411.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 December 2020 at 12:31 pm
Residents urged to call 911 and have fireworks removed
Provided photos: These homemade fireworks were made by Gary Tarr, who faces felony charges for reckless endangerment and arson for a fire on Saturday that caused extensive damage to three houses. The fireworks are about the size of toilet paper rolls.
ALBION – The man facing felony reckless endangerment and arson charges after a massive fire on Saturday shared many of his homemade fireworks with people in the community.
Gary Tarr shared his homemade fireworks.
That is a huge concern for local law enforcement officials.
“We do know they are extremely dangerous,” Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said at a news conference this morning. “If you know where devices are, we want to recover them.”
Nenni said no one will be charged for being in possession of the illegal fireworks. The police don’t even need the names of people who have them.
Nenni urged people who have the fireworks to call 911 and local law enforcement will respond. The fireworks will likely be removed by bomb technicians from Monroe County.
“They are extremely dangerous and we want them so we can dispose of them,” Nenni said.
Gary Tarr, 56, was mixing compounds with commercial grade fireworks last Saturday. He lit a small portion of the firework to test it, and it exploded.
These fireworks were recovered by bomb technicians from Monroe County. The fireworks have a very quick burn rate and could explode soon after being lit.
The garage at 221 West State St. quickly was engulfed in flames, and explosions continued for 15 minutes after the initial blast.
Three houses were badly damaged in the fire. Tarr was inside the garage after the first initial explosion. Nenni said Tarr is lucky to be alive. He suffered facial and torso injuries, as well as an “extreme loss of hearing.”
Nenni doesn’t know how many fireworks made from Tarr are in the community. They have a very fast burn rate once the fuse is lit, and Tarr used “highly combustible” materials in making the fireworks.
He was able to purchase the compounds from local stores, and was mixing those materials with commercial grade fireworks, Nenni said.
The result are fireworks with no quality control.
“We know they have been distributed in the community,” Nenni said. “These are extremely dangerous.”
Nenni stressed for people to call 911, and they won’t face any charges.
“If you have them don’t drop them off or touch them,” Nenni said. “Call us.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: The explosions in the garage at 221 West State St. quickly caused a fire to spread to three houses.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 December 2020 at 10:51 am
ALBION — An Albion man is facing numerous felony charges for a fire on Saturday that destroyed three houses.
Gary A. Tarr
Gary A. Tarr was mixing compounds to make fireworks at a garage on 221 West State St. He lit a small portion of the firework to test it. It exploded and a massive fire quickly engulfed the garage and a house he shares with his girlfriend. The fire spread to two neighboring homes, one on East Academy Street and the other on West State Street.
Tarr was charged on Thursday with 5 counts of reckless endangerment in the first degree, a D felony; three counts of fourth-degree arson, an E felony; three counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief, an A misdemeanor; and three counts of reckless endangerment to property, a B misdemeanor.
The top charges carry a maximum of 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison. Tarr has no prior criminal record.
He was issued an appearance ticket to Albion Town Court on March 2. The court dates have been pushed back due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising cases locally and in the region.
“I do want to state that this was an individual who foolishly got in involved in a very dangerous activity that has endangered other people in the community and could have led to far worse consequences but for the quick action of law enforcement,” District Attorney Joe Cardone stated at the news conference this morning at the Albion Village Hall.
Tarr faces five counts of reckless endangerment because five people were inside the three houses when he caused the fire at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. The three counts of arson are for the three houses that were badly damaged.
Two of the houses have been declared total losses and are expected to be torn down in the next week, Police Chief Roland Nenni said.
The other house on East Academy Street is being evaluated and is expected to be declared a total loss and removed as well, Nenni said.
Tarr was treated for injuries to his face and torso at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. He also has an “extreme loss of hearing,” the Albion police chief said.
Tarr has made many fireworks and distributed them in the community. Those fireworks are “extremely dangerous,” Nenni said. They have a very quick burn rate from the fuse and are highly combustible. The police chief urged people who have them to call 911 and a bomb technician will be called to remove them. People who have the fireworks won’t face any charges, Nenni said.
The fireworks resemble a toilet paper roll with a fuse.
Orleans Hub with have more soon from the 10 a.m. news conference today.
Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone said Gary Tarr’s actions were extremely reckless and put others at risk in the community.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 December 2020 at 9:08 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Volunteers, including Natalie Mrzywka, Kim Hazel and Robert Batt from the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, carry boxes to vehicles this morning in Albion in what is the last scheduled food distribution.
The events started in April in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, trying to connect excess produce and other food to people in need.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has funded the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program nation-wide through the end of December. An announcement hasn’t been made whether the distributions will continue in January.
These two walk down Chamberlain Street on their way to the elementary school, passing a long line of vehicles. The line also went down McKinistry, East Park and Main streets.
Krista Fiegel, an employee at the Iroquois Job Corps, rips the plastic off a pallet of boxes of food. She was one of four Job Corps employees who helped this morning.
Community Action and the Office for the Aging have been coordinating the events in Albion and Holley with the Medina Area Association of Churches taking the lead in Medina.
The line of vehicles stretched over four streets including Main Street. This photo was taken at about 8 a.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 December 2020 at 4:47 pm
MEDINA – The school district has faced an increase in the number of students and staff testing positive for Covid-19.
Those cases and the resulting mandatory quarantines for close contacts has the district near a shortage of staff for providing in-person instruction, Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent, wrote in a letter to the community today.
The district reported five new confirmed cases today, with two students and one staff member in the high school, and two students in the middle school.
Medina has had 13 students and 12 teachers/staff test positive for Covid this school year, according to a state website tracking the cases in public schools. The numbers on the state website were last updated on Dec. 9.
“With the rising number of mandatory quarantining of students and staff members in our district, Medina Central School is dangerously close to not being able to have enough staff to conduct in-person learning,” Kruzynski wrote in his letter today. “If we are unable to conduct in-person learning in the future, parents will be notified by our Remind system, and by a robe-call. Please make sure your student brings their Chromebook home daily, ‘just in case.’”
Lyndonville is going to remote-only next week through the holiday break due to staff members being quarantined due to possible Covid exposure. Lyndonville plans to return to in-person classes on Jan. 4.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 December 2020 at 4:31 pm
The new confirmed Covid-19 cases today include 53 combined for Orleans and Genesee counties, as well as 60 recoveries for people who contracted the virus.
In Orleans County, there are 30 new positive cases of Covid-19, bringing the total to 808 cases since March.
The new positive cases reside in Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, Gaines, Murray, Ridgeway, Shelby and Yates. One of the new cases is a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina.
The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
Orleans is reporting 6 of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
The county also has had 12 of the previous positive individuals recover and be removed from the isolation list.
There are five people from the county hospitalized due to complications from Covid-19.
• Albion Central School was informed today that a staff member from the elementary school tested positive for Covid-19. The Health Department has completed contact tracing for the staff member and contacted those identified as close contacts.
• Holley Central School yesterday said an elementary school staff member and four Holley students tested positive for Covid-19.
The last day the staff member was in school was Wednesday, December 2. None of the students (three at the elementary and one at the Middle/High School) have been in school since Nov. 23 (prior to Thanksgiving), District Superintendent Brian Bartalo posted on the district website.
Since the students have not been in school for over two weeks, there will not be contract tracing for them. The Department of Health is processing the case with the staff member and the district will cooperate with the health officials.
• Medina Central School is reporting five new confirmed cases, with two students and one staff member in the high school, and two students in the middle school. The Health Department determined no school-related quarantines needed for the two cases in the middle school, while the Health Department and school district worked to determine which students and staff will need to be quarantined, according to a letter on the district website from Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent.
In Genesee County there are 23 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing Genesee’s total to 1,306 positive cases since March.
The new positive cases reside in Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Byron, Darien, LeRoy and Pembroke. One of the new cases is a resident at the VA Medical Center in Batavia.
The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s.
Genesee also is reporting 48 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.
The county has 21 residents hospitalized due to Covid.
• Rapid Testing: Orleans County will be hosting a rapid testing clinic on Dec. 16 from 1 to 4 p.m. 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 in Knowlesville. Enter the fairgrounds from the Taylor Hill Road entrance.
To schedule a test for the Orleans County drive-through clinic, register on-line (click here). To access the Rapid Test Intake Form, click here. The filled out form should be printed and brought to the clinic. For assistance with the online registration call the Orleans County Health Department at 585-589-3278.
• 3-County Data: Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in the three rural counties of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming. There are currently 449 active cases in the three counties, which ties Monday for having the most during the pandemic.
Orleans has a new record high of 139 active cases, up from 122 on Wednesday, 92 on Tuesday and 89 on Monday.
Genesee, which had 269 active cases on Monday, has been able to reduce that number to 187 today.
Wyoming has a record high of active cases today at 123, up from 110 on Wednesday, which matched the previous high set on Dec. 4.
The Finger Lakes Region, which includes Orleans County, leads the regions of the state for highest percentage of positive cases.
• State-wide Data: The state reported 10,178 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday out of 197,406 tests, for a positivity rate of 5.15 percent.
The number of hospitalizations for a Covid-related illness was at 5,164 on Wednesday. That is up from 4,063 on Dec. 3 and 2,124 on Nov. 17.
You’re here checking the site, so you know: Orleans Hub is a vital resource for our community. Day in and day out, we share information and insights that matter to those who live and work in the towns, villages and hamlets of our county. Local advertisers help make the Hub possible, and so can you. We do not charge for subscriptions, we do not have pop-up ads or ask you to do surveys to access the news.
Donate today to keep Orleans Hub healthy and accessible to all. Thank you!
A check can be mailed to Orleans Hub, P.O. Box 231, Albion, NY 14411.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 10 December 2020 at 2:36 pm
Maison Albion will celebrate grand opening at site transformed for weddings and special events
Photos by Tom Rivers: A Christmas tree is reflected in one of the mirrors in the bridesmaids suite at Maison Albion, which will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday.
ALBION – Kerri and Cole Glover will host its grand opening of Maison Albion with an over-the-top Victorian holiday party on Saturday with a French flair.
Maison Albion had ornaments made in the likeness of the building at 13800 County House Rd., formerly known as The Pillars.
The Glovers have been preparing to open their doors to the public since they purchased the property at 13800 West County House Road, formerly known as The Pillars. They have worked since early July to transform the property.
The public will have its first chance on Saturday to see the new look for the 1878 mansion.
“The first phase of the project is almost complete,” Mrs. Glover said. “The name of the launch is ‘Fête de Nöel,’ which translates to ‘Christmas Party,’ fitting with the over-the-top Victorian holiday party theme.”
To adhere to Covid-19 regulations, Maison Albion will only be welcoming 50 guests at a time in designated two-hour time slots, beginning at 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The $25 admission charge will be donated to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.
There will be temperature checks at the door and masks will be required to enter. The owners will be monitoring the changing Covid requirement as the situation develops in Western New York and will adhere to regulations as they may change, Mrs. Glover said.
Maison Albion is also offering virtual tickets to the event. Guests can “attend” the party online in the comfort of their home and enjoy everything the guests will via their guest guide from 6 to 8 p.m.
The bridal suite is pictured in this photo. Maison Albion owners Kerri and Cole Glover have transformed the site to give it a style from a late 19th century French estate.
Once inside, guests will be able to celebrate with hors d’oeuvres, drinks and many desserts. The house will be dazzling with holiday decorations designed by the area’s favorite local planners and florists, Mrs. Glover said. The event will include a tour led by a group of volunteer docents who will welcome and lead guests through this historic home.
The site will have nine Christmas trees decorated for the grand opening celebration. The chandelier in this photo was in the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.
Fête de Nöel will be an annual fundraising event, Mrs. Glover added. All proceeds will be donated to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. The donation will top off the evening’s events.
Maison Albion is a historic mansion built in 1878, which the Glovers have reimagined to host weddings and events. Guests will be transported to a time of luxurious craftsmanship and lavish celebrations through its breathtaking ballroom and grounds reminiscent of a late 19th century French estate, Mrs. Glover explained.
The Glovers chose a French name and theme for their new venue for several reasons. The couple met in France and they love the French influence, originally from the settlers of this area and from abroad, she said. They created a French design for the interiors in the way Victorians would have enjoyed it – influenced from Marie Antoinette’s apartments at Versailles and Chinoiserie.
“We chose ‘Maison Albion’ because we wanted a fresh start for the venue,” Mrs. Glover said. “‘Maison’ means ‘house’ or ‘home’ in French. Also, Albion was originally settled by the French. In addition, we want our venue to feel warm and welcoming to the community.”
The Glovers plan to host several events for the community annually, and they will also donate the venue 10 times a year to non-profits for their events.
Saturday’s celebration will also include a ribbon-cutting with the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
