ALBION – Community Action of Orleans & Genesee would appreciate donated winter coats in all sizes that will then be given to people who need them.
The coats can be dropped off at 409 East State St., Albion.
For more information, call Michelle Figueroa, case manager for Community Action, at (585) 589-5605, ext. 105.
Return to topMore dates have been set for food distributions in Orleans County. There will be about 300 boxes of food, weighing 30 to 40 pounds, given away at each event. Each box has a mixture of produce, dairy and meat.
All events start at approximately 8:30 a.m., if delivery trucks are there by 8 a.m.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has funded the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program nation-wide through the end of December.
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Chelsey Sanders sent in these photos she took Monday while out for a walk along the Holley canal towpath, when temperatures topped 70 degrees.
The temperatures are dropping from the record-breaking highs in the 70s in recent days. Today will still be in the mid-60s with an overnight low of 40, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
Thursday is forecast to be mostly sunny with a high near 49, followed by a mostly sunny Friday with a high near 50.
It will be partly sunny with a high near 46 on Saturday in Orleans County, followed by a mostly cloudy Sunday, with a high near 60.
Press Release, Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities needs volunteers for its Covid phone visitation program. An adaptation of its home visitation program for seniors (age 60+) in Genesee and Orleans counties, this safe social connection is an opportunity for homebound seniors to maintain a connection with the outside world they otherwise would not have due to their shrinking social circles as a result of the pandemic.
Interested volunteers would call weekly, from their own homes and on their own schedules, to check in on the homebound seniors. Training and a background check are required. For more information on becoming a volunteer, please call Peg at 585-343-0614, ext. 18.
“This unique opportunity allows volunteers from surrounding communities and counties to be matched with waiting seniors,” said Linda Chadderdon, program manager for home visitation program in Genesee and Orleans counties, Catholic Charities. “In addition to brightening our seniors’ days, volunteers often find a rich sense of fulfillment with the knowledge they are reaching out to someone in friendship.”
Since the start of the pandemic in March, Catholic Charities has continued to provide services to WNY individuals and families in need through many programs, including counseling, basic emergency assistance and food pantries. Additional information about Catholic Charities’ services can be found at ccwny.org/services.
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Photo by Tom Rivers: Jay Helker, vice president of operations for Swan Equipment & Trucking in Avon, discusses some of the tools used to fix big trucks and other equipment during the inaugural “GLOW With Your Hands” event on September 24, 2019. Helker told students he enjoys his job. “There is a lot of hands-on work. The days go by fast.”
Press Release, Genesee County Economic Development Center
BATAVIA – The successful GLOW With Your Hands career exploration project hit a major milestone in November with the launch of a new virtual platform to benefit all students in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming County (GLOW) Region.
A year after engaging with more than 800 students in hands-on experiences, GLOW With Your Hands Virtual (glowwithyourhandsvirtual.com) expands the experience with innovative, on-demand exploration of 34 careers across 4 growing sections of the regional economy.
“After seeing the direct impact GLOW With Your Hands produced in a single-day event in 2019, we are excited to bring careers in agriculture, food processing, advanced manufacturing and skilled trades directly to even more students,” said Karyn Winters, Director of the Genesee County BEA, who led the project with Angela Grouse, Director of Education to Employment Initiatives at the Livingston County Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Students who swung a hammer, laid a concrete walkway, practiced welding and dozens of other activities at GLOW With Your Hands 2019 can now have an even deeper connection to explore these careers,” Grouse said. “GLOW With Your Hands Virtual takes those experiences into the production facilities, job sites and farms, with meaningful results.”
Schools received early access to the GLOW With Your Hands Virtual website starting Nov. 2, 2020. The full website has launched to the public, and students, parents and educators are encouraged to immerse themselves in the platform.
Careers highlighted include assembly and fabrication, welding, concrete and masonry, project manager, food packaging, veterinary technician, animal nutritionist, and CDL driver.
“Each career page includes an extensive ‘day in the life’ profile of professionals at great companies in the GLOW region, and an outline of the general duties, earnings and educational requirements,” Grouse said. “Most importantly, students are shown a pathway of classes, clubs, volunteer opportunities and local training programs that they can pursue during middle and high school and beyond with training programs and post-secondary opportunities.”
In addition to the Genesee County BEA and Livingston County Area Chamber of Commerce, volunteers from ACCESS-VR, Iroquois Job Corps, Livingston Associates, Livingston County Cornell Cooperative Extension, Wyoming County BEC, GCEDC, Genesee Valley BOCES, GLOW Workforce Development Board, Genesee County Job Development Bureau, Livingston County Office of Workforce Development, Orleans County Job Development Agency, Wyoming County Community Action, and Tobacco-Free GOW all participated in generating career information, filming and editing of videos with companies across all four counties, and preparing the website.
“We are already planning how to grow GLOW With Your Hands for the future,” Winters said. “In addition to continuing to expand the Virtual platform, all of our organizations are ready to assist our students, educators and businesses.”
GLOW With Your Hands Virtual was made possible by generous 2020 Sponsors, led by Platinum Sponsor Genesee Construction; Gold Sponsors Clark Patterson Lee, O-AT-KA Milk Products, National Grid and Livingston Associates; Silver Sponsor USG Oakfield; Bronze Sponsors Batavia Rotary, Cargill, CY Farms, Koike Aronson, Pfisterer Lapp, Torrey Farms and the Workforce Development Institute; and General Sponsors Ed Hulme General Contracting and Stein Farms.
“The support that our volunteers, businesses, schools and sponsors all brought to our inaugural event continued throughout the past year and throughout the development of the GLOW With Your Hands Virtual project under Karyn and Angela’s leadership,” said GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chairs Jay Lazarony and Chris Suozzi. “The entire GLOW With Your Hands team invites you to explore glowwithyourhandsvirtual.com, and we look forward to seeing everyone in person very soon for the next hands-on event.”
Click the links for videos on the following careers:
• Machine Technician (LINK)
• Project Manager (LINK)
• Machine Operator (LINK)
• Green House Labor Director (LINK)
Return to topBy Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian
Illuminating Orleans, No. 1
Photo courtesy of Catherine Cooper: The Mack Flag Pole is located on the front lawn of Central Hall (East Park and Platt Streets, Albion). The memorial was dedicated in 1977 to the memory of Frank Joseph Mack Sr., a past commander of Sheret Post #35 American Legion and a medical corpsman who served on the island of Guam with the U.S. Army Medical Corps during WWII.
ALBION – This first column of Illuminating Orleans appropriately enough focuses on Central Hall, East Park Street in Albion, as its varied incarnations over the years dovetail with Veterans Day.
This solid red-brick building was the Central School from 1882-1934. Purchased by Orleans County in 1980, it has since accommodated the Treasurer’s Dept., the Probation Dept. and the Historian’s Office.
Having outgrown its quarters, the Historian’s Office and Orleans County History Dept. will soon be moved to the second floor, recently vacated by Probation.
From 1935-1980 the building was home to Sheret Post #35 American Legion which was named in honor of Sgt. James A. Sheret whom General Pershing considered “one of the hundred heroes of WW1”. A member of Co. F. 108th Reg., NY Volunteer Infantry, Sgt. Sheret was killed in action on September 29, 1918. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for the bravery of his actions during the attack on the Hindenburg Line.
Sept. 29, 1918 was a dark day indeed for the Sheret family, as their son Pvt. Egbert Sheret, a machine gunner was also killed in action on that same day. Yet another son, Andrew, was wounded at that battle, but survived. A fourth son, John G. served in the Navy and mercifully survived the war as well.
The Sheret brothers were the sons of John Galashan Sheret Sr. who immigrated from Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 1886. He married Anna Wickizer of South Ausman, Susquehanna County, Pa. in 1891. Described as a block breaker by profession in the 1915 NY Census, John Sheret Sr. became secretary of the International Union of Paving Cutters. John and Anna had ten children: James, Egbert, John Jr., Andrew, Elsie, Marion, Virginia, Donald and Bernard, with quite a range in age as James was born in 1892 and Bernard in 1916.
John Sheret Sr. maintained his ties with Scotland and visited family in 1911, sailing on the ship Caledonia, according to Ellis Island records. Naturally, the Scottish branch of the family was also saddened by the loss of the two young men. The Aberdeen Evening Express of November 26, 1918 carried a notice of James and Egbert’s deaths:
“Two brothers, James and Egbert Sheret, of the U.S.A. Infantry, were killed in action on 29th September last. They were the eldest and second sons of Mr. John Sheret, late of Bucksburn, and grandsons of Mrs. Sheret, Kirkvale, Ashgrove Road, Aberdeen. A third brother was wounded on the same day, and a fourth brother is in training.”
The Sheret brothers of Albion are also included in the Aberdeen and District Roll of Honour which is housed at the National Library of Scotland:
This family who sacrificed so much is buried in the Fairview section of Mount Albion Cemetery. Their memory is honored in the buildings and organizations named for them. Their story is part of the collection maintained by the History Dept. at Central Hall.
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Photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Administration Building is pictured on election night, Nov. 3. The Board of Elections is located in the building, which also hosted a polling site for nine days of early voting.
Joe Biden and Nate McMurray both received a small fraction of in-person votes in Orleans County. But the two Democratic candidates fared much better with absentee ballots that were counted today.
Biden received 1,424 of the 2,391 ballots for president or 59.6 percent. Donald Trump, who received 71.4 percent of the in-person votes for president, saw the absentee percentage drop to 37.7 percent or 902 total.
Trump was still the overwhelming choice in Orleans County for president when all the ballots were counted. He received 12,075 votes to 5,506 for Biden.
Third party candidates also picked up votes with Jo Jorgensen (Libertarian) receiving 311 votes, Brock Pierce (Independence) 71 votes and Howie Hawkins (Green Party) at 49 votes.
• 27th Congressional District: On election night on Nov. 3, when the in-person votes were counted, Chris Jacobs received 10,687 votes to 3,843 for Nate McMurray and 234 for Duane Whitmer. Jacobs ran under the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines, with McMurray on the Democratic and Working Families parties. Whitmer ran as a Libertarian.
McMurray did much better with the absentees, receiving 56.0 percent or 1,275, to 961 for Jacobs (42.2 percent). Whitmer picked up 40 more.
3 state legislators
• Robert Ortt was re-elected to a fourth term as state senator in a district that includes Orleans, Niagara and a portion of Monroe counties. Ortt was unopposed. He received 12,630 in-person votes in Orleans County and added 1,525 more absentees out of 2,413 ballots. That means 888 of the absentee voters didn’t give Ortt a vote.
• Steve Hawley of Batavia was re-elected to another term in the State Assembly, where he was first elected in 2006. Hawley received 11,097 in-person votes in nine of the 10 towns in Orleans. The 139th District includes all of Genesee County and a portion of Monroe County. He received 1,309 absentee votes and Mark Glogowski, a Libertarian candidate, picked up 213 votes through absentees.
• Michael Norris was unopposed for a third term as assemblyman for the 144th District which includes portions of Niagara and Erie counties, and also Shelby in Orleans County. Norris received 1,342 in-person votes in Shelby and added 178 more with absentees, out of 300 ballots.
Contested county and town races
• County Clerk: Nadine Hanlon increased her lead over Diane Shampine. Hanlon received 1,131 of the absentees or 66.6 percent to 564 for Shampine. Hanlon, who won a close Republican primary over Shampine in June, had 8,900 in-person votes to 4,474 for Shampine, who stayed on the ballot with the Conservative Party.
• Murray highway superintendent: Dirk Lammes had a big lead over James DeFilipps after election night with 1,076 votes under the Republican and Conservative lines, while DeFilipps has 674 under the Independence line and the independent “Jimmy D for Highway” party. DeFilipps narrowed the gap slightly in absentees, 126 to 118. Lammes will be the winner, 1,194 to 800.
• Shelby Town Councilman: Ryan Wilkins received 1,102 in-person votes under the Republican line. Craig Stalker also mounted a write-in campaign and there were 229 write-in votes with in-person voting. Wilkins received 165 absentees while there were eight more write-in votes through absentees.
The other local positions were unopposed:
Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the completion of a $17 million substantial rehabilitation of the historic former Holley High School in the village of Holley in Orleans County. Now known as Holley Gardens, the building offers 41 affordable homes for seniors with public meeting space and offices for use by the village of Holley.
“As New York builds back better, we are steadfast in our commitment to providing safe and affordable housing to our vulnerable populations,” Governor Cuomo said. “The Holley Gardens housing builds upon our strategic investments in communities across the state and in the Finger Lakes region and will provide 41 affordable homes for New York’s seniors. We have a responsibility to protect and support our seniors and new developments like Holley Gardens will provide crucial housing opportunities to those who need it most.”
“Every New Yorker deserves the warmth and security of a roof over their heads and supportive services they need,” Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said. “This $17 million project included a significant rehabilitation of a vacant high school that will provide over 41 affordable homes for our older New Yorkers, including supportive services for individuals with physical disabilities. New York is committed to investing in projects like these to help ensure fairness and enhanced quality of life while continuing to build back better, stronger and more inclusive for the future.”
Governor Cuomo’s commitment to strengthening communities and growing the Finger Lakes economy is reflected in “Finger Lakes Forward,” the region’s comprehensive blueprint to generate robust economic growth and community development. Since 2011, HCR has invested over $639 million in the Finger Lakes Region that has created or preserved nearly 7,700 homes.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, front center, cut the ribbon for the project at a celebration this afternoon. Front row, from left, include Ed Morgan, representing Satte Sen. Rob Ortt; Nelson Leenhouts, Chairman of Home Leasing and Home Leasing Construction; Wayne Goodman, executive director of the Landmark Society of WNY; State Assemblyman Steve Hawley; Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul; County Legislator John DeFilipps ( a member of the Holley Class of 1975, the last to graduate from the old school); former Holley Mayor Brian Sorochty; and current Mayor Kevin Lynch, also a member of Holley’s Class of 1975. Back row: Charlie Oster, development manager for Edgemere Development; George DeRue, Home Leasing’s vice president of historical preservation and construction manager for the project; Bret Garwood, CEO of Home Leasing; Connie Nenni, Holley village trustee; John Kenney, former Holley mayor; Kim Russell, Home Leasing attorney.
Originally constructed in 1931, the three-story Neo-Classical brick building served as the village’s high school until the mid-1970s. It sat unused in the decades since closing. After careful rehabilitation, including the preservation of original architectural details, Holley Gardens now offers 41 affordable apartments for New Yorkers aged 55 and up.
The school’s original auditorium was kept largely intact to be used as a public meeting space for the village’s board meetings and other public forums. The area beneath the balcony was renovated to house the village’s administrative offices.
Building amenities for residents include a community room, Energy Star appliances, air conditioning, and laundry facilities, along with outdoor space. Located in the heart of the Holley’s downtown, Holley Gardens is within walking distance to the village’s library, restaurants, churches, and retail.
Seven of the apartments will be available for households where at least one member is a person with a physical disability who will have access to supportive services provided by Independent Living of Genesee Region. The developer is Home Leasing in partnership with Edgemere Development.
State financing for the $17 million development includes federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that generated a total of $6.8 million in equity and $4.1 million in subsidy from HCR. The project received federal and state Historic Tax Credits that generated $6.4 million in equity allocated by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Empire State Development provided $1 million through the Restore NY program and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority provided $41,000.
HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Holley Gardens serves a dual purpose of providing 41 much-needed affordable homes for older New Yorkers and rehabilitating a historic building in the heart of the village. The state’s investment to carefully preserve the historic architecture will breathe new life into Holley’s historic district, create a more walkable and active streetscape for the building’s residents, and show that the Finger Lakes economy is reopen for business and moving forward.”
State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said, “It is rewarding to see a historic landmark in the village get new life as affordable housing for senior citizens. The project is the first time the Historic Tax Credit program has been used in the village of Holley, which now joins communities across the state in successfully transforming underutilized buildings to create much-needed housing and business opportunities, and preserve local heritage.”
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul attended today’s ribbon-cutting celebration. She said the project shows the state is committed to bringing resources to small towns.
Empire State Development Acting Commissioner and CEO & Commissioner-designate Eric Gertler said, “Holley Gardens is a prime example of New York State’s creative approach to community development through our Restore NY program. By transforming a long-vacant school into a vibrant residential development for seniors, this public-private partnership revitalized an underutilized local facility to serve the current needs of the Holley community.”
Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said, “Holley Gardens will be a wonderful addition to the Village of Holley and for our senior residents who are seeking a new, yet affordable, place to call home. By renovating the already existing Holley High School, New York State and private partners have found a way to reutilize the Village of Holley’s landmarks for community residents. I am proud to have worked with tremendous local officials to secure state funding and make this project a reality.”
Assemblyman Steve Hawley said, “Holley Gardens is another example of the creativity, hard work, and dedication that the people of Western New York have. With this development, the opportunity to give more of our senior citizens comfortable, affordable housing in the village of Holley shows yet another way our communities continue to give back and support each other. I look forward to seeing the complex be filled, and seeing the wonderful life our neighbors can bring to it.”
Mayor Kevin Lynch said, “In a five-year period, the old high school has been transformed into senior housing and new space for the village offices and public meetings. This is a great change for the village of Holley. Thanks to Home Leasing, Edgemere Development and everyone who worked to make this project a reality.”
Chairperson Orleans County Legislature Lynne M. Johnson said, “Thanks to the hard work and commitment of so many, Holley Gardens is the first adaptive reuse to offer affordable senior homes, municipal offices and communal space for the benefit of all who live and work in Orleans County. The spectacular redevelopment of the former high school is the finest example of public and private partners working together to sustainably preserve and enhance smaller communities with historical assets.”
CEO of Home Leasing Bret Garwood said, “We are thrilled to be part of the transformation of the long abandoned historic Holley High School into Holley Gardens. With this project, we are helping to address the critical need for affordable housing for seniors and are part of creating a vibrant village. I am grateful to all our partners including New York State Homes and Community Renewal, the Village of Holley, and Edgemere Development, who have offered their expertise and dedication throughout the entire process.”
Founder of Edgemere Development John Oster said, “Many thought there was no hope or use for this beautiful former school. The completion of this successful project was due to the willpower and collaboration of Edgemere, Home Leasing, the Village of Holley and County of Orleans, NYS Homes and Community Renewal, Key Bank, and our other public and private partners. Holley Gardens is now a welcoming home for our seniors and critical Village offices.”
Executive Director of The Landmark Society of Western New York Wayne Goodman said, “This impressive and collaborative project converted a problematic liability into a true community asset, and by doing so, saved an irreplaceable historic building that has played such a formative role in Holley’s past. With the end result providing quality housing and enhancing Holley’s commercial district, this project is a prime example of how historic preservation elevates our communities across New York.”
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Press Release from Albion Central School
ALBION – Despite the changes and challenges Covid-19 has brought this year, students across the Albion school district are celebrating veterans.
Throughout the elementary school, students have been learning about what it means to be a veteran and writing letters to our local heroes, thanking them for their service.
Adelaide, an elementary student, plays her clarinet.
Third grade teacher Danielle Cammarata is spearheading the letter-writing effort.
“Many of our students have family members in the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force right now, so this project is extra meaningful to them,” Cammarata said. “The letters will warm many hearts.”
It’s not only the students who have family members serving but many of the faculty as well. Sixth grade teacher Cathy Schmitt has put together a slideshow to honor staff member who served in the military or who have family members who are veterans.
“We usually play it in classes so the students can make connections with their teachers,” Schmitt said. “It includes the family member’s name, their branch of service and some other information they sent to me.”
While traditionally the middle school has honored local veterans in an assembly, the presentation will be shared virtually this year with students and staff.
Cammarata says it is important to keep these traditions alive.
“It’s really important to give thanks for the time, energy and dedication veterans have given to our country,” Cammarata said. “I want the children to know and understand the sacrifices that they made to make it possible for all of us to live in this country and embrace the freedoms they fought for us.”
This year, they received 192 letters.
Normally, the letters are sent out around the holidays, this is the first year they’ll be sent out on Veterans Day.
“I think the performance and letters will let the community members know how much we appreciate and respect all that they have done for us,” Cammarata said. “It’s a small gesture, but hopefully it will bring a smile to those who have served.”
Students practice in smaller groups for the concert.
Elementary band teacher Lindsey Almeter agrees, saying that while this will be her students’ first Veterans Day performance, it is the perfect time to celebrate and connect with the school community.
“We were just looking for opportunities for students to still get to celebrate, perform on their instruments and connect with the community during a time where that connection is harder to make,” Almeter said. “[We] decided that Veterans Day would be a wonderful chance to encompass all of those goals and the students have been very excited about sharing the work they’ve been doing.”
The elementary school’s performance will be pre-recorded and played over the morning announcements.
According to high school band director Michael Thaine, the High School Music Department has held a concert in early November for over four decades.
“For several years in the ’90s and early 2000’s it was held on the evening of Election Day,” Thaine said. “In 2009, we moved the annual concert to the evening prior to Veterans Day, where it’s been ever since.”
The event is a celebration of our nation’s veterans through American music, by American composers.
“Music has played such an important role in this country’s history,” Thaine said. “ It only makes sense for us to honor our veterans through music.”
These cards will be displayed at some restaurants and stores in Albion.
While the pandemic has caused some limitations, including very limited rehearsal time, partial ensembles, and restrictions on public gatherings, the High School Music Department came up with an abbreviated virtual presentation. The program will still include some music, but also interviews with several veterans connected to our high school community.
“It’s become a loved community tradition over the years, and our veterans deserve to know that, despite the necessary focus on pandemic precautions and those logical complexities, their service and sacrifices are still appreciated and not overlooked,” Thaine said.
Make sure you look for the letters around Albion. They will be posted in Dunkin’, The Village House, Save-A-Lot and Tops.
The 2020 High School Virtual Veterans Day Program will be posted to the district’s YouTube channel (click here) on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.
Return to topPress Release, Congressman Chris Jacobs
Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) sent a letter to Governor Cuomo urging him to include Scaffold Law reform in his next budget proposal. Specifically, Congressman Jacobs called for implementing a comparative liability standard for gravity-related injuries.
“Reforming the burdensome Scaffold Law is long-overdue in New York State,” Jacobs said. “As we are staring down a massive budget deficit and a stalled economy, reforming this archaic law is an excellent first step. Meaningful reform to the Scaffold Law would unleash our economy, attract new investment into our state, and lower the cost of living for all New Yorkers. We are the last state in the nation to have such a regulation, and there has never been a more urgent time to reform it.”
Currently, New York is the only state in the nation with a liability regime like the Scaffold Law, which imposes an absolute liability standard for gravity-related injuries on construction sites. This has resulted in a projected 8%-10% increase to all construction costs – a cost that is handed down to taxpayers and deters investment in New York State. For example, complying with the Scaffold Law is expected to add an additional $180 to $300 million to the Gateway Program and added an estimated $400 million to the Tappan Zee Bridge.
Congressman Jacobs introduced the Infrastructure Expansion Act in September. This legislation would exempt federally funded projects from the Scaffold Law and instead require a comparative liability standard for gravity-related injuries. Because the Scaffold Law is a state law, a bill passed by the New York State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Cuomo would be the most direct way to repeal or reform it, Jacobs said.
Return to topPress Release, Assemblyman Mike Norris
Assemblyman Mike Norris (R,C,I,Ref-Lockport) has written to the New York Farm Labor Wage Board to ask them to freeze the overtime provisions for farm laborers at its current limitation of 60 hours per week.
Norris was opposed to the creation of the wage board and voted against the legislation in the first place because he felt it delegated authority away from the state Legislature and placed unreasonable restrictions on the agricultural community – a community and leading economic industry that faces unpredictable factors, such as weather, and is in need of flexibility.
“As we have seen just this year alone with the pandemic, there was a greater need for locally-produced food because of travel restrictions and production being slowed down elsewhere; however, because of this new requirement many farmers in our state have had to cut back on their plans in order to afford a more limited staff,” said Norris. “Ultimately, it is the consumer who suffers, and our state is less competitive. Grocery stores will be stocking cheaper items from out of state when they can because that’s what will drive sales.”
During this pandemic shutdown, the wage board began holding limited hearings online and is now considering reducing the workweek even further beyond the established 60 hours. With farmers already stretched too thin, Norris hopes the wage board will delay any consideration of further restrictions until after the pandemic is resolved, if not permanently.
“We must give our farms a fighting chance to survive in New York,” he said. “Our agricultural community provides us with our necessary food supply and we must do everything possible to keep them fully operational especially during this pandemic.”
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Orleans County has 13 more confirmed positives case of Covid-19 today for a total of 452 positive cases since March.
The new positive cases reside in Albion, Carlton, Kendall, Murray, Ridgeway and Shelby. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 30s, 40s, 50s and 70s.
Two of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported today.
Three of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list. One Orleans County resident is currently hospitalized due to Covid.
• Holley high schooler tests positive: The Health Department has been notified of a positive student at Holley High School. The student was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. The individual is on mandatory isolation until they recover. Contact tracing is in process for those who are considered close contacts and will be placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with the positive individual.
• Worker in Holley Elementary tests positive for Covid: The Holley school district also notified the community that an adult who works in the Holley Elementary School building tested positive for Covid. The individual does not work directly for the school district, Brian Bartalo, district superintendent, said in a letter to the community.
The last day this person was on our campus was Friday, November 6. The district is unable to legally disclose any additional details or personal identifiable information about this individual per the federal privacy laws.
The district will work with the Health Department to assist with any contact tracing if that is deemed necessary. The DOH will typically go back 48 hours from the onset of symptoms or the date of the test to determine any order of quarantining of individuals of close contact with this person. In this situation, since the individual was last here four days ago, it’s not known if anyone will be contacted. Any communication of the need for quarantine will come directly from the Health Department, Bartalo said.
In Genesee County, there are 7 new positive cases of Covid for a total of 472 positive cases since March.
The data below includes the 43 reported cases since Friday. The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Bethany, Darien, Elba, LeRoy, Oakfield, Pavilion and Stafford.
The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
Fourteen of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Genesee also reports that 17 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.
Two Genesee residents are hospitalized due to Covid.
• 173 active cases in 3 counties: To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here. There are currently 173 active cases in the three counties – 87 in Genesee, 47 in Orleans and 39 in Wyoming.
More from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
• No updates on Veterans Day: Due to the Veterans Day holiday, both Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments will be closed. We will not be updating numbers or the map until Thursday afternoon. A very special thank you to those who have served in any of the armed forces. We appreciate your service and the sacrifices you and your families have endured to keep our country safe.
Return to topPress Release, Genesee County Health Department
BATAVIA – The Genesee County Health Department has received a positive Covid-19 test from an individual who attended Trivia Night at TF Brown’s on Tuesday, November 3, between 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Contact tracing is in progress, however unidentified individuals may have unknowingly been in contact with the person who tested positive.
We advise all individuals who attended the Trivia Night on Nov. 3 to monitor their symptoms until November 17th. If symptoms of Covid-19 develop, contact your primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until you receive your test results.
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.
Return to topALBION – Two people were charged on Sunday after an investigation into the sale and distribution of crack cocaine from New York City to the Village of Albion, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force reported today.
Hector M. Mendez
The Task Force, the Albion Police Department and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 11 West Academy St. in Albion. Albion police K9 handler Nathaniel Staines and his K9 partner Badger also assisted in the search warrant execution.
Police seized over 100 individual bags of crack cocaine packaged for sale with a total weight of approximately two ounces, as well as cash, scales, packaging and other drug paraphernalia.
The following were arrested on felony drug charges:
• Hector M. Mendez, 39, of the Bronx was charged with 2 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, which are Class B felonies.
Michelle L. Preston
• Michelle L. Preston, 54, of 11 West Academy St. Apt. A, Albion was charged with 2 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.
The Task Force said further arrests and charges are pending in this investigation.
Preston, due to her previous criminal history, was arraigned in Orleans County Court by County Court Judge Sanford Church and released with her returning back to the Albion Town Court on Nov. 24 at 9 a.m.
Mendez was issued and appearance ticket due to the New York State bail reform and is to appear back to the Albion Town Court on Nov. 18 at 9 a.m., the Task Force said today in anews release.
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Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A new memorial for veterans at Courthouse Square will be dedicated at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, which is Veterans Day.
The Knights of Columbus, Albion Council #1330, led the project which included support from St. Mary’s Archery Club, St. Mary’s Athletic Club, Orleans Veterans Club, American Legion Sheret Post in Albion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Strickland Post in Albion.
Besides a monument, there is a flag pole (left) with a flag that recognizes the different branches of the military.
The service at 1 p.m. includes an invocation and blessing of the memorial by Father Bernard Nowak, a former Navy chaplain who now serves as the priest for Holy Trinity Parish in Medina and Middleport. Other local dignitaries will give remarks and there will be a presentation form the Honor Guard.
Attendees need to wear masks and observe social distancing.
There are two benches as part of the memorial. One bench has an inscription, “To Commemorate.”
The other bench has the words, “To Heal.”
The larger stone states the following:
“Dedicated to our courageous brothers and sisters of this community who served our country in times of peace and war. We thank them for their service. And especially to those who gave their lives in that service. May God grant them eternal rest.”
The stone includes the insignias of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Army National Guard and Merchant Marine.
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