Boy with sensory processing disorder welcomed at firehall

Photos by Tom Rivers: Alex Baker, 7, received a certificate from the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, designating him as an honorary member. He received the recognition on Monday during a meeting of the fire company. He is pictured with his family: parents William Baker and Candice Vought, and brothers Ryan and Adam.

SHELBY – Alex Baker looks forward to stopping by the Shelby fire hall every Tuesday evening. He and his mother, Candice Vought, will bring firefighters cookies and brownies.

The firefighters will give him a short ride in a fire truck.

The gestures and acceptance are much appreciated by Alex’s family. Alex, who turns 8 next month, has a sensory processing disorder. That makes it difficult for him to be around a lot of people or in buildings with unpredictable noises.

Alex made his first visit to the fire hall about a month ago. He was very reluctant to go inside.

But the firefighters proved friendly and welcoming.

“It’s still new to him, but he is happy and walks right into the building,” said his mother.

Alex Baker is congratulated on being a new honorary member of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company. Tim Petry, Shelby president, shakes Alex’s hand. Fire Chief Jason Watts also welcomed Alex as an honorary member. Alex is joined up front by his mother, Candice Vought.

The firefighters have noticed he feels more comfortable and doesn’t shy away.

“He is really coming out of his shell,” said Tim Petry, president of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.

Petry and Fire Chief Jason Watts made Alex an honorary member of the fire company on Monday. They presented him with a certificate during the fire company’s monthly meeting.

Alex’s brothers – Ryan, 13, and Adam, 10 – have joined a youth group through the fire company that meets Tuesday evenings. Alex looks forward to joining too when he is 10.

Alex enjoys watching the cartoon, Fireman Sam, and admires firefighters. Besides riding in the fire trucks, he has watched firefighters do an extrication drill, tearing apart a car.

She and Alex’s father also wanted firefighters and police officers to get to know Alex and understand his disability in case they ever encounter him in an emergency.

“We wanted to get him involved in the community,” said his mother.

William Baker said the firefighters have been kind to his son.

“I was surprised that they have been very open to him,” he said. “That makes Alex want to see them again.”

Alex Baker and his mother Candice Vought are pictured with Shelby Fire Chief Jason Watts, left, and President Tim Petry.

Photo by Tom Rivers

SHELBY – Jeff Lyons (right), owner of Lyons Emergency Services, presents a new drone to Shelby Fire Chief Jason Watts on Monday during the fire company’s monthly business meeting.

Lyons, a member of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, said the drone will assist Shelby firefighters with searches, especially in the swamp and can also give a quick aerial view of large fires, showing if flames are coming through a roof.

“You can cover a lot of ground quickly,” Lyons said.

Two Shelby firefighters will be trained and certified to operate the drone.

ALBION – The Orleans County Board of Elections will count 2,550 absentee and affidavit ballots today, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The BOE typically counts those ballots a week after an election.

There are no cliffhanger elections locally after the in-person vote on Nov. 3 and with early voting.

Donald Trump received 71.4 percent of the in-person vote in Orleans County or 11,173 or the 15,649 votes cast for president. Joe Biden received 26.1 percent or 4,082 votes in Orleans. Will Trump’s margin of support in Orleans drop below 70 percent after the absentees and affidavits are counted today?

The absentees were mailed in and needed to be postmarked by Nov. 3. The affidavits or provisional ballots are for people who believe  they are eligible to vote but cannot submit a regular ballot because elections workers don’t have their information. Of the 2,550 ballots to be counted today, nearly all of them are absentees. There were 2,362 received by the BOE by Nov. 3 with more time for ballots to be mailed in as long as they were postmarked by Election Day.

The votes today will provide more numbers in for the 27^th Congressional with Chris Jacobs, who is ahead of Nate McMurray and Duane Whitmer. Jacobs declared victory on Tuesday night after the in-person votes were announced in the eight-county district.

Other local races include Nadine Hanlon and Diane Shampine for county clerk. Hanlon has an insurmountable lead, 8,900 to 4,474.

The Murray highway superintendent also is an open position and Dirk Lammes has a big lead over James DeFilipps. Lammes has 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.

Orleans also reporting a death due to Covid-19, first since July 15

Orleans and Genesee counties both are reported a big increase in Covid-19 cases since Friday, when the local Health Department last updated the community about new confirmed cases.

In Orleans County there are 18 more cases since Friday while Genesee has 43 more confirmed cases.

Orleans also is reporting a death from Covid-19, a person over age 65. This is the first Covid death in the county since July 15. The county has now had 56 residents die after contracting Covid.

“We are deeply saddened to report we have had an Orleans County community member pass away due to Covid-19,” the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments stated in a news release. “Out of respect for the family we will not release any further details about this individual. We send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this person and encourage our community members to be respectful of the family’s time of grieving.”

Orleans has now had 439 positive cases since March. The 18 new positive cases include residents in Albion, Barre, Clarendon, Gaines, Kendall, Murray, Ridgeway, Shelby and Yates.

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

Three of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Health Departments said.

Orleans is also reporting six recoveries from Covid and those people have been removed from the isolation list.

• The Health Departments have been notified of a positive student at Lyndonville High School and a positive student at Medina High School. The students were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. The individuals are 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.

• Albion Central School also said one of its students has tested positive for Covid-19. The student is a hybrid learner in the high school.

As the student has not been in school since Oct. 26, the Health Department determined there is no need to do further contact tracing in the school due to the look-back period, the school district stated on its website.

In Genesee County, the 43 new positive cases bring Genesee’s total to 465 positive cases since March.

Due to the volume of positives, further information will be updated tomorrow, the Health Departments said. Staff are working on contact tracing.

• The Genesee County Health Department was notified of two teachers testing positive at Jackson Primary School in Batavia. The individuals have been placed under mandatory isolation where they will remain until they have recovered.

Contact tracing is in process to identify close contacts. Out of an abundance of caution, Jackson Primary School will be 100 percent remote virtual learning until Monday, November 30.

2 neighboring counties in danger of more restrictions if cases continue to rise

Two of Orleans County’s neighbors, Monroe and Erie, have been designated with yellow precautionary zone focus areas due to rising Covid cases.

The state’s yellow zone restrictions include a 25-person maximum capacity on mass gatherings, 4-person to a table maximum while dining and 20 percent weekly testing of in-person students, faculty in schools. Bars and restaurants located in Yellow Precautionary Zones must close at midnight.

The two counties could see more restrictions if cases continue to rise.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the cluster strategy has worked so far, with increased testing, awareness and actions to rein in Covid.

For example, Brooklyn was changed from the most restrictive red zone to an orange warning zone based on reduced Covid cases. The change to an orange zone  allowed many businesses to reopen.

“Covid is surging across the country and the globe, and we expect the rates will continue to go up through the fall and into the winter,” Governor Cuomo said today. “The long-term prognosis is get a vaccine as quickly as possible, and administer the vaccine as quickly, fairly and equitably as possible. In the meantime, we manage the increase by doing more testing and targeted restrictions where necessary, and being more aggressive on enforcement.”

The state designated large portions of Erie, Monroe and also Onondaga counties with yellow zones today.

• Erie County – Over the past 10 days, parts of Erie County have had 7-day average positivity rates above 2.5 percent, and cases per 100,000 and new daily hospital admissions have increased, meeting the metrics for a yellow zone designation. (Click here to see a map of the county in the yellow zone.)

• Monroe County – Over the past 10 days, parts of Monroe County have had 7-day average positivity rates above 3 percent, and cases per 100,000 and new daily hospital admissions have increased, meeting the metrics for a yellow zone designation. (Click here to see a map of the county in the yellow zone.)

• Onondaga County – Over the past 10 days, parts of Onondaga County have had 7-day average positivity rates above 3%, and cases per 100,000 and new daily hospital admissions have increased, meeting the metrics for a yellow zone designation. (Click here to see a map of the county in the yellow zone.)

‘I know people are tired – Covid fatigue is real. But the virus isn’t tired.’ – Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Identifying and Implementing Focus Zone

Daily data monitoring enables the state to identify areas that are experiencing a concerning increase in Covid spread, Cuomo said.

Once an area meets certain metrics – detailed below – that demonstrate substantial spread, it may be designated a focus zone.

• Red Zone — Micro-Cluster: A “Red Zone” focus area is put in place to contain spread from a specific, defined geographic area.

• Orange Zone — Warning/Buffer: An Orange Zone area either is put in place primarily in densely populated urban areas as a tight buffer zone around a Red Zone micro-cluster (“Orange Buffer Zone”) area or is implemented independently as a focus area based on metrics.

The purpose of an Orange Buffer Zone is to 1) restrict activity to prevent further spread from Red Zone area; 2) provide a defined geographic area where metrics can be monitored daily to ensure Covid is not spreading beyond the Red Zone.

• Yellow Zone — Precautionary/Buffer: A “Yellow Zone” area either is put in place as a broader buffer area to ensure Covid outbreak is not spreading into the broader community or is implemented independently based on the metrics.

The purpose of a Yellow Buffer Zone is to 1) restrict some activity to help prevent further spread from Red and/or Orange Warning Zone area; 2) provide a larger defined geographic area where metrics can be monitored daily to ensure Covid is not spreading beyond the Red Zone or Orange Warning Zone.

The restrictions for the three cluster zones include:

• Red Zone — Cluster Itself

Houses of Worship: 25 percent capacity, 10 people maximum

Mass Gatherings: Prohibited

Businesses: Only essential businesses open

Dining: Takeout only

Schools: Closed, remote only

Orange Zone — Warning Zone

Houses of Worship: 33 percent capacity, 25 people maximum

Mass Gatherings: 10 people maximum, indoor and outdoor

Businesses: Closing high-risk non-essential businesses, such as gyms and personal care

Dining: Outdoor dining only, 4 person maximum per table

Schools: Closed, remote only

Yellow Zone — Precautionary Zone

Houses of Worship: 50 percent capacity

Mass Gatherings: 25 people maximum, indoor and outdoor

Businesses: Open

Dining: Indoor and outdoor dining, 4 person maximum per table

Schools: Open with mandatory weekly testing of students and teachers/staff for in-person settings with percentage of students and teachers to be tested to be established by the New York State Department of Health.

A county or area can be downgraded in zone designation or have the designation ended if the positivity data, cases per capita, and daily hospital admissions over a 14 day period go down, showing there are no signs of broader spread from the focus area that prompted the zone creation.

“I know people are tired – Covid fatigue is real,” Cuomo said. “But the virus isn’t tired. The red, orange and yellow zones are our way of saying the virus is making headway and we’re going to increase restrictions and we’re going to increase enforcement. When we see a small increase, we attack that small increase – and the numbers show it works.”

Not surprisingly the New York State Public High School Athletic Association is putting a hold on the start of the winter sports season for basketball and wrestling. Swimming will be allowed to begin practicing on November 30 when the winter sports season is scheduled to begin.

Basketball and wrestling have been designated as “High Risk” sports while swimming is in the low -moderate risk category.

NYSPHSAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Zayas stated today: “At this time authorization has not been provided for high risk sports to begin play. The high risk sports start date continues to be examined and will be revised if needed but is contingent upon authorization from state officials.”

However even the swim season may not be normal. Locally Niagara-Orleans League officials are looking at holding a season of “virtual” boys and girls swim meets. The “virtual” meets, matching Albion and Medina for example, would have each school swimming at its own pool and then the times of the teams in each event would be compared to determine the winner of the meet.

Currently, the fall season’s low-moderate risk sports which have included soccer, field hockey, golf and cross-country, are wrapping up their schedules.

The so-called “High Risk” fall sports of football, volleyball and competitive cheerleading, have been postponed and are scheduled to begin play on March 1.

MEDINA – Medina High School will resume in-person classes on Tuesday. The school was remote-only today after the school district was notified on Sunday that a high school student tested positive for Covid-19.

The student was last on campus on Nov. 2. The Orleans County Health Department has worked with the district to identify any close contacts of the student.

If the Health Department feels a child is at increased risk, the child’s family will be contacted directly. Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent, asks parents to contact the school nurse at (585) 798-3843 if a child is placed on quarantine. If that happens, the district will work to ensure virtual learning is arranged for the child.

The district remains committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all students and staff, Kruzynski said.

“Our buildings will continue to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected each and every day,” Kruzynski said in a letter to the community. “Our busses will continue to be cleaned and disinfected after every bus run. Our cleaning regimen, social distancing, barriers and mask requirements are working in helping to fight the spread of the coronavirus on our campus.”

LYNDONVILLE – The high school will return to in-person classes on Tuesday for grades 9-12.

Lyndonville shifted to remote only for those grade levels today as a precaution so the Orleans County Health Department could do contact tracing after a confirmed case of Covid-19 on Sunday for a high school student.

The student was last on campus on Nov. 2, said Jason Smith, the district superintendent.

“We have spoken to the Health Department and if your child is deemed a ‘close contact,’ you will be contacted and provided with further direction,” Smith said in a letter to the community today. “If your son/daughter is contacted and is put on mandatory quarantine, please call our school nurse, Mrs. Kurz, at 765-3124. We will work with your child about being fully remote during the quarantine period. Please note it is not necessary to take action unless you are personally notified by the Health Department.”

The district is committed to providing students and staff with a safe and healthy environment, Smith said.

“I assure you, our building will continue to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected,” he said. “I continue to be proud of our staff and students for adhering to the safety protocols we have in place. Our cleaning, social distancing, barriers and face covering are effective in preventing the spread of the virus on our campus. I ask that you please continue to wear face masks, maintain social distancing and wash your hands frequently.”

Press Release, State Police, Troop A

BATAVIA – The State Police is warning the public on a recent increase of phone scams to elderly citizens. This scam includes a few different scenarios:

• The caller claiming to be a family member to have an illness or was arrested. This caller will put urgency on helping them and not to contact other family.
• The caller claims to be a law enforcement official with a family member under arrest demanding bail or funds for them. (Police agencies do not contact family for bail money.)

The caller in both scenarios will advise the victim to get a specific amount of money and buy gift cards from popular stores such as Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Target and other big retail stores. The victim is told to call a number and read off the gift card identification number.

If you receive a call you believe to be a scam:

• Resist the urge to act immediately – no matter how dramatic the story is.
• Verify the caller’s identity – Ask questions that a stranger couldn’t answer. Check with a family member to see if the information is true.
• Don’t send cash, gift cards or money transfers – once the scammer gets the money, it’s gone!

If you have parents or elderly people in your family, take the time to explain this scam to them.

Museum planned to celebrate 60^th anniversary this year, but instead will do in 2021 when it hopes there will be fewer Covid restrictions

Photos by Tom Rivers: Bob Fisher of Robert Fisher Contracting Inc. in Kendall is about 26 feet up high on Dec. 16, 2019, working on the base of the bell tower roof at the Cobblestone schoolhouse. Fisher has worked on several projects for the museum in recent years, doing quality work at an affordable price. Fisher received the museum’s “Business Partner of the Year” Award for 2020.

GAINES – The Cobblestone Museum held its 60^thannual meeting on Saturday and the organization honored key supporters who backed the museum during a difficult year with Covid-19 restrictions.

Gerard Morrisey was recognized as the Cobblestone Museum’s 2020 volunteer of the year on Saturday.

• Volunteer of the Year: The museum didn’t do any large group tours this past year, but still managed 42 tours. Gerard Morrisey led a third of the tours and he was named Volunteer of the Year. He did the tours while wearing a face mask, and insisted on social distancing, wearing of masks and sanitizers for the people on the tours, said Sue Bonafini, the museum’s assistant director and volunteer coordinator.

Morrisey has been a “standout docent” for the museum for several years, Bonafini said. He also won volunteer of the year in 2018.

Usually the museum begins hosting tours of its campus in May. The restrictions from Covid-19 pushed back tours until mid-July. Morrisey was one of five docents who led tours this year after being trained under the new safety guidelines.

Morrisey also served a mentor to interns who trained to lead tours and shadowed Morrisey.

The museum depends on the trained volunteers for the tours, which are critical to sharing the museum’s story with the public.

“Docents meet visitors of all ages and provide a personalized, informative and interpretive experience,” Bonafini said.

Bob Fisher heads down a ladder while working on the bell tower roof in December 2019 for the Cobblestone Schoolhouse, which was built in 1849 and is part of the Cobblestone Museum, a National Historic Landmark on Route 104.

• Business Partner of the Year: The museum recognized Bob Fisher, owner of Robert M. Fisher Contracting in Kendall, as the Business Partner of the Year.

Fisher has used his carpentry skills on several projects at the museum in recent years. This past year he and his son restored and painted the trim on the Farmers Hall, sided the west wall, and installed gutters and a drainage system. Russ Bosch, chairman of the museum’s Buildings and Grounds Committee, said the project resulted in an “impressive transformation of the building.”

Fisher also reroofed the harness and print shops, installed a gutter on the east side of the Brick House, and is making and installed a cedar skirt on the Farmers Hall. He also upgraded the roof on the Greek Revival outhouse roof next to the Farmers Hall.

Prior to this year, Fisher also installed new white oak windowsills on the Cobblestone Universalist Church in 2017, reroofed the schoolhouse in 2018, and put a new metal roof on the schoolhouse bell tower in 2019.

Fisher has also assisted the museum in grant applications by helping to prepare bid specifications and providing quotes.

“He has succeeded to overcome any issues that arise once the work begins with minimal delay or cost,” Bosch said.

Roy Bubb

• Rufus Bullock Award – Roy Bubb was recognized for the award named in honor of the former Georgia governor from Albion for his outstanding and sustained contributions to the museum.

Bubb, a Clarendon native and retired educator, has supported the museum since its early days. He donated items for the one-room schoolhouse, including the teacher’s desk and a chair.

Bubb has been more active with the Cobblestone Society in recent years, attending many events, including bus tours. During the 2019 membership dinner, he purchased an 1880s heirloom quilt during the live auction.

He has donated a vase from a renown ceramic artist for the next fundraising auction, valued at $600. He has also donated puppets in mint condition that are more than 100 years old from Indonesia.

Bubb has also donated generously through his membership, the “60 for 60 campaign” seeking $60 on the museum’s 60^th anniversary and a Pomeroy Fund Challenge.

Bill Lattin welcomes visitors to the Vagg House on Saturday following the Cobblestone Museum’s annual meeting. Lattin led the transformation of the Vagg House, at the corner of routes 98 and 104, into a home decorated in the 1920s and ’30s. Saturday was the first public event at the Vagg House since it was redone and added to the museum’s campus.

• Pullman Award – Bill Lattin, the retired museum director, was recognized with the Pullman Award for his many generous donations to the museum.

Lattin led the museum as director and curator for about 35 years, retiring in 2010. During his tenure as director, the museum was expanded beyond cobblestone buildings to broader Orleans County history. Lattin welcomed the blacksmith shop to the museum, and orchestrated the relocation of the harness shop, print shop and Farmers Hall to the Route 98 section of the museum.

In 1977, a “Privy Council” was formed and Lattin made a mission of finding old abandoned outhouses and giving them a home at the museum campus, wanting to elevate the 19^thcentury authenticity of the growing museum, said Doug Farley, the current museum director.

He praised Lattin for staying involved with the museum since he retired 10 years ago, serving on the board as a trustee or officer. He serves as a mentor to staff and continues to volunteer with many projects.

This past summer Lattin and his grandson, Freeman Lattin, repainted buildings on Route 98. Bill also led the efforts to curate the Vagg House at the corner of routes 98 and 104, the former home of blacksmith Joe Vagg and his wife Nellie, who was active in the temperance movement.

The house includes many antiques from the house’s last owner, the late René Schasel. Many of those items were given to the museum in Schasel’s memory through his estate, which Lattin is co-executor.

Lattin also was able to find additional antiques to decorate the house in a 1920s, ’30s theme. The Vagg House is a new addition to the museum’s campus.

“With a broad knowledge of antiques, Bill has the ability to pinpoint items down to the smallest detail to represent genuineness of the period,” Farley said. “He used his own funds to purchase and donate some additional curios to amplify the feeling for guests that they have truly stepped back in time as they enter the house. And fittingly, Bill built and donated an outhouse for the home’s backyard.”

Maarit Vaga, a Cobblestone Museum trustee, planned many events with museum officials this year for the 60th anniversary of the museum and Cobblestone Society. Those events will be moved to 2021. Saturday’s annual meeting was held in the Cobblestone Universalist Church, the first time since the initial meeting nearly 60 years ago. The meeting is usually held at Tillman’s Village Inn. Saturday’s meeting also included a Zoom option for people to attend through video conferencing.

• 60^th anniversary celebration moved to 2021 – The museum had many events planned for 2020 in honor of the 60^th anniversary of the museum and Cobblestone Society. Many of those events will be moved to 2021, when the museum hopes Covid-19 restrictions will be eased to allow for larger group gatherings.

Despite having to curtail and cancel many of its fundraisers in 2020, the museum is projecting it will end the year with about $6,000 in net revenue – $122,895 in revenues and $116,839 in expenses.

The museum was aided by $15,000 through the federal Paycheck Protection Program. The museum also received $10,919 in donations, $10,615 in membership fees. A matching Pomeroy challenge also resulted in $16,483 from the grant and about $23,000 in additional membership donations through the challenge.

Photos contributed by Hospice: Julie Noreck, a Hospice special events volunteer, is also a seamstress who uses her talent to create gifts for veterans they serve. She sews and creates handmade blankets and quilts for Hospice’s We Honor Veterans program.

ALBION – Hospice of Orleans is very fortunate to have two dedicated volunteers with creative hobbies, who use their talents to make gifts for veterans served by Hospice’s We Honor Veterans Program.

Julie Noreck is a seamstress who sews beautiful blankets and quilts specifically for these veterans.

Beverly Saskowski, a direct care volunteer, board member and all-around supporter of Hospice, paints beautiful designs focused on veterans on rocks of various sizes and shapes. She also does them for the residents of the Martin-Linsin Hospice Residence, as well as patients in their Homecare Program.

The “We Honor Veterans” Program empowers hospices and community organizations to meet the unique needs of America’s veterans and their families, by offering guidance and resources focused on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening and grateful acknowledgement, so that veterans can be guided toward a more peaceful ending.

Beverly Saskowski shows a selection of decorative rocks she painted for veterans served by Hospice of Orleans. Saskowski is a direct care volunteer, board member and all-around support of Hospice.

Donations can be given through countertop kettles

File photo by Tom Rivers: Chuck Eberhardt, left, and Al Pulcino, both members of the American Legion in Holley, were outside the Eastern Orleans Community Center in the Public Square in this photo from Nov. 25, 2013, ringing the bells for the Red Kettle campaign.

There won’t be bell ringers this year for the annual Red Kettle fundraising campaign. Residents can still give to the campaign through counter top kettles that will be placed in many local stores beginning on Tuesday.

Annette Finch, director of community services for Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, said the change was made to protect bell ringers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Finch also serves as the Salvation Army treasurer. The proceeds from the Red Kettle campaign go to serve people in crisis in Orleans County. The campaign usually raises about $25,000 which is administered by Community Action.

“Salvation Army is able to assist hundreds of struggling families and our community,” Finch said. “The need this year will be even greater than in the past. We anticipate this need will grow during these difficult times. Community Action is committed to being a source of help.”

All of the money given in the kettles stays in Orleans County, Finch said.

“We appreciate your continued support of our Red Kettles in the past and hope that we can again help our neighbors this year,” Finch said.

People can also donate by sending a check to Community Action, 409 East State St., Albion, NY 14411 and indicate on the check “Salvation Army.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: The leaves are in their autumnal glory in this tree in front of the Ward House on Route 104 in Gaines. The building is part of the Cobblestone Museum.

The unseasonable warmth continues in Orleans County this week. Today is forecast to be sunny with a high of 75, followed by a sunny Tuesday with a high of 74, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

On Veterans Day on Wednesday there is a chance for showers before 1 p.m. and it will be partly sunny with a high near 65.

The high temperatures the rest of the week include 50 on Thursday, 52 on Friday and 49 on Saturday.

MEDINA – Medina High School will be doing classes remote only on Monday with no in-person classes after the school district was notified today that a high school student tested positive for Covid-19.

This is the first Medina student to test positive for Covid-19 this school year.

Having no in-person classes in the school will allow the Orleans County Health Department to do conduct contact tracing with close contacts who may have been exposed to the virus.

Medina High School students should log in to Google classroom for each of their classes on Monday, said Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent.

Students who attend BOCES will also be virtual on Monday.

The Oak Orchard and Wise schools will conduct in-person classes on Monday, as normally scheduled, Kruzynski said.

Lyndonville also is shifting to remote learning for grades 9-12 on Monday after the district was notified today that a high school student tested positive for Covid-19.