New York State Department of Transportation is advising motorists of its annual closure of the stretch of Lake Ontario State Parkway, west of Route 98 in the town of Carlton.
This year’s closure of the 2-mile section is anticipated to go into effect on Monday and last until next spring. A detour will be in place for motorists to exit at Route 98 and take Route 18 to continue west.
The DOT has closed that section of the roads in recent winters to save on de-icing materials, equipment and repairs to damaged pavement. Closing the 2-mile stretch saved an estimated $70,000 worth of maintenance and operating expenses including materials, equipment, and labor, the DOT has said.
About 800 cars travel this section every day, the DOT has said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 November 2020 at 12:34 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – There was a long line of vehicles in Albion this morning for a food distribution at the Main Street Store parking lot. A group of Iroquois Job Corps employees made up the bulk of the volunteers as well as staff from the Orleans County Office for the Aging and Community Action of Orleans and Genesee. Melissa Blanar, the OFA director, is at left.
This was the first food distribution in two weeks in Orleans County. The distributions include about 300 boxes of food, weighing 30 to 40 pounds. Each box has a mixture of produce, dairy and meat.
The vehicles were lined up down Chamberlain Street at about 8:30 a.m. The line also stretched down McKinistry Street, East Park Street and then down Main Street to Route 31.
Albion police officer Will Francis directs traffic during the morning bottleneck.
Anthony Washington of Kendall, a Job Corps employee, assisted with the effort this chilly morning. Besides the gallons of 2 percent milk, people also received eggnog for the first time this year at one of the distributions.
The upcoming schedule includes:
Friday, November 20th – Ridgeway Fire Department at 11392 Ridge Road, Medina – line up on Horan Road.
Friday, December 4th – Cornell Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Fairgrounds at 126900 NYS Route 31, Albion – enter off Route 31-new location for Friday morning distribution.
Friday, December 11th – Community Action Main Street Store at 131 S. Main Street, Albion.
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.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 November 2020 at 11:12 am
The Genesee County Health Department has issued a health alert after receiving a positive Covid-19 test from an individual who was at Batavia’s Original on Friday, November 6th, and Saturday, November 7th, between the hours of 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Contact tracing is in progress. However, unidentified individuals may have unknowingly been in contact with the person who tested positive, the Genesee County Health Department said today.
“We advise all individuals who were at Batavia’s Original on Friday or Saturday between the stated hours to monitor their symptoms for 14 days (through Nov. 20th or Nov. 21st),” the Health Department stated in a news release. “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, diarrhea.
Batavia’s Original is closing the pizza business just for this weekend after five workers at the pizzeria tested positive or were in close contact with someone who tested positive. Several more employees are in mandatory quarantine for two weeks and can’t come to work, according to The Batavian.
Kathy Ferrara, the pizzeria’s owner, told the Batavian that three of workers likely contracted Covid at Halloween parties, while another hosted a card game and the other believes it was contracted from a family member.
Photo and articles courtesy of Katie Oakes, Horticulture Educator for the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County
KNOWLESVILLE – As winter looms nearer, now is a great time to accomplish some tasks outside that will benefit next year’s growing season in various ways.
Fall is the best time to plant spring flowering bulbs for a colorful reward early next year. Those first blooms of spring are a welcome sight after the snow and gray of a long winter. There are many different kinds of flowering spring bulbs – from more common ones like daffodils and tulips to lesser known varieties like Scillas and aconites.
A just planted garlic clove should make an appearance in the spring.
Their specific care and site needs can vary, but most varieties require mostly sunny sites with light, well-drained soil. Spring-blooming bulbs come back year after year, so be sure to select a site with long-term potential. Most bulbs should be planted at a depth of about two to three times the length of the bulb.
Orientation of the bulbs while planting is important, usually the narrower, pointy end of the bulb goes up while the broader base goes down. Often there will be remnants of roots on the base of the bulb to give a good indicator of which direction to plant.
Bulbs are most aesthetically pleasing when planted in groups rather than singly. Cover with soil, water to settle the bulbs in, and wait for spring! Often, the tips of the bulb foliage can be seen poking through the soil even as early as January and February. Don’t worry, though – in almost all cases, they will not be harmed by subsequent freezing temperatures.
Garlic is also typically planted in the fall and is one of the easiest vegetable crops you can grow! Purchase heads from a local grower, through your farmers market, or from a roadside stand. Heads purchased from a commercial grocery store are usually not recommended for planting –they could be harboring viral, fungal or bacterial diseases, or they may have been treated to discourage sprouting.
Separate each clove from the head, leave the papery husk, and plant 4-6” apart in a sunny location with well-drained soil. Garlic can benefit from a fertilizer application, but if your soil is fertile and high in organic matter, it may not be necessary.
Garlic comes in both soft-neck and hard-neck varieties (“Elephant Garlic” is actually a type of leek, not a true garlic). The soft-neck and hard-neck varieties have some differences in the final crop (soft-neck varieties have stronger flavors and store better, but are less cold-hardy), but planting recommendations are the same.
These grape hyacinth bulbs are ready to go in the ground.
The garlic cloves will send out roots over the late fall and winter, then shoot and bulb development begins in the spring. Harvest is usually done in July or August. Aside from weeding to keep the planting clear, there’s not a lot of maintenance required to grow great garlic!
Leaves are in abundant supply this time of the year. They can provide beneficial cover for insects during the winter.
Gardeners often want to do one final clean-up in their growing beds before winter sets in. This is an excellent idea for any diseased plant material that may have been present during the growing season.
The best course of action to prevent overwintering and reinfection of diseases is to remove and destroy diseased plant material as soon as possible. Certain diseases can remain even after a cold winter, so it’s important not to leave the affected leaves/fruit in the garden or even in the compost.
Research shows, however, that it is more beneficial to the ecosystem as a whole to leave behind many of the spent flower stalks and fallen leaves that gardeners usually want to clear out and clean up.
Those spent flower seed heads can provide forage and food for winter birds, and the hollow stems of native plants can offer shelter and nesting sites for overwintering native bees. Nesting bumblebees burrow underground, so leaving some ground exposed and un-mulched can provide a welcome refuge for them.
Many butterfly species rely on fallen leaves for hibernating or for their caterpillars to use during chrysalis formation. Leaves can also be a great addition of brown material for compost piles and can serve as excellent (free!) mulch for garden beds.
So instead of putting bagged leaves at the curb, consider leaving a leaf pile in a corner of your yard. Your garden will be a haven for beneficial insects and animals!
For more timely gardening tips or to ask specific insect or plant disease questions, feel free to reach out to Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners or Horticulture Educator Katie Oakes at 585-798-4265 ext. 125 or klo54@cornell.edu.
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(Editor’s Note: The Orleans/Niagara BOCES Teachers’ Association last month filed a lawsuit against the Orleans/Niagara BOCES and Dr. Clark Godshall, the district’s senior superintendent. The union said the BOCES didn’t adhere to Covid-19 protocols for social distancing, face coverings, health screenings, cleaning and disinfection for in-person learning at instructional sites within the district’s coverage area.)
Press Release, Dr. Clark J. Godshall, Senior District Superintendent of Orleans/Niagara BOCES
MEDINA – The New York State Supreme Court dismissed the BOCES Teachers Union’s lawsuit against the Orleans/Niagara BOCES, finding that NYSUT has no private right of action for injunctive relief under the New York Labor Law because review precedents were not fulfilled.
Specifically, a Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) Bureau inspection has not occurred, and the PESH Bureau has not determined or notified the New York State Department of Labor that there is imminent danger to the safety and/or health of employee(s).
The Orleans/Niagara BOCES follows guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the New York State Education Department, the New York State and local health departments, and their medical advisors for COVID-19 protocols.
The O/N BOCES has all of the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), expending more than an additional $330,000 to ensure that our sites are adequately supplied. The BOCES has reconfigured instructional class space to adhere to social distancing and facial mask requirements. Additional staff were also added.
We are following mandates that New York State continues to issue for schools to remain open. These requiring that individuals maintain physical distancing, wearing face coverings, and required health screenings.
The O/N BOCES will continue to carefully monitor and implement safety guidelines at our sites. We recognize the ongoing pandemic is stressful for all involved. We will continue to work diligently to implement and enforce our safety plans that make the physical, academic, social, and emotional well-being of all students, staff and families our top priorities.
Package includes toilet paper, hand sanitizer, facial masks, and historic 2020 4-H Fair ribbons and T-shirts
Photos courtesy of Orleans County 4-H Program: Items are set out to be placed in the time capsule. Senior Council members signed the cloth face mask.
Press Release, Orleans County 4-H Program
KNOWLESVILLE – A Covid-19 time capsule created by Orleans County 4-H members both documents the events of the ongoing pandemic and also serves as a message to their future selves.
Members of the Orleans County 4-H Senior Council recently spent several weeks compiling items to place in the capsule including hand sanitizer, facial masks, toilet paper and historic 2020 4-H Fair ribbons and T-shirts. They also worked to include letters written to themselves which they will be able to read when the capsule is opened, probably in 15-20 years, said Grace Gregoire, 15, of Murray, Senior Council President.
The letters are the most important item in the time capsule, according to Grace. In her own letter, Grace wrote about the challenges and anxieties of living through a pandemic, “… in reality, Grace, you are beautiful and perfect in God’s eyes, never forget that.”
John Gabalski, 19, of Byron, who aged out of the 4-H program in October, wrote the pandemic gave him the opportunity to help out at food distributions, but, “The Covid-19 pandemic took away my last chance to participate in 4-H rabbit shows, the Orleans County 4-H Fair and the New York State Fair.” John wrote that despite the disappointments, he is now beginning his life as a 4-H alumnus.
Kate Bennett, 9, of Brockport wrote that there were big changes when Covid-19 hit with so many activities and school going virtual. “I started baking a lot and watching movies,” she wrote. She also was able to spend more time taking care of her goat.
Members of Orleans County 4-H Senior Council (Zach Neal, 16, of Albion is at the front of the photo looking at the camera) met recently to put the time capsule together.
“It was the worst year ever,” wrote Sadie Gregoire, 13, of Murray. “If you are reading this, hopefully you can say you survived a pandemic.”
Orleans County CCE 4-H Administrative Assistant, Natalie Mrzywka, of Clarendon, wrote about making many masks for local farmers with her grandmother. “You would go places and not recognize people with face masks on,” she said.
4-H Program Coordinator Kristina Gabalski wrote that the pandemic made people realize that something so tiny we can’t even see it with our eyes can have a huge impact on our lives and that, “things can change forever in an instant.”
“The whole idea was a good idea,” Will Gregoire, 18, of Murray said of the project to create a time capsule.
Jeana Kidney, 17, of Medina said, “everything in the time capsule is significant, I can’t pick one item that is the most important.”
The time capsule will be stored in an archive room in the Education Center on the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds. Senior Council members say they look forward to seeing it again when they are adults.
“It will be fun to open in 15 years,” said Hugh Gabalski, 14, of Byron.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 November 2020 at 4:32 pm
A reminder the numbers listed as positive/active are current community cases. The recovered numbers are only for community cases and do not include non-county regulated facilities. The total positive cases includes community active/positive, community recovered and all those from non-county regulated facilities. Geneses’s total should say 512.
There are 30 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Orleans County, and 40 more in Genesee in the first update since Tuesday afternoon, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported today.
In Orleans County, the 30 new positive cases of Covid bring the county’s total to 482 cases since March.
The new positive cases reside in Albion, Barre, Clarendon, Gaines, Murray, Ridgeway, Shelby and Yates.
The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. Ten of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Orleans has also had five of the previous positive individuals recover and be removed from the isolation list.
The Health Department has been notified of a positive student at Holley High School, Albion High School and Lyndonville High School. All of the students were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Albion also has one staff member at the district office test positive. That person was not on 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.
One Orleans County resident is hospitalized due to Covid.
Genesee County received 40 new positive cases of Covid-19 and has now had 512 positive cases since March.
Due to the volume of positives, further data will be updated tomorrow, the Health Department said. Staff are working on contact tracing.
The Health Department has been notified of a positive staff member at Batavia High School. The individual is on mandatory isolation until recovered. 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. The school will remain open for learning unless otherwise announced.
The Health Department has been notified of a positive student at Byron-Bergen Jr. /Sr. High School. 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. The school will remain open for learning unless otherwise announced.
Please note the Genesee County data will be updated tomorrow.
More updates from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments:
• New Restrictions: Effective November 13th at 10:00 p.m. bars, restaurants and gyms, as well as State Liquor Authority-licensed establishments, must close in-person service from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. daily.
Effective November 13th at 10:00 p.m. indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences will be limited to no more than 10 people outside your family unit currently living at home. We will report future guidance as it is released.
Time-Distance-Masks-Hands!: In order to limit the spread of Covid-19 you need to rethink any upcoming gatherings. The more time you spend with non-household members, the more at risk of spreading the virus and putting our counties in a micro-cluster which will increase restrictions.
Even small gatherings have the potential to have an impact on our hospital systems as we are seeing an increase in hospital admissions and ICU admissions. Limit time with non-household members…Keep at least 6 feet or more…Properly wear a mask/face covering over your nose and mouth…and wash your hands frequently with soap and water or 60% alcohol hand sanitizer, as well as sanitizing frequently touched surfaces/items.
This is each region’s percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days. Orleans County is in the Finger Lakes Region.
• Statewide update: The statewide positivity rate was 2.95 percent on Wednesday with 4,797 new positive cases out of 162,627 tests.
Governor Andrew Cuomo noted that the positive testing rate in all focus areas under the state’s Micro-Cluster strategy is 4.86 percent, and outside the focus zone areas is 2.53 percent. Within the focus areas, 28,906 test results were reported yesterday, yielding 1,406 positives. In the remainder of the state, not counting these focus areas, 133,721 test results were reported, yielding 3,391 positives.
There were 1,677 total hospitalizations from Covid in the state on Wednesday and 29 deaths, bringing the statewide total to 26,055 people who have died from Covid.
“Covid is raging nationally, setting record numbers of cases and hospitalizations with each passing day,” Cuomo said. “While New York is doing better than just about any state in the United States, we are not immune from the national trend. Now it’s up to what we do.
“There is no pre-destined future here. It’s a pure consequence of our actions. If we stay New York Tough and don’t fall subject to Covid fatigue and we stay smart through the holidays, through Thanksgiving, through Christmas, through Hanukkah, we’ll keep it under control. New Yorkers just have to continue to take it seriously. I know it has been a long time, but these next weeks are going to be key and we really need people to buckle down to fend off the tide.”
The rate of Covid-19 infection is increasing in Orleans County. Governor Andrew Cuomo has instituted a new strategy of monitoring and responding to outbreaks of new micro-cluster cases or cases within a specific geographic area.
Our students, faculty and staff have diligently followed our health and safety protocols to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. Despite everyone’s best efforts, the rising community spread of the virus could impact our instructional models.
The governor’s micro-cluster strategy uses multiple data points (positivity rate, hospitalizations, population density, contact tracing, etc.) to identify a geographic area by region, county, zip code, or a more granular location. Once an area has been identified, the local Department of Health engages in calibrated and focused containment efforts.
Recently, the governor declared most of Monroe County and most of Northern Erie County to be a “Yellow Zone,” and we are currently observing how this is negatively affecting their school programs.
We want our schools to stay open! On behalf of the students and families in the Orleans County School Districts, we’re asking for your help to ensure schools remain open for in-person instruction. Districts under the Yellow Zone requirements have to test 20% of their students and staff members weekly to continue with face to face instruction. If that 7-day rolling average continues to rise, those districts would be considered Orange Zones and would be forced to go fully remote.
Over the last week, the positivity rate in Orleans County has grown to average nearly 4%. With these escalating positivity rates some or all of our Orleans County school districts could enter a Yellow or Orange Zone, subsequently resulting in a fully remote instructional environment.
Please check this chart (click here) from the governor’s office to see how these rates could impact Orleans County schools and businesses. Currently, the Orleans County 7-day rolling average is 3.7%. In short, the county is getting close to being in a precarious spot as it relates to whether our students can attend school in-person.
We respectfully request that everyone follow the face covering, social distancing, hand washing, and disinfecting protocols our students and staff members adhere to while in school. Our students and staff have done a tremendous job of maintaining a Covid-safe environment while in school. Please help us by following these safety and mitigation procedures outside of school as well. We want our students in school. The only way we can make that happen is to reduce and stabilize the rates of infection within our region.
Thank you once again for your partnership and collaboration. Stay safe and well.
Sincerely,
Brain Bartalo, Superintendent of Holley CSD
Scott Bischoping, Interim Superintendent of Albion CSD
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 November 2020 at 2:23 pm
RIDGEWAY – A fire that started in the kitchen caused extensive damage to a house on Presbyterian Road in Ridgeway last night.
Ronald Schompert was treated for smoke inhalation at a hospital. He was cooking at about 11 p.m. when the fire started in the kitchen.
He was unable to put out the fire and ran outside, yelling for help. A neighbor called 911. A Ridgeway firefighter also saw the scene from the road and called 911.
The fire quickly spread throughout the first and second floors of the house causing extensive damage, said Jeff Gifaldi, chief deputy for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.
Provided photos: Bob Hale receives his certificate of appreciation from Laurie Seager, Activities Assistant, and Martin MacKenzie, Administrator, for his service in the US Navy.
MEDINA – Veterans Day was celebrated a bit differently this year at Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
Due to the pandemic, the site was unable to have the usual gun salute ceremony by local VFW and American Legion members.
Instead, the 18 veterans were recognized with certificates of appreciation to commend them for their efforts in support of our United States Armed Forces.
Each veteran also received a button to wear donated by The Print Shop. Residents also enjoyed coffee and Case-Nic cookies while listening to patriotic music.
Sharon Laskett, Physical Therapy Aide, presents a certificate to Charles Kellogg, her step-father, for his service in the US Marines.
Frank Ranallo accepts his plaque for service in the US Marines from Jamie Murphy, Activities Director.
Flag cookies and veterans’ pins were available to the 18 veterans at Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced cashless tolling will go live on the New York State Thruway’s ticketed system – more than a month ahead of schedule – during the overnight hours of Friday, November 13, into Saturday, November 14.
The historic conversion will take place simultaneously at 58 tolling locations across the Thruway’s 450-mile ticketed system. The ticketed system is the final section of the Thruway to be converted to cashless tolling, meeting a goal Governor Cuomo set in his 2018 State of the State address.
The official switch will take place in the overnight hours to limit impact to traffic. At the time cashless tolling goes live, cash will no longer be accepted as a form of payment at toll booths and printed toll tickets will not be handed out.
To support this transition, NY E-ZPass has released a new TollsNY mobile app to help drivers manage E-ZPass accounts, find and pay Tolls by Mail invoices, and get important account alerts for tolls accrued at Thruway, MTA, and Port Authority tolling sites.
“The completion of this exciting new project will help Thruway travelers save time, as well as reduce traffic, cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality all along the system,” Governor Cuomo said. “Getting this cashless tolling system done and getting it done early shows that -even in these trying times – New York will never stop innovating and never stop building for its future.”
Thruway Authority Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll said, “The conversion to cashless tolling is one of the largest projects in the Thruway’s 66-year history. This unprecedented achievement is a significant milestone that will modernize the Thruway system for millions of drivers and ushers in a new era for toll collection that will benefit generations to come.”
The $355 million design-build project to convert to cashless tolling is transforming and modernizing the Thruway system for approximately 267 million motorists that travel the superhighway each year.
As part of the project, American-made steel gantries with state-of-the-art technology have been installed to replace cash collection at toll booths. Gantries are located over the Thruway or on exit ramps depending on traffic volumes, safety, and other factors. The tolling structure will not change and drivers will continue to be tolled by distance and exits traveled.
The conversion to cashless tolling marks the end of phase one of the project. Phase two, which begins following the conversion, includes the removal of existing toll plazas. During the interchange reconstruction, drivers will continue to travel through existing toll lanes at reduced speeds without stopping until the booths are removed and road reconfigurations are complete. Drivers should expect traffic shifts and must use caution around the toll plazas during this time, as these will be active construction zones. The posted speed limit when traveling through the toll lanes will be 20 MPH.
When system-wide cashless tolling is operational, motorists will experience non-stop travel under gantries with state-of-the-art sensors and cameras that read E-ZPass tags and take license plate images. The system consists of more than 2,000 state-of-the-art cameras affixed to the gantries.
Vehicles with E-ZPass tags are automatically charged and vehicles without E-ZPass tags will have their license plate image captured and a toll bill mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle via Tolls by Mail. Non E-ZPass customers have a number of options to pay including by mail, over the phone, online, and via the TollsNY app. Customers who call **826 from most mobile devices will receive a text message with a link to the Tolls by Mail website and information on how to pay their toll bill.
Motorists are encouraged to sign up for E-ZPass, the easiest and quickest way to pay tolls on the NYS Thruway. All drivers, regardless of residency, can sign up for a New York E-ZPass account at E-ZPassNY.com or by calling the E-ZPass Toll Free Customer Service Center at 800-333-TOLL (8655). Customers can login to their account at e-zpassny.com for more information.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 12 November 2020 at 1:03 pm
‘She’ll be a role model for any lady who wants to become a firefighter or EMS member.’ – Dale Banker, county EMO director
EAST SHELBY – When Debbie Taylor first joined East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company at age 21, she had no thought of becoming a longtime member, let alone, be named fire chief, the first woman from Orleans County in that role.
Taylor received the honor at the fire company’s Nov. 3 meeting.
David Green, who will celebrate 60 years as a member on Dec. 13, has served in many positions, including chief. He had nothing but praise for Taylor, who he called loyal, hard working and dedicated.
“She’s been a member for quite a few years, and she works hard,” Green said. “She is quick to learn things, she’s well organized and she’s got the personality to do a really great job.”
Taylor changed positions with former chief Andy Beach, who has a new baby at home and is very busy on his farm. He was anxious to step down, Taylor said.
After joining East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company at age 21, Taylor moved away and then came back and rejoined. She’s been a member now for 16 years. She said joining the fire company was a natural thing.
“I grew up watching the TV show ‘Emergency,” and when I married Jeff, both he and his father were members of East Shelby fire company.”
When she first joined, she said the thought of becoming chief wasn’t even on her radar.
“I just wanted to do something for my community,” she said.
Debbie Taylor, who was just elected chief of the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company on Nov. 3, is dwarfed next to their new pumper/tanker, Truck No. 36.
Serving the fire company is a family activity of the Taylors. Husband Jeff is fire captain and son Devin is first assistant chief. Debbie has worked her way up from lieutenant, to captain and 2nd assistant chief. She hopes to some day pass the chief’s hat to her son.
“There is no competition among us,” Debbie said. “We have a great fire company and we all work very well together. The fire company is my second family.”
Jeff was first assistant chief, and he stepped back so Devin and Debbie could advance.
Debbie drives school bus for the Medina School District, so she would usually be free to answer a fire call.
“I’m still going to be learning things, with all the modern technology,” Debbie said. “It’s always changing.”
‘We have a great fire company and we all work very well together. The fire company is my second family.’ – Debbie Taylor, East Shelby fire chief
She is not intimidated by driving even the biggest fire truck. She has had her CDL license since she was 19 and got it to drive milk truck.
The biggest challenge, Debbie said, is the fact of the unknown when responding to a call.
“You don’t know what you’re going to encounter,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of help from Dale Banker, director of Orleans County Emergency Management, and Jerry Bentley (deputy coordinator).”
Banker said having the first woman chief is a great thing for the county.
“She’ll be a role model for any lady who wants to become a firefighter or EMS member,” he said. “As long as they are properly trained, a woman can do well in a firefighting role.”
He said the county is fortunate to have several women coming up the ranks, any one of whom he wouldn’t be surprised to see become chief of their fire company. These include Kristin McAdoo, who is assistant chief of Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company; Crystal Luckman and her sister Tiffany Petry in Shelby; Sue Maslyn, EMS captain in Kendall; Patty Knapp, EMS captain in Holley; and Robin Hughson, captain in Carlton.
“I look forward to working with Debbie, or any of the ladies,” Banker said. “With the shortage of firefighters and EMS personnel, these women fill an important role.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 12 November 2020 at 11:44 am
Jeremiah James, left, plans to partner with former American Fast Track racing champion Brad Baker to start a cold brew coffee business. James and Baker have both broken their backs racing. Baker is paralyzed since his accident in July 2018.
GAINES – As of Tuesday night, the Microenterprise Assistance Program has graduated 545 potential new business owners.
Tuesday night’s graduation at the Village Inn saw seven more individuals move one step closer to fulfilling their ambitions.
Graduates in attendance at the closing celebration included Christine Fancher of Gaines who plans to open a pet care/dog walking business; Thom and Tracy Jennings of Albion who will open a bake-to-order bagel business called Papa Thom’s Rockin Bagels; Debbie Kluth of Kendall, a paralegal who wants to offer her services as a freelance paralegal; Megan Davenport of Medina, who hopes to open a retail pet supply business in Medina; and Jeremiah James, who plans to partner with Brad Baker of Michigan to operate Blue Groove Coffee Cart/Blue Groove Cold Brew coffee trucks.
James and Baker formerly raced motorcycles and both have suffered broken backs. Baker was the American Fast Track national grand champion until he broke his back in July 2018 and is paralyzed. He attended Tuesday’s graduation with James.
Baker said where he lives in Michigan, there are drive-thru cold brew coffee stands on every corner. James is working with a coffee plantation in Papua, New Guinea to provide the best produce available. His business will offer multiple flavors of cold cappuccino, all made in-house. He eventually expects to bring in $800 to $1,000 a day in his first year. By year three, he told fellow graduates he plans by year three to have coffee trucks in Rochester and Syracuse.
“The cold brew market is on the rise,” James told the class. “In 2020 sales are expected to hit a record. Thirty percent of the coffee drank in the United States is cold brewed.”
James formerly worked in a motorcycle shop and raced until three years ago, when he broke his back.
He said then he knew he had to change.
James and Baker met on Instagram and just met in person when Baker came to Albion on Monday.
James credits the Microenterprise program and his mentor Jon Costello for helping him get started.
Diane Blanchard gets ready to cut the cake celebrating the graduation of seven people Tuesday at the Village Inn.
Chris Fancher has been volunteer coordinator and social worker at Hospice of Orleans, where she also is administrator of their Pet Peace of Mind Program. She decided to pursue her own pet care/dog walking business, called Fancher’s Fur Babies, after reading about the Microenterprise Assistance Program on the Hub.
She loves animals and loves walking, and thought the Microenterprise Assistance Program offered a wonderful opportunity. She will care for pets in her clients’ homes or her own. She would like to be able to care for five pets a week and offer boarding. Her five-year goal is to grow the business to where it is her sole source of income.
Thom and Tracy Jennings came up with the idea of a bagel business during the pandemic shutdown. Tracy works in finance at the Iroquois Job Corps. She has a background in banking and baking. Thom was formerly a restaurant manager has always liked to make bread, so he suggested he try making bagels.
There is no shop that specializes in bagels in Orleans County, and currently bagels are only available at Tim Hortons, Dunkin Donuts and grocery stores. In May the Jennings started making bagels in their kitchen. In July they moved to the commercial kitchen at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.
Thom loves music and incorporates a musical component in every bagel.
“Each bagel we make will have the name of a song we play,” he said.
Seated at the head table at the Microenterprise Class graduation Tuesday at the Village Inn are, from left, program director Diane Blanchard, mentor Dorothy Daniels, county legislator and EDA board member Ken DeRoller and Jon Costello, mentor with SCORE.
The Jennings are upgrading a commercial mixer at the fairgrounds with a small loan from a family friend who wants to support them.
They will gradually add other complimentary items to their menu. They bake on Friday nights and deliver on Saturdays.
They credit their mentor Dorothy Daniels for helping them get established.
Debbie Kluth of Kendall took the Microenterprise Assistance Class to help further her ambition of becoming a freelance paralegal. She plans to provide notary public services, estate planning and real estate transactions.
“With 38 years of experience in various areas of law, and with knowledge gained from MAP, I feel very qualified in my field,” Kluth told the class.
Megan Davenport
Megan Davenport of Medina explained the reasons she wants to open a retail pet store in Medina.
“The pet industry was a $76 billion industry, even during the pandemic,” she said.
She hopes to open a brick and mortar store in Medina and be debt-free in three years. She said, according to the Humane Society, the majority of homes have at least one pet. While mass marketing stores and big box stores offer lower prices, they also offer lower quality. Other stores, she said, like tractor supply stores, offer less choice selection.
Davenport, who currently works at Takeform, has 25 years managerial experience and 15 years in sales. She boasts strong customer relations skills. She doesn’t plan to give up her full time job.
Two other Microenterprise graduates were unable to attend Tuesday’s ceremony. They are Jenna Chevier of Albion, whose business is Event Planner, dba Eventageous Media & Marketing; and Dawn Manchester of Middleport, who took over the family business, Travel Trailer Center.
Michelle Gallo
Tuesday’s graduation class also welcomed two guest speakers, both graduates of the Microenterprise Assistance Class.
Two successful individuals to take the class are Rich and Michelle Gallo, who graduated almost two years ago. The Gallos took the class for guidance and low-interest financing to purchase a tow truck business. Soon after going into business, they had the opportunity to purchase a junkyard in Brockport. Nearing two years in business, the couple just completed the year with $1 million in gross sales.
“Our next goal is to hit $5 million next year,” Michelle said.
They aren’t content to stop there, and have just purchased a bar and grill in Hamlin.
Her advice to the students is, “Be determined, be driven. You always have to have that entrepreneurial spirit. Push for that next level. And don’t hesitate to reach out to Diane if you need help.”
Natasha Wasuck
The other guest speaker, Natasha Wasuck of Spencerport, took the class last year.
“I had a vision,” she said.
Wasuck and her husband John Hernandez had already bought a building on North Main Street and were renovating it when they decided to take the Microenterprise class.
“The class was great and Jon worked with us,” Wasuck said about Costello. “His advice was make sure we do our due diligence. ‘Make sure there is a need for your business,’ he said.”
Tinsel, their ice cream shop, opened in June 2019. The other part of their business, a wedding/event venue, suffered from the pandemic, but Wasuck said the weddings which were canceled have all rescheduled for next year.
Her advice to graduates was to “Be sure it’s something you are passionate about. When you choose to be an entrepreneur, you are choosing to work for yourself. I believe if one business is successful, it will rub off on others in the area. Most important, don’t give up.”
The evening concluded with cake and awarding of certificates to the graduates.
The Microenterprise Assistance Program traditionally has two classes per year.
