By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 November 2020 at 12:20 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Volunteers, including employees at the Iroquois Job Corps in Medina, are ready at a food distribution on Sept. 18 at the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company on Ridge Road.
There wasn’t a food distribution today, but there will be at least the next two Fridays. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has funded the program for another two months through Dec. 31.
The USDA has authorized $500 million for a fourth round of purchases for the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program.
Organizers in Orleans County has dates set for the next two weeks, with more expected through the end of the December.
The schedule so far includes:
Friday, November 13th – Community Action Main Street Store, 131 S. Main Street, Albion.
Friday, November 20th – Ridgeway Fire Department, 11392 Ridge Rd., Medina.
All events will begin with the approximate start time of 8:30 a.m., if trucks are there by 8 a.m., said Melissa Blanar, director of the office for the Aging in Orleans County.
There will be approximately 300 boxes of food available at each distribution. Each box weighs 30-40 pounds with a mixture of produce, dairy and meat.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 November 2020 at 9:18 am
Public welcome to give feedback for new setup at Butts Park
MEDINA – The Medina Skate Society and village officials will do a presentation on Saturday about a new skate park.
Lee-Whedon Memorial Library will host a display with a conceptual drawing of the skate park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be comment and question period from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The designer of the park will be available by a conference call to share his ideas of the park.
The Skate Society was able to secure a matching grant to upgrade the park with up to $250,000 from the Tony Hawk & Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundations. Medina was up to $215,000 in local funding in August. It has until Nov. 30, 2020 to see if it can fully maximize the grant.
The new skate park will be named in memory of Luke Nelson, a skateboarder from Middleport who often used the park. He was 23 when he passed away on April 22, 2017. His family has donated to the park and helped organize the fundraisers to upgrade the site.
The Skate Park is at Butts Park on South Main Street. That park will continue to be a memorial for John Butts, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his valiant actions in World War II.
The new public concrete skate park will have a smooth surface and new equipment for skaters, bikers, scooters and in-line skaters. The park will also be an architectural work of art, said Alex Feig, president of the Medina Skate Society.
Photo and article courtesy of Orleans-Niagara BOCES
MEDINA – Students in Gene Newman’s Security and Law Enforcement program at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center spent some class time honoring veterans and their families.
Mr. Newman and his classes planted flags in front of the Orleans/Niagara BOCES center as a reminder of Nov. 11, which is Veterans Day.
“My class wanted to honor all of those who have sacrificed to preserve this nation in both peace and war,” he said. “My goal is to establish a tradition for the Security and Law Enforcement program to do this each year.”
Pictured from left include: Mr. Gene Newman, Gena Shorter (Newfane), Melanie Myers (Newfane), Sara Larkin (Newfane), Patience Burdick (Lockport), Noah Neff (Lyndonville), Connor Krause (Newfane), Daniel Kelahan (Newfane), Nicholas Heschke, Jr. (Roy-Hart), Lilian Streich (Lockport) and Fanessa McCaa (Roy-Hart).
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 November 2020 at 10:28 pm
Orleans has highest positive rate of 3 counties
The three rural counties of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming crossed a milestone this week when they exceeded 1,000 cases of Covid-19 combined since March.
On Monday, the combined cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming were at 990. Today, they were at 1,045.
Orleans has had the most cases among the three counties since March with 414, despite a smaller population than neighboring Genesee, which has had 411 cases. Wyoming has had 220 cases.
Orleans and Wyoming are similar in size at about 40,000 people. (Orleans had 40,352 in the 2019 Census estimate, while Wyoming had 39,859 in the Census estimate from last year. Genesee has closer to 60,000 people at 57,280.)
All three counties have seen the rate of cases rise significantly in the past month. Genesee has 88 new cases since Oct. 5, while Orleans has 96 more and Wyoming, 86 more Covid cases.
Compare that with July 6 to Aug. 5, when Genesee added 35 cases, Orleans was up 13 and Wyoming had 20 more cases.
Here are where the three counties were in cases in the past four months:
Genesee County
• July 6, 228 cases; Aug. 5, 263 cases; Sept. 4, 283 cases; Oct. 5, 232 cases; and Nov. 5, 411 cases.
Orleans County
• July 6, 267 cases; Aug. 5, 280 cases; Sept. 4, 290 cases; Oct. 5, 318 cases; and Nov. 5, 414 cases.
Wyoming County
• July 6, 90 cases; Aug. 5, 110 cases; Sept. 4, 120 cases; Oct. 5, 140 cases; and Nov. 5, 226 cases.
The three counties combined have done 88,747 Covid tests with 1,045 positive for a positivity rate of 1.18 percent.
The positivity rates for the three counties include:
Genesee, 411 out of 40,844 tests, 1.01 percent positive
Orleans, 414 out of 21,626 tests, 1.91 percent positive
Wyoming, 220 out 26,277 tests, 0.84 percent positive
To see an online map about the Covid cases and tests in three counties, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 November 2020 at 8:05 pm
April Flesch praised for de-escalating hostilities from residents with complaints
Provided photos: The following earned employee of the months from October 2019 to September 2020. They include front row, from left: Lori Grube (Emergency Management), April Flesch (Chief Administrative Officer), Tammy Graham (Office for the Aging), Kathleen Wright (Social Services) and Danielle Ludwick (Probation). Back row: Michelle Troup (Public Health), Scott Snook (Computer Services), Gerald Bentley (Sheriff-Dispatch), Donna Wilcox (Office for the Aging), Steven Fuller (Public Works) and Sarah Osborne (Probation).
ALBION – Orleans County held its 40th annual Employee Recognition Program this morning at Tillman’s Village Inn this morning.
The EAP Committee recognized employees of the month as well as the employee of the year.
“This is a very important and a very special occasion when fellow county employees are recognized for not only their service to the citizens of the county but to recognize those individuals who go above and beyond their duty,” said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.
The EAP Committee receives nominations from fellow employees and department directors and then the nominations are reviewed and discussed by the committee and a selection is made.
The employees of the months for the past year were:
October 2019: Steven Fuller (Department of Public Works),
November 2019: Jeffrey Cole (Sheriff)
December 2019: Danielle Ludwick (Probation),
January 2020: Donna Wilcox (Office for the Aging)
February 2020: Gerald Bentley (Dispatch)
March 2020: Shelly Troup (Public Health)
April 2020: Tammy Graham (Office for the Aging)
May 2020: April Flesch (Chief Administrative Officer)
June 2020: Sarah Osborne (Probation)
July 2020: Kathleen Wright (Social Services),
August 2020: Lori Grube (Emergency Management Office)
September 2020: Scott Snook (Computer Services),
From this pool of candidates, a department head must make a recommendation to a separate committee to determine the Employee of the Year. The committee looked for additional service that an employee has performed since the individual was recognized as an employee of the month. Then the Employee of the Year is selected, Welch said.
Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson, left, and Chief Administrative Officer Jack Welch congratulate April Flesch for being the Orleans County Employee of the Year.
April Flesch was named the employee of the year. She started with the county in 2012. She works in the office for the County Legislature and the chief administrative officer.
Flesch handles many phone calls from the public, and often they are complaints, including many about garbage and recycling pickup. Residents will call to say their garbage wasn’t picked up or their recycling bin is missing. Sometimes Modern Disposal will call with complaints about residents putting syringes in the trash or used oil or an unknown powder, Welch said.
The callers may complain about not being able to process a DMV transaction in a timely manner, or they may be reporting a Covid-19 violation, he said.
Some residents, employees and other local elected officials will call and tell Flesch they aren’t happy with Welch and some of his decisions.
“Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list but you can see the variety and you can image the emotion the caller has during any given call,” Welch said during today’s recognition program. “The topics vary greatly from these unhappy residents.”
Welch praised Flesch for calmly handling the calls and not raising her voice or becoming flustered, even when the callers are rude.
“She has the ability to manage the callers’ expectation given the individual issue,” Welch said. “When the caller’s expectation is to have a call back from the CAO upon the returned call, she is never named as an ‘issue’ of which the caller needs to resolve. If fact, many times the caller is appreciative of how she related to the caller and their issue. She is a de-escalator of drama.”
Flesch handles the calls and her interactions with co-workers and the public “in a kind, courteous, professional, competent and compassionate manner,” Welch said.
He praised her for putting others at ease “especially in these challenging times which has an abundance of fear and anxiety at nearly every turn.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 November 2020 at 4:50 pm
Orleans County has 6 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 for a total of 414 positive cases since March.
The new positive cases reside in Gaines, Lyndonville, Clarendon, Ridgeway and Albion. The individuals are in their 20s, 50s and 60s.
None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County health Departments reported this afternoon.
There are 15 new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
Orleans is reporting one more recovery from Covid and that person has been removed from the isolation list.
One Orleans resident remains hospitalized due to Covid-19.
Genesee County has received 10 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 411 positive cases since March.
The new positive cases reside in Batavia, Bethany, Darien, Elba and Pembroke. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 80s.
Three of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Health Departments said.
Genesee has 15 more people are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
Genesee also has six more recoveries and they have been removed from the isolation list.
Two from Genesee remain hospitalized from Covid.
• The Health Departments have been notified of a positive student at the Alexander Middle/High School. The individuals are 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 Health Departments have been notified of a positive student at the Batavia High School. The student was not in school two days prior to testing positive, therefore no school impact. The individuals are 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.
• Active cases in 3 rural counties:Click here to see an online database of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. There are currently 118 actives cases in the three counties, with 43 in Genesee, 19 in Orleans and 56 in Wyoming.
Here is each region’s percentage of positive test results as reported over the last three days. Orleans County is the Finger Lakes Region, which had the highest rate in the state on Wednesday.
• State-wide update: The statewide positivity rate is 1.86 percent while the positive testing rate in all Focus Zone Areas is 3.04 percent. The positivity rate outside all Focus Zone Areas is 1.70 percent.
Within the focus areas, 19,814 test results were reported yesterday, yielding 602 positives. In the remainder of the state, not counting these focus areas, 141,205 test results were reported, yielding 2,395 positives.
“Every expert told us come the fall cases would go up, and that’s what’s happening around the country and the globe,” Governor Cuomo said. “We got ready here in New York: we have our micro-cluster strategy and we have our additional testing. That’s why we have the third lowest positivity rate in the country.”
“But Covid fatigue is creeping up and there are serious caution flags in Western New York, the Finger Lakes, and in other communities across the state, so it is more important than ever that we be vigilant. Wear masks, wash your hands, adhere to social distancing rules, and enforce the public health guidelines that are there to save lives.”
More from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments:
• 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.
• Gathering Size: According to Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.45, all non-essential gatherings of up to 50 individuals of any size for any reason (celebrations, weddings, or other social events at public facilities or private venues) unless otherwise designated (ex. Religious gatherings) are allowed as long as appropriate social distancing, wearing cloth masks/face coverings over their mouth and nose, and cleaning and disinfection protocol requirements are followed.
With the recent uptick of individuals testing positive and the stricter guidance placed by the Governor, it is important to remember that those who plan and host non-essential gatherings (whether at a venue or a private residence) as noted above, can be fined up to $15,000, and/or cause our counties to be considered a micro-cluster which will place the area under stricter restrictions.
• Micro-clusters: The initiative will take the most significant action within the cluster (Red Zone), moderate action in the area surrounding the cluster to stop the spread (Orange Zone), and precautionary action in the outlying communities (Yellow Zone). To learn more about the Cluster Action Initiative, click here.
• Travel Advisory: As of Nov. 4 there will be new travel guidelines. Out-of-state travelers to New York will be able to “test out” of the mandatory 14-day quarantine if they have a negative Covid-19 test result at least 3 days prior to entering New York and after a 3-day quarantine starting on their arrival in New York, test negative on day 4 of their quarantine.
If you choose not to test prior to entering New York you will be on 14-day quarantine. In both instances you are responsible to complete the New York State Traveler Health Form. If you traveled to another state for less than 24 hours, you do not need a test prior to your departure from the other state and do not need to quarantine upon arrival in NYS. The traveler must still fill out the NYS Traveler Form and take a Covid-19 diagnostic test 4 days after their arrival in New York. For more information on this new advisory, click here.
The Governor is also encouraging that non-essential travel to/from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont as they may meet the criteria for NYS travel advisory.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 5 November 2020 at 1:37 pm
MEDINA – The Medina Area Association of Churches Red Barrel program has been a Christmas tradition for decades, and in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, organizers were determined to do it again this year.
“We thought we could safely make it happen,” said Sherry Tuohey, who has headed the program for the past several years. “It has taken much more thought than in prior years.”
Tuohey also said MAAC anticipated, because of Covid, the need in the community would be greater this year.
On Wednesday, members of the Medina Fire Department delivered a record 38 barrels to various locations in the Medina area.
One thing which was different this year is MACC didn’t serve breakfast to the firefighters at the Grove United Methodist Church. Instead, Tuohey said they are going to put together a “goodie” bag to show their appreciation to the firefighters for volunteering to deliver and pick up the barrels every year.
Because of Covid, the schools could not accept a barrel this year, so Tuohey had to find some new locations. In addition to all the usual locations, such as several downtown businesses, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, YMCA and churches, barrels have been put at all local banks, Ace Hardware, Valu, Dollar General, Country Club Family Restaurant, Avanti’s Pizza, Della’s Chocolates, AJ’s Play Date and Filomena’s Favorites.
“We couldn’t do this without the support of many local businesses,” Tuohey said. “This is a wonderful community to be part of.”
Medina Fire Department lieutenant Steve Cooley, left, and firefighter Donato Rosario get instructions from Sherry Tuohey, who heads the Red Barrel program for Medina Area Association of Churches. Last year, Tuohey was responsible for redesigning the barrels with colorful holiday decals.
The Red Barrels accept donations of toys, gifts and new hats, mittens, gloves, scarves and socks for all ages.
Because of Covid, there will be no mitten trees this year.
Precautionary measures will be taken. After the barrels are picked up Dec. 9 by the firefighters, the items will be quarantined for a minimum of three days before volunteers start unloading and sorting. After boxes are packed for families, they will be quarantined for another three days before they are given out.
In addition to a gift box, families will receive food for their Christmas meal. This will include a ham, potatoes, stuffing, vegetable, fruit and dessert.
Last year, the MAAC Christmas giveaway served 262 individuals, including 153 children in the Medina community. This also included 15 senior citizens.
Tuohey stressed that all donations received in the MAAC Red Barrels stays in Medina and goes to families in the Medina school district who live in Medina and Knowlesville zip codes. Gift boxes will be delivered by Medina firefighters on Dec. 19.
Monetary donations are also needed and welcome by sending a check to Christmas Box Program, in care of MAAC, 536 Orient St., Medina.
To be eligible for a gift box and holiday meal, applicants must apply from 10 a.m. to noon on Nov. 10 and Nov. 17 at St. Peter’s Church at 1355 West Ave. or from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 10 and 17, and 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 12 and 19 at Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God at 324 Catherine St. Use the Ann Street entrance.
To be eligible, applicants must bring proof of household (birth certificates or Social Security card), proof of residence (any utilty bill) and proof of income. Income guidelines apply.
Covid-19 guidelines require a mask and social distancing.
From left, Medina firefighters Bob Urtel, Steve Long and Adam Fisher are ready to deliver 38 Red Barrels to local businesses to be filled with donations of toys and winter outerwear for children in the Medina school district.
‘We determined the January Regents Exams could not be safely, equitably and fairly administered across the state given where the pandemic currently stands.’ – Interim Commissioner Betty A. Rosa
Press Release, NYS Education Department
The January 2021 administration of the High School Regents Examination Program is cancelled due to the ongoing Covid–19 pandemic, Interim State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced today.
This cancellation applies to all Regents Examinations that had been scheduled for the January 2021 Regents Examination period. No decisions have been made regarding the June and August 2021 administrations of Regents Examinations or any of the other State assessment programs.
“The Board and I are enormously grateful to the dedicated educators, school staff, community members, and parents who are working so diligently to ensure that students are safe and healthy this school year,” said Board of Regents Vice Chancellor T. Andrew Brown. “Whether they are engaged in in-school, hybrid or remote learning, we are committed to ensuring each of New York’s students has access to the rigorous coursework necessary to prepare them for success this year and beyond. The cancellation of the January Regents Examinations will not impact that priority.”
“Throughout the pandemic our priority has been the health and wellbeing of our students and educators,” said Interim Commissioner Betty A. Rosa. “We determined the January Regents Exams could not be safely, equitably and fairly administered across the state given where the pandemic currently stands. We will continue to monitor applicable data and make a decision on other state assessment programs as the school year progresses, being mindful of the evolving situation.”
Modification for diploma requirements
Due to the cancellation of the January 2021 Regents Examinations, the Department will propose modifications to the assessment requirements that students must meet in order to earn high school diplomas, credentials, and endorsements at the December Board of Regents meeting.
These modifications apply to all students who are completing a secondary-level course of study or make-up program in January and are scheduled to participate in one or more of the January 2021 Regents Examinations.
Regents Examination exemptions
To ensure students are not adversely impacted by the cancellation of the exams, the Department will ask the Board of Regents to adopt emergency regulations pertaining to the assessment requirements that students must meet in order to earn diplomas, credentials and endorsements.
Under the proposed emergency regulations, students who are planning to take one or more Regents Examinations during the January 2021 examination period at the conclusion of a course of study or make up program shall be exempt from the requirements pertaining to passing such Regents Examination to be issued a diploma.
To qualify for the exemption, the student must meet one of the following requirements:
Be currently enrolled in a course of study that would ordinarily culminate in the taking of a January 2021 Regents Examination and earn credit for such course of study by the end of the first semester of the 2020-21 school year; or
Between September 1, 2020 and the end of the first semester of the 2020-21 school year, successfully complete a make-up program for the purpose of earning course credit; or
Be preparing to take a required Regents Examination to graduate at the end of the first semester of the 2020-21 school year.
Use of Safety Nets
All current safety net options remain in effect for all students and must be considered in the determination of which diploma type can be awarded. To determine whether general education students, English language learners, and students with disabilities are eligible to earn either a Regents or local diploma, districts and charter schools should consider an exempted examination to be a score of 65. However, students with a disability eligible for the compensatory safety net may not use exemptions on tests to compensate for lower test scores.
Any student including a student with a disability who does not earn a Regents or local diploma continues to be eligible for a free appropriate public education until the end of the school year in which the student turns age 21, or until the receipt of a Regents or local high school diploma.
Mastery, Honors, Technical endorsements
Examinations from which students have been given an exemption as a result of the Covid-19 related cancellation of the January 2021 Regents Examinations shall be excluded from any calculation used for determining eligibility for an Honors or Mastery endorsement on a diploma.
In the case of Honors endorsements to either a Regents Diploma or a Regents with Advanced Designation Diploma, if a student achieves a calculated average of 90 or above on all examinations taken applicable to their diploma type, they will attain the honors endorsement on such diploma. Any examination exempted as a result of Covid-19 related cancellation of the January 2021 examinations shall not be included in such calculation.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 November 2020 at 10:21 am
Jim Whipple has facilitated numerous projects around the county
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jim Whipple, chief executive officer and chief financial officer for the Orleans Economic Development Agency, holds a sign that will be displayed in front of the 300-acre Medina Business Park on Maple Ridge Road. Whipple is retiring Jan. 15 after more than 15 years as leader of the Orleans EDA.
ALBION – The Orleans Economic Development Agency is seeking a new leader due to the impending retirement of Jim Whipple, who has been the chief executive officer and chief financial officer for more than 15 years.
Whipple is leaving with high praise from the EDA board of directors, who say he has the county well positioned for new businesses and expansions, especially with the 300-acre Medina Business Park. That site is one of the largest certified shovel-ready sites in the state. It has all the infrastructure in place.
“He has done a phenomenal job,” said Ken DeRoller, who has been on the EDA board for 19 years.
Whipple brought and engineering background to the job and used that to develop the Medina Business Park, working with local municipalities to put the infrastructure in place.
“He understands Orleans County and he is low-key,” DeRoller said. “He gets down and grinds it out and gets results.”
Whipple, 64, of Lyndonville will retire Jan. 15. He will be available part-time to assist the next CEO in the transition.
Whipple said he has enjoyed being part of a team that assists small businesses, larger manufacturers, agricultural businesses, and projects that boost the county’s tourism.
“It has been awesome working with so many great people,” Whipple said at his office at 121 North Main St. in Albion.
He praised his co-workers – Gabrielle Barone and Diane Blanchard – for their commitment to local businesses and helping them work through potential pitfalls.
Whipple said the board of directors and municipalities have been supportive of the EDA efforts to market sites and make them attractive for companies. Whipple said Orleans could use more buildings suited to modern manufacturing.
Many companies, including several from Canada, have picked Orleans during Whipple’s tenure and several companies have done multi-million-dollar expansions.
Some of the major projects include expansions at Brunner in Medina, Western New York Energy in Medina, Takeform in Medina, Precision Packaging Products (now Waddington North America) in Holley and CRFS in Albion.
The EDA has worked with numerous companies around the county in Whipple’s tenure. The projects aren’t all in the county’s three largest villages of Medina, Albion and Holley.
Jim Whipple speaks during a public hearing in Kendall on Jan. 15, 2014 about a 10-year tax payment plan for The Cottages at Troutburg. The 10-year agreement has developers paying $186,363 in taxes on the land, with the new cottages boosting the tax base. Many new homes have been built at Troutburg in Kendall near Lake Ontario as part of the project.
The EDA worked with the Cottages at Troutburg in Kendall, where new smaller homes are being built at a 126-acre site by Lake Ontario.
The EDA helped a Canadian-based company to acquire the former Atwater Foods building on Route 18 in Yates. Niagara Food Specialties is a meat processor for gourmet markets, including restaurants and hotels. It specializes in prosciutto ham.
Whipple also cited major renovations at distressed sites on gateways into the community. He praised Roger Andrews for an extensive renovation of the former Jubilee in medina, turning that into Evans Ace Hardware. That is prominent building on Route 31 across from State Street Park.
Home Leasing in Rochester did a dramatic transformation of the former Holley High School, turning that into 41 apartments for senior citizens and offices for the Village of Holley. That building, at the corner of routes 31 and 237, was badly deteriorating and had been vacant for more than two decades.
Whipple sees a chain reaction of investment around the county, with successful projects encouraging more people and companies to upgrade buildings and grow in the county.
Paul Hendel, the EDA chairman, said the local economic development agency is well regarded by companies. They tell other businesses that the EDA is a good partner, Hendel said.
The EDA competes against other counties that have much larger staffs for economic development. Yet Whipple, Barone and Blanchard have the confidence of many companies who give Orleans close consideration for projects, Hendel said.
“He has established a culture there,” Hendel said. “It is built on honesty and integrity. Jim has an ability to form positive relationships with his co-workers, elected officials and the businesses.”
Hendel also praised Whipple for leading the agency that looks out for businesses of all sizes. For more than 20 years, the EDA has a small business class that has graduated more than 500 people. The Microenterprise Assistance Program provides expertise and a chance for lower-interest loans for graduates.
The EDA has pushed to keep that program going, while also assisting companies in major projects.
“Diane has done an awesome job leading that program,” Whipple said about Blanchard, coordinator of the Microenterprise Assistance Program. That has been a great project.”
The EDA welcomes applications for the CEO/CFO position for the agency. Click here for more information on the job.
Hendel and DeRoller said the board of directors want someone who is dedicated to the county.
“Our goal is to not only find an individual who understands the importance of a seamless transition, but also someone who can move the organization and our county to the next level in securing resources and establishing business relationships that will continue to attract, secure, and maintain business to our county,” Hendel said.
AAA shares advice for Drowsy Driving Prevention Week
Press Release, AAA of Western and Central New York
This week is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week and AAA has advice for motorists to avoid the dangerous habit.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 35 percent of U.S. drivers sleep less than the recommended minimum of seven hours daily. In a 2018 AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety survey, nearly all drivers (96 percent) say they view drowsy driving as a serious threat to their safety and a completely unacceptable behavior.
However, 29 percent admitted to driving when they were so tired they had a hard time keeping their eyes open at some point.
The AAA Foundation also conducted in-depth drowsy driving research in the U.S. using footage of everyday drivers. It found that the percentage of crashes involving drowsiness is nearly eight times higher than federal estimates.
In the 2018 study, researchers examined video of drivers’ faces in the three minutes leading up to a crash. Using a scientific measure linking the percentage of time a person’s eyes are closed to their level of drowsiness, the researchers determined that 9.5 percent of all crashes and 10.8 percent of crashes resulting in significant property damage involved drowsiness. Federal estimates indicate drowsiness is a factor in only one to two percent of crashes.
The difficulty in detecting drowsiness following a crash makes drowsy driving one of the most underreported traffic safety issues.
Knowing the warning signs of drowsiness can help drivers avoid dozing off behind the wheel. The most common symptoms include:
Having trouble keeping your eyes open
Drifting from your lane
Not remembering the last few miles driven
Drivers however should not rely on their bodies to provide warning signs for drowsiness and should instead prioritize getting at least seven hours of sleep before hitting the road. AAA recommends that drivers:
Travel at times of the day when they are normally awake
Avoid heavy foods
Avoid medications that cause drowsiness or other impairment
For longer trips, drivers should:
Schedule a break every two hours or every 100 miles
Travel with an alert passenger and take turns driving
Do not underestimate the power of a quick nap. Pulling into a rest stop and taking a quick catnap – at least 20 minutes and no more than 30 minutes of sleep – can help to keep you alert on the road.
Residents urged to take surveys and participate in the process
MEDINA – A committee on police reform and reinvention welcomes public comments during a Nov. 18 meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Medina Theatre, 603 Main St.
The Medina Committee on Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative has been actively engaged with reviewing current Medina Police Department policies and procedures, while also reviewing new additions and modifications for consideration, said committee member Scott Robinson.
Following the public comment received on September 23, the committee launched an email address and survey to increase participation in the process.
Click here for a link to the survey in English and click here for the survey in Spanish.
Through the remainder of 2020, the committee will be reviewing public comments, policy and procedure recommendations, and additional recommendations being offered by stakeholders from the community and committee.
On June 12, Governor Andrew Cuomo initiated an executive order entitled the New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative. The core objective was that each local government with a police department needed to review the policies, procedures, and strategies of the police department.
To achieve this, each head of government must work with the leader of the police department to compile a group of community stakeholders who will review these activities. In medina’s case, Mayor Mike Sidari and Police Chief Chad Kenward worked to form a committee.
The committee includes faith-based leaders, business owners, the district attorney, public defender, a representative of the public schools, and others.
Consistent with the Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order, after receiving community input, a plan will be submitted for acceptance to the Medina Village Board and provided to the state by April 1. The submission will seek to include the comments and suggestions from committee members, community members, and additional stakeholders.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 November 2020 at 6:15 pm
School staff at Kendall, Alexander and Batavia BOCES have confirmed cases
Orleans County is reporting six new cases of Covid-19 since Monday, when the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments last updated the community.
The new positive cases reside in Gaines, Barre, Clarendon and Murray. The individuals are in their 20s, 30s, 50s and 60s.
Three of the individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Orleans has now had 408 people test positive for Covid since March.
The county is also reporting 22 new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
The county also has had four more recoveries and those residents have been removed from the isolation list. Orleans has now had 232 recoveries in the community from Covid. One of the positive individuals is hospitalized.
The Health Department has been notified of a positive staff member at the Kendall Central School District. The individual is under mandatory isolation. All close contacts have been identified and placed under the NYS Contact Tracers and placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from last contact with the positive individual.
Genesee County received 20 new positive cases of Covid-19 and has now had 401 positive cases since March.
The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Batavia, Bergen, Elba, LeRoy, Oakfield and Pembroke.
The individual are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 80s. Two of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Genesee has 28 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
Genesee also is reporting 16 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list, bringing Genesee’s total recoveries to 299 in the community.
There 2 people from Genesee County currently hospitalized due to Covid.
The Health Department has been notified of 2 positive students and 1 staff member at the Alexander Middle/High School and 1 Alexander Central School District staff member. The individuals are 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 Health Department also has been notified of a positive staff member of the Genesee Valley BOCES, Batavia Center. 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.
Click here to see an online map of the confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. There are 74 active cases in the three counties with 39 in Genesee, 14 in Orleans and 21 in Wyoming.
Here is each region’s percentage of positive test results as reported over the last three days. Orleans County is the Finger Lakes Region.
Statewide Data: The statewide positivity rate is 1.59 percent. The positive testing rate in all Focus Zone areas is 2.69 percent. The positivity outside the focus zone areas is 1.42 percent.
Within the focus areas, 18,581 test results were reported yesterday, yielding 499 positives. In the remainder of the state, not counting these focus areas, 114,953 test results were reported, yielding 1,627 positives.
“The surge in cases around the country and the globe is a stark reminder that this pandemic is far from over, and while we are doing a good job keeping our positivity rate comparatively low, the numbers in Western New York are a caution flag,” Governor Cuomo said. “We’re staying on top of this situation by continuing our aggressive micro-cluster strategy, expanding testing capacity and enforcing compliance of the public health law.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 November 2020 at 3:03 pm
Allegany, Wyoming top 71.4% of support for Trump in Orleans
Orleans County is clearly Trump Country, with more than 70 percent of the voters casting ballots for the president.
Orleans upped its Trump support this election, compared to four years ago. When Trump ran against Hillary Clinton in 2016, Orleans voters gave Trump 66.8 percent of the vote for president.
This time, against Joe Biden, Orleans voters gave Trump 71.4 percent of the in-person vote. (Absentee ballots will be counted on Tuesday, Nov. 10.)
In 2016, Orleans County gave Trump the third highest percentage among counties in the state. Only Wyoming County (71.9 percent) and Allegany County (67.0 percent) had a higher percentage.
Those counties both have even higher support for Trump, and then have topped Orleans with its 71.4 percent.
In Allegany County, Trump received 73.1 percent of the in-person vote. Wyoming County gave Trump 75.5 percent.
Nick Langworthy, the State Republican Party chairman, was in Albion and Warsaw on Sunday for a get-out-the-vote rally. He said Wyoming County may have the highest Trump support of any county in the Northeast.
Here is a breakdown of how some of the WNY counties voted in-person for president in 2020:
Free personal care items and paper products will be distributed
Press Release, Catholic Charities
ALBION – To help individuals and families during these challenging Covid-19 times, Catholic Charities is hosting Parish Parking Lot Pop Ups at parishes in several Western New York counties, including in Corfu and Albion next week.
Catholic Charities will be at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish at 18 W. Main St., Corfu on Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and at Holy Family Parish at 106 S. Main St., Albion on Thursday, Nov. 12, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Catholic Charities team members will be on hand to share a free care bag filled with personal care items and paper products, as well as available to answer questions about any of the services that are available. The packages will be given on a first come, first served basis.
“Catholic Charities has been here helping, and continues to, throughout the pandemic,” said Kelly Grimaldi, Catholic Charities district director for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. “While some of our offerings are currently virtual, our services are always available from counseling for all ages to emergency financial assistance and other special programs. Catholic Charities is here to support our community.”
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 food pantries, basic emergency assistance and counseling.
Services available in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties include emergency financial assistance, counseling for individuals couples and families, Home Visitor Program/Friendly Phones which bring a sense of connectivity to homebound seniors, the court-ordered Domestic Violence Program for Men and Our Kids Parent Education Awareness Program for divorced/separating parents. Call 585-343-0614 for more information or assistance.
