By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2020 at 3:10 pm
HOLLEY – A Holley student who was last at the middle-high school campus on Wednesday morning has tested positive for Covid-19, the Orleans County Health Department said today.
“The school learned about the positive case before school this morning and ordered precautionary cleaning and disinfection of the area the student was last in,” said Brian Bartalo, superintendent of Holley Central School District. “The student did not report to school today.”
Holley is working with the local Health Department and New York State Covid-19 School Specialists to assist with contact tracing.
The local Health Department will go back 48 hours from the onset of symptoms or the date of the test to determine any order of quarantining of individuals of close contact with the student.
In this case that would start on Monday, October 19th. As a member of the “White Hawk” cohort, the student who tested positive was not in school on Monday or Tuesday this week. Any communication of the need for quarantine will come directly from the Health Department or the NYS School Liaison. If the local Health Department indicates there is anything further that needs to occur at the school building or district level, families will be updated, Bartalo said.
Paul Pettit, Health Department director, said the district and health officials are unable to legally disclose any further details or personal identifiable information about this student per the federal privacy laws.
If a student in the Holley school district receives confirmation of a positive Covid-19 test, Bartalo urged parents and guardians to contact the school’s nurse or principal immediately “so we can help the Orleans County Health Department most efficiently begin the contact tracing process.”
Any student who has Covid-19 symptoms or has been tested should not report to school until cleared by a medical professional and/or have a negative test result.
“In addition to working closely with the Health Department, we will continue to reinforce the best practices of mask wearing, staying physically distant from others, and handwashing,” Bartalo said.
Symptoms of Covid-19 include but are not limited to fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
For information on school statistics, click here for the New York State Covid-19 Report Card.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2020 at 11:40 am
ALBION – A Batavia man facing attempted murder charges in Genesee County was arraigned in Orleans County Court on Wednesday for several felony charges.
Jamie Dutton
Jamie Dutton, 28, has been charged with second-degree attempted murder for an Aug. 25 stabbing. Dutton allegedly stabbed a person in the chest. The victim survived after receiving immediate medical attention. Dutton also has been charged with first-degree assault and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Dutton also faces felony charges in Orleans, including burglary in the first degree, aggravated criminal contempt and assault in the second degree.
He allegedly went to a person’s house who had an order of protection against Dutton. He went to the house without permission. There was also an altercation outside where Dutton allegedly caused the victim to have a collapsed lung.
He is in the Orleans County Jail on $100,000 bail.
In other cases in Orleans County Court on Wednesday:
• A Corfu man pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property in Orleans County Court on Wednesday.
Tony Graber, 41, admitted to having stolen parts from a 1959 Corvette and then selling them. Those parts, taken from a Corvette in Barre, are valued at $9,960.
Graber pleaded guilty to criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, which was a break from the original charge in the third degree. Instead of facing a maximum of a 2 to 4 years in state prison as a second-felony offender, he will face a maximum of 1 ½ to 3 years in prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 13, 2021.
• A former inmate at the Albion Correctional Facility was sentenced by Judge Sanford Church to 9 months in the Orleans County Jail for bringing Suboxone into the prison.
Stacey Haley of Massena in St. Lawrence County was sentenced for promoting prison contraband. She secreted Suboxone strips while in prison on August 2018.
She has since been released from the women’s prison in Albion. She has since completed a drug treatment program.
“I apologize for my past behavior,” she told the judge during sentencing. “I really humiliated myself. I won’t do it again.”
• Two codefendants from Batavia were arraigned on two counts each of burglary in the third third degree, petty larceny and criminal mischief in the fourth degree.
David Brusie, 47, and Courtney H. Kelley, 33, were doing property maintenance work for Wells Fargo when they allegedly entered a house on Norway Road in Kendall and Ryan Road in Shelby and took copper from the houses. They entered the houses without permission, according to the district attorney’s office.
• Also in court the previous day on Tuesday, Samantha Wroblewski, 31, of Batavia was arraigned for fourth-degree criminal possession of a stolen property.
Wroblewski and a codefendant, Judd Farewell, allegedly possessed stolen copper supply lines taken from a Maple Ridge Road building. That copper was worth an estimated $1,500.
A white-tailed deer in Orleans County had rabies, one of four to test positive in upstate recently, according to researchers at the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab.
A DEC environmental conservation officer collected a white-tailed deer carcass after it was found dead in a pond by the homeowner in Orleans County on Oct. 13. The DEC officer noted that other deer had been seen swimming in the pond.
Quick collection and proper handling of the animal by ECOs and NYS Wildlife Health Program staff at Cornell using appropriate PPE was strictly followed and essential when handling wildlife as it may be infected with rabies or other infectious diseases. The brain sample was removed and sent to NYS Wadsworth lab for testing and was reported positive for rabies, according to the Cornell lab.
A deer also tested positive for rabies in Cortland Country after it was euthanized on October 1 by a DEC Environmental Conservation Officer who found the deer “circling in a yard.” The deer also “appeared thin” and was approachable by humans.
Appearing tame or being approachable, anorexia, and incoordination or restlessness are some of the clinical signs of rabies.
Other deer have testing positive for rabies Ontario County and Cayuga County.
Hunting season is about to begin across New York. It’s important for hunters to remember that all mammals, including white-tailed deer, are susceptible to rabies, Cornell officials said.
“Remember to include disposable gloves in your hunting gear as you head into the field,” Cornell said in a news release. “Wear gloves when field dressing or butchering your harvest and be sure to discard the gloves in the trash. Wash your hands with soap and water when you are finished. Rabies virus can be transmitted through the animal’s saliva and blood into an open wound. Do not consume animals that appear abnormal. To report neurologic deer, please contact your DEC Regional Wildlife Office.”
Press Release, Orleans County Chief Administrative Officer Jack Welch
ALBION – We are pleased to announce that the Orleans County Department of Motor Vehicles will have a renewal-only appointments for license, registration and non-driver I.D.s and duplicates during early voting.
This is the first time the DMV will have hours outside the usual 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule from Monday through Friday.
The evening times include Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct. 27-28) from 5:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. The office will also be open on Saturday, October 31st, from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.
“We totally understand the frustration our residents have had in trying to obtain an appointment for renewals at DMV and we hope this opportunity for processing your renewals will allow our residents more flexibility and convenience in obtaining your renewal during these early voting appointments at DMV,” said Jack Welch, Chief Administrative Officer.
These on-line scheduling pages may be located using the County’s DMV webpage (click here) or by clicking here.
The first step in scheduling the appointment is to click on the service you wish to complete, choose a date, and then provide your name and telephone number. The software requires the customer’s name and telephone number as a required field.
By providing a mobile number and an email address, the software will provide a text message confirmation and an email confirmation of your appointment. The last step is confirming that all of the information entered is correct.
Please have the appropriate paperwork completed, Form MV-44 (Application for Permit, License, Non-Driver ID) or present your renewal card or invitation that you received from the State. For Registration Renewals, you will need to have a completed MV-82 (Vehicle Registration/Title Application) or the renewal notice you may have received from the State. These forms may be found online or in the lobby of the County Office Building.
Access to these online appointments will be approximately six days prior to the dates of these available appointments.
As a reminder, we do have a lockbox in front of the County Office Building for your DMV transactions and the direct number for DMV is (585) 589-3214.
Provided photo: Zach Duewiger of Roy-Hart holds a signed jersey from Eric Maycroft, a NASCAR crew member.
Press Release, Orleans-Niagara BOCES
MEDINA – Zach Duewiger, a Royalton-Hartland student in the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Program at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center, recently won a signed Cole Custer jersey.
“Zach was very excited to win the jersey since he is a big NASCAR fan,” said Bill Rakonczay, the teacher of the class.
Zach and his class take part in weekly Zoom meetings with Haas Technical Education Center, which provides CNC education to machining students. Zach was able to answer a trivia question during a session with Custer and was sent the gift.
“I am so glad that he likes the shirt and had fun joining the watch party,” Custer said in a note.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2020 at 8:56 am
ALBION – There has been a big increase in applications for absentee ballots, with many choosing to vote by mail rather than in person during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Orleans County Board of Elections has 2,740 absentee ballot applications on file as of Wednesday. That is about triple the 952 absentee ballot applications received in 2016 during the last Presidential election.
The county BOE plans to open and count the ballots on Nov. 10, a week after the Nov. 3 election.
The BOE also will begin nine days of early voting on Saturday. That will continue until Nov. 1.
The early voting option is part of a state mandate to allow greater access to the polls. The county offered early voting for the first time a year ago and then again during the June primary.
Voters can cast their ballots at the Board of Elections in the County Administration Building, located behind the nursing home at 14016 Route 31.
The hours the polls will be open include:
Oct. 24-25 (Saturday and Sunday) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Oct. 26 (Monday) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Oct. 27-28 (Tuesday and Wednesday) from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Oct. 29-30 (Thursday and Friday) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Oct. 31-Nov. 1 (Saturday and Sunday) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The general election is Nov. 3 with polls in the 10 towns in Orleans County open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2020 at 9:33 pm
Orleans not yet listed in one of the 3 zones that have restrictions, testing requirements
Editor’s Note: This article was updated from an earlier version that said Orleans County was in a new yellow zone that is precautionary and has restrictions to help slow the spread of Covid-19.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced new micro-cluster metrics today that ranks counties in four tiers, based on their population size. Orleans County is in the fourth tier with counties less than 50,000 people. (Other Tier 4 counties include Allegany, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Greene, Hamilton, Lewis, Montgomery, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Tioga, Wyoming and Yates counties.)
Small counties in Tier 4 will be in the yellow zone if they have a 7-day rolling average positivity above 4% for 10 days and if the geographic area has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average.
Orleans, which has a population of about 42,883 people in the 2010 census, has 23 new cases in the past seven days. The county has reported 18 new Covid cases since Monday, with eight on Monday, four on Tuesday and six more today.
“We have what we believe is the most sophisticated Covid detection and elimination system of any state because we’ve spent time, we’ve invested and because New Yorkers are invested,” Cuomo said today. “What’s the best you can do? Detect the smallest outbreak as soon as it happens. Trace it back to where it starts, find a small outbreak or cluster, and jump on it.”
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.
Photo courtesy of the New York Landmarks Conservancy: The First Presbyterian Church of Holley was approved for a $5,000 grant from the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites program.
Press Release, New York Landmarks Conservancy
HOLLEY – The New York Landmarks Conservancy has announced eight Sacred Sites grants totaling $140,000 awarded to historic religious properties throughout New York State, including $5,000 to First Presbyterian Church of Holley to help fund roof repairs.
The First Presbyterian Church of Holley is a tan-brick, Collegiate-Gothic style church completed in 1909 to the designs of architect William C. Walker. A modern concrete-block addition (1958-59) abuts the east side of the original building.
The sanctuary interior contains the original exposed roof trusses, paneled ceiling in dark wood, heavy wood window trim, altar furnishings, and organ installed in a loft behind the altar. The church serves about 400 people a year through activities such as school supply and clothing distribution, a holiday gift drive, scout troops, fellowship groups, and meetings of the local garden club.
“We’re delighted our grants can help maintain these important institutions during this difficult time,” said Peg Breen, President, The New York Landmarks Conservancy. “Throughout the pandemic, they have continued feeding and recovery programs, as well as health and cultural offerings to their communities.”
The Sacred Sites Program provides congregations with matching grants for planning and implementing exterior restoration projects, technical assistance, and workshops. Since 1986, the program has pledged 1,559 grants totaling more than $12 million to 828 religious institutions statewide.
The New York Landmarks Conservancy
The New York Landmarks Conservancy, a private non-profit organization, has led the effort to preserve and protect New York City’s architectural legacy for nearly 50 years. Since its founding, the Conservancy has loaned and granted more than $52 million, which has leveraged more than $1 billion in 1,850 restoration projects throughout New York, revitalizing communities, providing economic stimulus and supporting local jobs.
The Conservancy has also offered countless hours of pro bono technical advice to building owners, both nonprofit organizations and individuals. The Conservancy’s work has saved more than a thousand buildings across the City and State, protecting New York’s distinctive architectural heritage for residents and visitors alike today, and for future generations.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2020 at 4:27 pm
Orleans County is reporting six new cases of Covid-19 today, including a student at the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School in Albion.
The student was not in school 48 hours prior to becoming symptomatic and testing positive, and there is no identified direct school contact, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said.
The individual is under mandatory isolation and will remain there until fully recovered. Contact tracing has been initiated to determine potential close contacts in the community.
Scott Bischoping, the Albion district superintendent, said the student was last in the elementary school building on Oct. 13. He said there is no need to quarantine staff or other students.
All six of the new cases reported today are Albion residents. The age groups of the new cases include three who are 0-19 years old, two in their 40s, and one in the 50s.
None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Orleans County has now had 362 people test positive for Covid-19 since March, including 18 so far this week with 8 on Monday, 4 on Tuesday and 6 today.
The county also has 3 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
Genesee County has 3 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the county’s total to 348 positive cases since March.
The new positive cases reside in Batavia and Pembroke. One of the positive individuals is an inmate at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility.
One of the new cases is in the 40s, one is in the 50s, and the other is in the 60s. None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Genesee also is reporting two more recoveries from Covid and those individuals have been released from mandatory isolation.
Five more people from Genesee also are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2020 at 4:07 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – Ariyanna Boccacci, 14, of Albion helps with a food distribution this afternoon at the Orleans County 4-H fairgrounds. Ariyanna, a 4-H’er, heeded the call for volunteers and helped with the effort.
The Fairgrounds received 3,000 boxes of food – 1,000 each of meat, dairy and produce. Each vehicle could receive one of each.
There were about 500 vehicles in the first hour before slowing down.
There were about 280 units or boxes of each category left at about 3:30 today.
Robert Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, said the delivery was up in the air last week. He put out a call for volunteers on Tuesday when the delivery was confirmed by Foodlink.
There will be another food distribution at the Fairgrounds next Wednesday beginning at about 1:45 p.m.
Joe McCracken of Brockport, a former Orleans County 4-H member, helps with the distribution today for the first time.
There are also two other distributions planned the final two Fridays in October with about 300 boxes expected to be available:
• October 23rd – Ridgeway Fire Department, 11392 Ridge Road, Medina – no lines before 8 a.m. The entrance will be on Horan Road and the line will be facing north towards Ridge Road. Exit will be on to Ridge Road
• October 30th – This event will be at the Community Action Main Street Store, 131 S. Main Street.
Deb Moyer, a mother of a 4-H’er, also assisted today.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2020 at 1:40 pm
Cheyenne Farewell
LOCKPORT – Two teen-agers, ages 16 and 17, have been arrested and charged with murder in the second degree for the death of Cheyenne Farewell, 20, of Medina. She was shot and killed on Saturday at about 12:20 a.m., at a Halloween party on Niagara Street.
Five other people, ages 15 to 21, also were shot. Those victims are from Medina, Lockport and Corfu.
The two juveniles were arrested at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. They were arraigned in Youth Court in Niagara Falls today. Because of their ages their names aren’t being released publicly.
They have also been charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. They are being held on $500,000 cash bail and $1 million bond. They are due to next appear in court on Oct. 26.
Caroline Wojtaszek, Niagara County district attorney, spoke at a 1 p.m. news conference in Lockport today. She said the two juveniles likely will face additional charges including murder with a depraved indifference to human life for firing a gun into a closed garage door knowing there are people behind the door.
Wojtaszek said Farewell and the other victims weren’t targeted. The two juveniles were acting on a grudge that didn’t include the people who were shot.
“Cheyenne Farewell was not part of this dispute,” Wojtaszek said. “She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Lockport Police Chief Steven Abbott said multiple law enforcement agencies worked around the clock since the shooting on Saturday to make the arrests early this morning.
Abbott and Wojtaszek said law enforcement has more work to do. They welcome more assistance from the public, including people who attended the party. Law enforcement wants to know what people saw at the party and what was shared on social media, including Snapchat.
Wojtaszek said assistance from the public is “essential” in building the case and getting a conviction.
“We need your courage to come forward with any information to help us,” the district attorney said. “This is a tragedy beyond words.”
Farewell, a 2018 Medina graduate, was a student at Brockport State College. Her family had calling hours on Tuesday at Cooper Funeral Home in Medina.
“Cheyenne deserves justice,” Wojtaszek said. “Her family deserves justice. This community deserves justice.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2020 at 12:56 pm
Proposals include building upgrades, a new marina, assistance for restaurants, kayak launches, signage
Courtesy of Labella Associates: A committee looking at ways to better utilize the Erie Canal has suggested a privately owned marina that offers gas and other services would draw more boating traffic to the Albion area.
ALBION – A group that has been meeting for about a year, brainstorming ideas to better utilize the Erie Canal, has identified several projects.
The committee is developing a Canal Corridor Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan for the villages of Albion and Holley, and the towns of Albion, Murray, Gaines, Ridgeway and Shelby. The Village of Medina has developed its own waterfront plan.
Albion and Holley would benefit if there were kayak launches in the villages along the canal, according to the Waterfront Advisory Committee.
The county received a state grant for $62,000 to develop the plan and hired LaBella Associates as a consultant.
The committee will hold a final public meeting Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at The Lockstone at 160 North Main St. Natasha Wasuck, owner of the Lockstone, is one of the committee members.
The public can attend the meeting in person or check in through Zoom videoconferencing (click here). The meeting ID is 827 3351 7976 and the passcode is 694534. Dial by your location at +1 929 205 6099 US (New York).
The Local Waterfront Advisory Committee will go over the final plan, including eight priority projects. The committee sought projects that provide access to the waterfront, increase recreational opportunities and advance economic development opportunities.
The plan will help the county and participating municipalities with future funding opportunities.
Some of the proposed projects include:
• Canal Corridor Building Assistance Program: would provide grant funding of up to $600,000 to assist multiple buildings or an anchor building with interior and exterior improvements. Albion and Holley have both received New York Main Street grants for building improvements in the downtown.
• Small Business Assistance Program: A countywide program with grant and loan funding to assist new and existing businesses with growth, with restaurants and culinary operations getting the priority.
• Activate the Canal Waterfront: Repurpose underutilized spaces, including parking lots, which could be turned into performance space and improved aesthetically with landscaping and lighting. The initiative would include rear facade upgrades and enhanced water recreation opportunities. The committee used the Village of Albion’s parking lot by the canal near Platt Street as an example of space that could be improved.
The committee suggested Albion redesign and resurface a parking lot by the canal, adding lighting and landscaping and making the space available to be used for concerts and events.
• Increase Water-Based Recreation Facilities: Add kayak and boat launches, piers and tie-ups in the villages of Albion and Holley. The area needs private entities to offer kayak rentals.
• Construct a Marina in Albion: A private marina is needed that offers gas services, tie-ups and other services.
• Install Signage along the Canal: There needs to be signs with distances to the next ports and nearby canal communities. There should also be signs directing people to businesses and services.
• Winter Recreation Program: This could include “pop-up” temporary ice skating rinks, cross country skiing and winter festivals.
• Siphon for Agriculture: Siphoning water from the canal reduces agriculture costs and also can be used to provide water for creeks and fishing.
• Some other projects: Arts along the canal with statues and public art relevant to the canal and county; Trail connections to natural areas (Groth Road in Murray and Presbyterian Road in Knowlesville area); Celebrate the Holley canal loop with pavement, lighting and signage; Attract a rental business offering bikes and kayaks; Promote tugboats; Upgrade the towpath trail surface for bikes, increase the number of events and redevelop the Murray quarry ponds for recreation.
