Artists also close to finishing other murals in Albion, Medina

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Chris Piontkowski of Cheektowaga spent the weekend in Medina working on this mural on Proctor Place. The address is listed as 428-436 Main St. It is on a cinder block building behind Main Street.

Piontkowski the previously weekend applied the gray primer. He will be painting local, native species of pollinator flowers as well as geometric patterns. He is shown putting on the stenciling for the large painting to follow.

Piontkowski, 34, said he appreciated the opportunity to bring his own design to the wall.

“This is purely from my soul,” he said. “I want people to look at this as a piece of fine art on a grand scale.”

This mural is on the opposite side of the Canalligator” mural which was finished in July and is the first of four murals in the Proctor Place area. The Form Foundation spearheaded the effort.

Piontkowski said he will be back the next four weekends to work on the project.

Provided photo: Piontkowski is close to finishing this mural in Williamsville on the Village Hall. He said the Medina mural will be a little different but will have a lot of flowers.

Piontkowski said he has received an overwhelmingly reaction to the project in Williamsville.

“The response has been tremendously awesome,” he said.

Chuck Tingley continues to work on his “Fake It Til You Make It!” mural on the back of 410 Main St. He painted the back cinder block wall of a building in bright colors. The mural sends a message of the importance of self-confidence in relation to the pursuit of one’s dreams.

Tingley’s traveler is joined by dog and a cat on the journey.

Tingley has been up high working in a lift.

There is also a new mural nearly complete in Albion on the north side of 170 North Main St., the Lake Country Pennysaver building.

The mural celebrates Charles W. Howard Santa School. Justin Suarez has included wildlife in the mural, including a snowy owl.

Suarez painted Santa’s outstretched hand in a white glove near the loading dock of the building. Suarez also painted a reindeer, trees and snowflakes as part of the scene that will greet motorists heading south into Albion near the Erie Canal.

Photo courtesy of Thom Jennings: Bryan DeGraw is shown with winning meads produced by 810 Meadworks in Medina.

MEDINA – A Medina meadery has won two international awards for its mead, including the top honor for Scarlett A.

810 Meadworks made that fermented mead with cranberries, blueberries and cider. It won the gold medal, beating out 13 other entries in the cyzer category which include mead made with apples.

Bryan DeGraw, co-owner and meadmaker, also was awarded a bronze medal for Sweet Devotion. It was third out of 36 entries in the fruit/vegetable melomel – semi-sweet category. That mead from 810 Meadworks features currants.

DeGraw and his wife LaRissa opened 810 Meadworks in downtown Medina about six years ago. This is the first time the business has been recognized with a gold medal at the Mazer Cup International, a contest held annually in Denver.

Normally the results are announced in March, but the judging was pushed back due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The winners were announced on Oct. 2.

“I completely forgot about it,” DeGraw said about the competition.

He said a post about the results on the group’s Facebook page and felt humbled to be recognized by the industry.

“the beauty of it is the judges are primarily mead makers,” DeGraw said. “It’s an award of your peers. So I’m very proud of it.”

810 Meadworks has seen an uptick in orders for the winning meads and others since the results were announced.

He acknowledged mead is niche in the alcohol industry, but is on the rise. When 810 Meadworks opened six years ago, there were about 150 meaderies in the United States. Now there are about 600. In New York, it has grown from five to more than 20 during that time.

810 Meadworks has a tasting room/mead bar open Friday through Sunday at 113 West Center St. It has partnered with Sourced Market & Eatery to have sandwiches available to meet guidelines from the state for consuming alcohol.

For more of the Mazer Cup, click here.

Forever mail stamp would remain at 55 cents

Press Release, U.S. Postal Service

WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission for price changes to take effect Jan. 24, 2021.

The proposed prices, approved by the Postal Service Board of Governors, would raise Mailing Services product prices approximately 1.8 percent for First-Class Mail and 1.5 percent for other categories.

Although Mailing Services price increases are based on the consumer price index, competitive International Shipping Services prices are primarily adjusted according to market conditions. The governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue.

If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the new prices will include no increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, which would remain at 55 cents. The single-piece letter additional ounce price would increase to 20 cents, the metered mail 1-ounce price would increase to 51 cents and the prices of postcard stamps would increase to 36 cents. Single-piece 1-ounce flat prices will remain unchanged at $1.

The proposed Mailing Services price changes include:

The Postal Service has some of the lowest letter-mail postage rates in the industrialized world and continues to offer a great value in shipping. Unlike some other shippers, the Postal Service does not add surcharges for fuel, residential delivery or regular Saturday delivery.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Press Release, NY Senate Republican Conference, led by Rob Ortt

ALBANY – New York State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and members of the Senate Republican Conference on Friday sent a letter to Governor Cuomo asking for clarity and a reverse course on any potential changes to the highly successful Farm to School Incentive program.

Recent information provided by stakeholders suggests that forthcoming Executive policy will result in half of all New York schools losing eligibility for the program.

“Long championed by the Senate Republican Conference, the Farm to School Incentive program should be a shining example of how we can do good for our communities as elected leaders,” said Ortt, R-North Tonawanda. “The program helps families and children struggling with food insecurity. It helps struggling farmers who have been drowning in New York overregulation for years. And it helps schools put locally sourced food on the table for a bargain. It’s not too late, Governor Cuomo – you can and should reverse course to save the Farm to School Incentive program for the sake of all New Yorkers.”

According to information provided by New York Grown Food for New York Kids, the potential changes to the Farm to School Incentive would result in increased food insecurity, another crippling blow to New York’s already-struggling farmers, and an irreparable loss of faith between school districts and the program.

Combined with the exacerbating circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic, heaps of red tape recently thrust upon small farmers, and a dismal state economic outlook, a policy change that renders half of all schools ineligible for Farm to School would mean more dire outcomes for New York farms and families.

“Agriculture is one of the most important industries in our great state. We know that even the tiniest seeds of investment we plant as state lawmakers can return massive yields for all New Yorkers. I hope the administration reconsiders this potential change, because farmers, families, and schoolchildren cannot afford for us to go back at the precise time we should be moving forward to expand this program,” said Senator George Borrello of Sunset Bay in Chautauqua County. He is ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture.

While in the Majority, Senate Republicans worked with the School Nutrition Association to adopt language in the state budget that provided an additional incentive for districts to source food from in-state growers and producers.

“In story after heartbreaking story, we have witnessed the plight of food insecurity spread throughout our state this year. Whether it’s long lines at food banks or record unemployment rates, it is clear that New York families and children have been through enough crises this year to last a lifetime. The last thing parents need to worry about right now is what their children eat at the lunch table. Significant changes to the Farm to School program would not only harm our farmers and schools, but the families and children who rely on them,” said Senator Jim Tedisco of Glenville in Schenectady County. He is ranking member of the Senate Committee on Children and Families.

One Year of Perking

October 14 will mark one full year of Positive Perks. To date there have been 60 Perks and many Mid-Week Photo Perks. For those of you who catch a Perk in the Sunday Morning publications of the Pennysaver or Hub, Perking was happening before they were kind enough to share Perks in print and online. To see all Post and Perks you can go directly to my Blog Site at: www.PositivePerksPosts.com.

Positive Perks came about because it seemed the world needed a way to experience some light hearted, yet sometimes very meaningful commentary on how the world can be seen. Even if it was through the eyes of a 50+ year old Missus from a Small Town. The Perks started small, but with all the words rattling around in this brain they became longer with time. Like a singer has to sing and a painter has to paint… a writer has to write.

As a young girl I was never one to dream of fancy weddings or even motherhood. Instead there were dreams of laughter, traveling and writing. There is nothing that is unique about me or my life experiences. In fact, I have learned that many people have had similar life situations to those Perked about.

The dream was the Blog would be a place for people to share their own experiences and joys in the comment sections of each post. By hearing all those great stories that life has afforded us, maybe we cancel out the noise of the everyday nonsense.

As it turns out people did not share many comments on the Blog, which made me wonder sometimes if Positive Perks was working. Assurance came from the personal emails and messages people have left me.

Many times people stop me in the stores and tell me how much they are enjoying the Perks weekly in the Sunday morning publications. But what truly is touching and heartwarming is when someone shares how a Perk brought back a sweet memory from their childhood. Sometimes they say the memories brought them happy tears.

Being that I am my own best audience, I enjoy sharing my silly little stories. A special moment that comes to mind is when an older gentleman stopped to tell me that when he read one of the Christmas Perks it reminded him of when he was a young boy and his brother gave him a special watch for Christmas. He said it reminded him of how much it touched him as a child. He thanked me for helping him to remember. It was a Christmas Blessing. This is what Positive Perks is about 🙂 it is working!

For now I will continue Perking in hopes that my passion for babbling can help someone through a tough time, bring hope to someone, inspire someone or just make someone laugh! For those of you who have stories to share, don’t be shy, add them to my Blog site for others to enjoy. Share your stories. Head back to the home page to Join My Blog and receive new post updates and visit the main menu to read past Posts of Positivity!

To see the most viewed Post, visit My Blog live online at https://www.positiveperksposts.com and catch up on Weekly Photo Perks and past Sunday Posts. Like and share your comments.

Deborah London

Let’s go on an adventure together….to Lake Placid, NY!

A beautiful foggy morning view of Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, NY

It’s no secret that I love to go on adventures and this year has been frustrating for those of us who like to get out and enjoy life and all it has to offer. Everything I had booked or was considering doing this year was canceled. I’ve been really itching to get away for a while and more so lately. But, personally, I’m still not comfortable considering getting on a plane, train, bus, or other mass transit option to go out of state…yet. But, that doesn’t mean I am content with being grounded from adventuring.

So…..I took my own advice and I planned a nice little get-away to the Adirondack Mountains with hopes of catching the leaves turning at just the right time. It was just what I needed – a perfect week away from it all to one of the most beautiful places in New York with all the peace, serenity, and total relaxation I could take. I chose Lake Placid as my destination and I was so happy I did! And, the fall colors? Yeah, they didn’t disappoint! By the end of the week I was there, they were claiming the leaves to be at or near peak colors.

To get there, I mainly took routes 104 and 3, with a few little twists and turns along the way through sweet little towns and gorgeous country sides. 289 miles and roughly six and a half hours later, I was in Lake Placid. I drove up on Monday, September 21st, spent three full days there, and drove home on Friday, September 25th. I stayed at the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa in downtown Lake Placid overlooking Mirror Lake. My room was awesome and had stunning views of the lake and mountains from my terrace. I would not have been one bit disappointed if I never left the room the entire week. But, of course, I did leave the room to do some exploring.

Some of what I put on my list of things to check out were either still closed or not fully operational, so I didn’t do everything I considered doing. But, that was OK – the main intent of this trip was to get away and relax. I did a lot of driving around looking at the scenery and spent time along Main Street in Lake Placid at the shops and restaurants. I have never spent time specifically in Lake Placid, before, so it was all new to me.

My Mom used to take us to the Adirondacks on vacations when we were kids. We’d go to all those wonderful attractions that used to be there, but, sadly, are now long gone – Land of Make Believe, Frontier Town, Santa’s Workshop, 1000 Animals, and others. I discovered that Santa’s Workshop is still there, so I did take time to go there for “old time’s sake”. The workshop and park were not open due to COVID, but I got to see it, take some photos, and go in the gift shop. It was a bit of nostalgia that warmed my heart.

The main street through downtown Lake Placid, NY is loaded with charm and opportunities to shop and dine.

I’m not a hiker, so didn’t get out in the woods, much. But I did go on a lovely boat cruise on Lake Placid that made for a wonderful afternoon of fresh air on the water. I also took the Essex Ferry across Lake Champlain to Vermont for a day. I didn’t have anything specific in mind to do in Vermont, except I did want to find the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Waterbury.

I mostly drove around checking out Burlington and Shelbourne. Shelbourne was a quaint town that had scarecrows all over town dressed like women and men all spiffed up for Sunday church complete with gloves, hats, and jewelry – I took a lot of time driving around looking at them all. I made two specific stops in Vermont – the Vermont Teddy Bear Company in Shelbourne and to have a dish of Cherry Garcia ice cream at the Ben & Jerry’s factory (they weren’t doing tours, so I’ll have to make another trip once the restrictions are lifted to do that). Then, I headed back across Lake Champlain on the ferry to get back to Lake Placid by dinner time.

Imagine yourself relaxing in a pair of Adirondack chairs overlooking beautiful Mirror Lake.

My trip wasn’t meant to be a “go, go, go” week, so I spent it doing laid back, relaxing things – a lot of enjoying the lake and fall colors and reading while enjoying the lake and fall colors – hahaha – and I capped the week off with a relaxing massage in the spa at my hotel the night before I left to come home.

But, there are a TON of great things to see and do in the area of Lake Placid and throughout the Adirondack Mountains. Whatever you want to do, you can find it there – camping, hiking, zip lining, climbing, adventuring, exploring, or just simply relaxing. It’s all there for you to discover. So, consider a trip to our beautiful Adirondack Mountains, if you’re looking for an in-state get-away.
Click here to check out my blog post for more photos and stories (including an adorable fox sighting) about my week in Lake Placid: https://thoughtsbykim.com/2020/10/04/september-in-lake-placid/

Happy Adventuring!

Photo by Tom Rivers: A leak floats down the Oak Orchard River on Monday in Carlton.

A wind advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. today in Orleans, Niagara, Monroe, northern Erie and Genesee counties.

There will be southwest winds 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

“Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects, including temporary tent structures and Halloween decorations,” according to the Weather Service. “Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.”

Today will reach a high of 76, followed by a high near 56 on Sunday and 65 on Monday, which is Columbus Day.

WHEATFIELD – A Wheatfield man has been charged with murder in the second degree after allegedly killing his father, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office reported today.

Deputies were called to Hill Road this morning at 7:47 for a domestic incident between a father and son. When deputies arrived, Bryan W. Cummings, 42, was standing outside the residence and was detained by patrol without incident.

Upon patrol entering the residence, Ward A. Cummings, 61, of Wheatfield was found unresponsive on the floor with multiple lacerations. Patrol and EMS agencies performed life-saving measures, but Mr. Cummings was pronounced deceased, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Bryan W. Cummings has been charged with murder in the second degree, a Class A-I felony, and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony. He is being held pending arraignment.

(Editor’s Note: This is the ninth article in a series about historic Childs in the Town of Gaines. The hamlet of Childs lies just north of Albion at the intersection of Routes 104 and 98. In 2019, Childs was selected to be on the Landmark Society of Western New York’s “Five to Revive” list. In 1993, the federal U.S. Department of the Interior declared the Cobblestone Museum in Childs a National Historic Landmark, the first site in Orleans County with that distinction.)

By Douglas Farley, Director, Cobblestone Society & Museum

Glass plate image of school from 1901

The parcel of land on which the cobblestone schoolhouse sits was purchased by John Proctor in 1847 for $50. Completed in 1849, the schoolhouse is a wood-framed structure with a lake-washed cobblestone veneer.

The walls are approximately 10″ thick, which is roughly a full foot thinner than most traditional cobblestone buildings.  The use of cobblestone veneer instead of full cobblestone construction was very rare.

The school’s bell was purchased for $20 and donated by the district’s first superintendent, William Babbitt.  Babbitt’s legacy includes much more than his philanthropy. Following the War of 1812, Babbitt moved his family to what would become Gaines. He became the area’s first blacksmith and established the first brickyard.

Babbitt was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1815, and worked to get the Ridge Road designated as “The Post Road” by NYS, and served as the first postmaster of Gaines. He pushed hard to get the Town of Gaines to be set apart from Ridgeway and recommended naming the town after War of 1812 hero General Edmund Pendleton Gaines. In 1831, Babbitt became the Town of Gaines Supervisor and then served the district in the NYS Assembly.

The one-room schoolhouse was originally used to teach grades 1-8, and later served grades K-6. The class picture shown here is from 1915.

After more than a century of use, the school’s bell fell into disrepair.  Recently, the Cobblestone Museum and the Orleans County Historical Association completely restored the bell carriage and supporting structures.

The bell was rung again after several years of silence for a re-dedication ceremony held at the school in August 2017. Several descendants of William Babbitt attended the gathering, as well as many former students from the District #5 School.

The cobblestone schoolhouse served District No. 5 for 103 years before it was closed in 1952 as part of the centralization of Albion’s school district.  In 1961, the old schoolhouse was sold to the Cobblestone Society Museum for $129.

Many Museum visitors today have remarked that the one-room schoolhouse is a time capsule of early education in the region.

Visitors will notice the presence of two doors on the front of the school; atypical of most one-room schoolhouses: the west door for boys, and the east door for girls. Inside each door was a separate cloakroom. Here we see a recent recreation of children arriving for school in the late 1800s.

In the 20th century, all pupils entered through the west door and the east coatroom was converted into a teacher’s office and library. The building was originally heated by a central stove, but was later replaced by a basement furnace.

Boys and Girls outhouses were used on the property for the first 70 years. Indoor chemical toilets were briefly tried during the 1920s, but although the manufacture promised their operation would be odor free, the actual results were a malodorous disappointment.

Luckily, the outhouses were still present and provided an acceptable substitute for the final years the school was in use.  The schoolhouse was home to several special features. The floor itself was unusual in that it sloped from front to rear with the back of the room being 8” higher to help students see over the heads of those sitting in the front of the class.

The ceiling also had a unique feature: an overhead door was built into the ceiling that could be opening with a pull string in the summer to provide extra ventilation and closed in the winter to conserve heat.

Harkening back to a bygone era, visitors who once attended the school are asked to sign their name on the blackboard with chalk. This photo shows Gail Johnson. She attended kindergarten at the school in 1950-51

The school is the Cobblestone Museum’s “youngest” of three cobblestone buildings, the District #5 Schoolhouse, along with the Universalist Church and Ward House, comprise a district with the distinction of being named Orleans County’s only National Historic Landmark.

Press Release, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that Covid-19 rapid result testing will be made available to every county in New York State.

The New York State Department of Health will deploy an initial 400,000 rapid result test kits free of charge to local health departments, hospitals, pharmacies, and other health care providers to help increase access in all corners of New York State to free Covid-19 tests that can be done within 15 minutes and without having to send a specimen to a lab.

DOH will prioritize the distribution of testing kits to counties and local health care providers in areas seeing recent uptick in cases. The rapid tests can be used to control new outbreaks, conduct surveillance testing, and will also be made available on a as needed basis to help schools in “yellow zones” test students and staff as part of new requirements to monitor Covid-19 spread as part of the Governor’s Cluster Action Initiative.

“These rapid test kits will allow health care institutions throughout the state to quickly and accurately determine COVID-19’s spread, control outbreaks and keep families and communities safe,” Cuomo said. “Further, the state is taking precautionary steps to ensure localities are providing rapid testing for schools that are nearby communities that have seen recent upticks in cases and are offering in-person instruction. We will provide rapid test kits, as needed, free of charge to all localities to help them meet this new requirement, giving parents, teachers, and students confidence in the safety of their educational experiences.”

On Tuesday, as part of the state’s Cluster Action Initiative, the Governor announced that schools open to in-person instruction in “Yellow Zones” would be required to test a portion of their in-person students, staff, and teachers at least once a week.

The NYS Dept. of Health today is issuing guidance requiring 20% of students, teachers, and staff who are in-person in schools located within “Yellow Zones” to be tested once a week starting next Friday, October 16. All results must be reported promptly to DOH and will be made available on the Covid Report Card dashboard.

As needed, the state will provide rapid test kits free of charge to local governments, health departments, schools, or whichever local health providers are designated by the local government, to help localities and schools meet this requirement which is a key part of ensuring Covid-19 does not spread into schools within nearly geographic proximity to where the state is monitoring cluster outbreaks.

DOH will issue a letter today to all local health departments, as well as hospitals, pharmacies, and other provider organizations, providing details for how to access and receive these rapid testing kits.

Site hopes to open at 25 percent in-person capacity soon

File photo by Tom Rivers: Gary Simboli will be performing on Saturday at the Cabaret at Studio B in Albion.

ALBION – The Covid pandemic has really affected the world, including the performing arts, said Amy Sidari, owner of Gotta Dance Studio and the Cabaret at Studio B in Albion.

She has a schedule of performers booked for 2020.

“By early 2020, Gary Simboli and I had already secured six tour buses for our matinee shows,” Sidari said. “I know in my heart we would have doubled, if not surpassed that had the pandemic not occurred. Our Judy Garland Show, Jazz Cabaret shows, Marcy Downey’s shows, our Variety Show, nationally acclaimed singer Erin Boheme and the Mancini Trio, as well as a Junior Class Variety Fundraiser Show and many more were put to a halt.”

Now Sidari said they are almost ready to open their doors for 25 percent seating for live performances, while streaming the show to the remaining patrons.

“You can imagine the loss of income the performers will experience with only 25 percent of the theater filled,” Sidari said. “Then factor in the added cost of technicians to create a virtual show.”

Once open in the future, the Cabaret at Studio B has come up with some new ideas to sweeten the deal for their live audiences, Sidari said. For guests fortunate enough to secure seats in the theater, they have created a VIP program.

Guests will be able to pull up to the curb at Studio C, and enter the building while staff parks their vehicle. This is not only convenient for guests, but safer, Sidari said. No one will have to stand in line. They will enter the studio, one car at a time, making social distancing easy.

Coat check is an option once inside the building.

A meet and greet with the performer will take place in the new Crossroads Studio, where all can socially distance.

Guests will then be escorted to their socially distant seats.

“Keep in mind we are speaking of an audience of only 22 people, making great visibility of the show,” Sidari said.

For those unable to attend, a ticket to a live stream or prerecorded show is a safe option. The show can be enjoyed in the privacy of the viewer’s own home, where they will see exactly what the in-person guests are viewing.

In the meantime, Gary Simboli is launching his new full-length show, “All you Need is Love.” This 90-minute show will make guests laugh, reflect on the world with love and leave them once again amazed at the gifts he possesses, Sidari said.

For those who want to know how this new format will work, they will purchase their tickets and on Oct. 10 a link will be e-mailed to them. Once they click on the link, they can watch the show any time, as many times as they like on the 10th. The next day, the link will disappear. The show has been professionally filmed by Joram Bierdeman with sound by Jan Erakare.

“Truly, when you view this performance, you will feel like you are in the Cabaret watching it live,” Sidari said.

Tickets are on sale now online (click here) or by calling the Ticket Team at (585) 354-2320.

“Gary and I are thrilled to bring entertainment back to you, one step at a time,” Sidari said. “Proceeds from this show will go our renovation fund to put the finishing touches on the new Crossroads Studio, which will lead to many new ideas, programs and events for the community we love.”

2 counties top 50,000 tests combined

Orleans and Genesee counties are each reporting one new confirmed case of Covid-19 today.

In Orleans, the new case is a person in the 40s who lives in Ridgeway. The individual was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, said the Genesee and Orleans County health Departments.

Orleans has now had 326 people test positive for Covid since March. The county also has 2 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

In Genesee County, the new confirmed case is a person in the 20s from Elba. The individual was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. The county has now had 335 people test positive for Covid since March.

The county is also reporting 16 new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states. One Genesee resident also is hospitalized with Covid.

Since a week ago Friday, Orleans County has eight more confirmed cases of Covid-19 while Genesee has 21 more.

The two counties crossed a milestone today with 50,000 combined Covid tests since March. There have been 50,312 tests in Genesee and Orleans, with 661 people testing positive for a rate of 1.31 percent in two counties

In Genesee, there have been 32,925 tests and 335 cases for a positive rate of 1.02 percent. In Orleans, there have been 17,387 tests and 326 cases for a positive rate of 1.87 percent.

More from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments:

• Due to the Columbus Day holiday, both the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments will be closed on Monday. There will be no map, website or media updates over the weekend or on Monday. Updates will resume on Tuesday and will include all accumulated data. Stay safe, stay distanced and wear your masks to continue to slow the spread. Thank you for your understanding.

• Community Testing Sites: Check with the testing site for any specific criteria necessary for testing such as illness, contact with someone who tested positive, essential worker, required for reopening/business, etc. Many need to have a doctor referral/prescription. Always call first. To find additional test sites nearest you, please click here.

• WellNow Urgent Care: 4189 Veterans Memorial Drive Batavia; 585-201-5598
• Rochester Regional Health Urgent Care: 16 Bank Street Batavia; 585- 815-6715
• Oak Orchard Health: 301 West Ave Albion, NY; 585-589-5613

• Covid Alert NY is New York State’s official Exposure Notification App. This is a free smartphone app for anyone 18+ that lives and/or works in New York available for download in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store starting October 1st. The Covid Alert NY app notifies users if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19. Upon receiving an exposure notification, the app will encourage users to contact their physician or the State Health Department hotline (1-833-227-5045) to get more information about quarantining and testing. To learn more about Covid Alert NY, visit ny.gov/covidalerts.

MEDINA – The Orleans Economic Development Agency approved a payment in lieu of taxes plan for Western New York Energy, where the company will pay about $1 million annually the next 20 years to three local governments.

The PILOT plan goes from 2021-22 to 2040-41, with the company paying $890,000 the first year to the Town of Shelby, Orleans County and Medina central School. The PILOT payment will increase 1 percent annually over 20 years to $1,075,218 in 2040-41.

The PILOT agreement was approved this morning the Orleans EDA board of directors as part of a $25 million expansion at the company on Bates Road. The 6,050-foot expansion will allow the company to produce high-grade ethanol for Covid-19 hand sanitizer products and distillation-grade ethanol for distilleries and similar end-users.

WNY Energy currently operates a 90,000-square-foot ethanol manufactory facility at 4141 Bates Road

As part of the expansion the company expects to create 10 new jobs at average salary of $55,000, while retaining 47 other full-time positions, the EDA said.

The PILOT will save the company about $611,000 annually in what it would pay in property taxes if fully assessed. The EDA also approved a sales tax exemption estimated at $16,000.