By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2020 at 10:07 am
Company expected to add about 25 employees at new site
MEDINA – The Orleans Economic Development Agency approved a deal this morning, selling 10 acres of vacant land at the Medina Business Park to a Canadian company for $200,000 or $20,000 an acre.
The company plans a new 37,000-square foot facility at 100 Marcia Tuohey Way, the northside of the road facing Bates Road.
The company, BOMET Recovery, already operates BOMET Recycling in Albion. The site in Albion at 152 McKinstry St. handles electronics recycling and will stay open focused on that business.
The Medina operation will be different with single-use recycling or a “remanufacturing” of plastics.
Jim Whipple, the Orleans EDA chief executive officer, said BOMET is expected to start construction within a year.
“They’re excited,” he said. “They want to start.”
The company is expected to have 25 employees when it opens the Medina site.
The Canadian company is led by Zhan “Bo” Zhang and is based in Cambridge, Ontario. Whipple said has proven to be a good employer in the county. The company in 2013 bought a warehouse on McKinstry Street in Albion for $176,000. That building had been vacant for about a decade.
BOMET did significant renovations including a new roof at the property, where electronics are recycled.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2020 at 8:14 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: This photo shows the Upper Falls at Letchworth State Park last Saturday. The park was busy last weekend with many people wanted to see the foliage.
The map from the state shows Orleans is moving from “just changing” to the midpoint. Other parts of the state, including the Adirondacks and Catskills, are at peak color.
“Brilliant and colorful fall foliage will continue its progression across New York State this weekend, with peak and near-peak conditions expected throughout Upstate New York, according to volunteer spotters for Empire State Development’s I LOVE NY program,” according to the state report.
This hot air balloon gave an awesome view of the Letchworth State Park last weekend.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2020 at 7:21 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The new mural celebrating Albion as home of the original Santa School is progressing on the north wall of the Lake Country Pennysaver building at 170 North Main St.
Justin Suarez of Rochester last week started work on the project, which has been coordinated by Natasha Wasuck, owner of Tinsel and the Lockstone. She solicited donations in the community for the project and reached out to Suarez through Instagram.
Justin Suarez uses spray paint as an artist. On Thursday he was painting an open palm of Santa’s hand on the west side of the building. That hand will be a white glove. Suarez will have a reindeer, owl, trees and snowflakes as part of the scene that will greet motorists heading south into Albion near the Erie Canal.
Justin Suarez has an array of spray paint cans ready for the job.
The late Charles Howard opened the first Santa School in the world. It was in Albion from 1937 to 1966. The school continues in his name today and is located in Midland, Mich.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 8 October 2020 at 7:36 pm
Some tickets available for drive-through takeout at fairgrounds
KNOWLESVILLE – United Way of Orleans County is preparing to end its current year on a high note, in spite of challenges presented by the Covid pandemic.
The Covid restrictions pretty much put a damper on any workplace campaigns, which account for a large share of United Way’s budget.
However, United Way is adapting new methods to cope with any shortfalls caused by this year’s pandemic.
For the first time United Way of Orleans County announced a chicken barbecue on Friday at the Orleans County Fairgrounds. Nearly 1,000 tickets have been sold and a limited number will be available from 4 to 7 p.m. The barbecue is drive-thru only and Dean Bellack, agency executive director, urges those who wish to buy tickets that day to arrive early.
Bellack’s vision to change how United Way is viewed in the community has resulted in thousands of dollars in funding from agencies outside the county.
United Way has been instrumental in securing a Build Back Better grant to address WiiFi inadequacies in the county. A search has already begun for a consultant to address the digital divide in the county, in anticipation one will be hired by the end of month. United Health Care’s Blue Fund gave $10,000 for micro-grants which were distributed to small agencies.
Two rounds of funding totaling $55,000 were received from Eastman Savings and Loan, the majority of which went to Community Action to provide rental assistance. In addition, United Way was able to secure considerable FEMA funding to help with housing.
As a result of United Way of Orleans County’s initiatives, partnerships between charities, county government and private business is increasing. The ultimate goal is to hire a grant writer who would be available to any non-profit agency in the county.
Bellack said these efforts have resulted in United Way of Orleans County being in the best financial shape in several years. The 2021 fundraising goal will be announced after the barbecue.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 October 2020 at 4:40 pm
Orleans County has 2 new confirmed cases of Covid-19. The new positive cases are residents of Albion and Yates.
One of the individuals is in the 20s and the other is in the 30s. The individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.
Orleans has now had 325 people test positive for Covid since March. Orleans also has 7 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
Genesee County received 8 new positive cases of Covid-19 and has now had 334 positive cases.
The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Batavia, Elba and Stafford. One of the individuals is a resident at the New York State Veteran’s Home.
Two of the positive individuals are between the ages of 0-20, one individual is in the 40s, two individuals are in the 50s, one is in the 60s, and two are in their 80s. Three individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Genesee has 21 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states. The county continues to have one person hospitalized from Covid.
To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here.
• State-wide Data: The state set a new record for testing on Wednesday with 145,811 Covid-19 diagnostic test results.
In the top 20 ZIP codes in areas that have seen recent outbreaks – Brooklyn, Queens, and Rockland and Orange counties – 7,349 tests were conducted, yielding 426 positives or a 5.8 percent positivity rate. In the remainder of the state, 138,462 tests were conducted yielding 1,410 positives or a 1.01 percent positivity rate.
“Yesterday we did 145,000 tests, which is a new record for the State of New York. That’s more tests than anyone’s doing in the United States, a new high for us,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “The tests, and the reason we’re increasing tests, is we’re testing two universes – the normal statewide testing, which is what we’ve been doing, and then testing just in the hot spot ZIP codes. Some have reported that the state’s infection rate is going up. That is not a fact and that is incorrect. The clusters are what we are watching. The clusters are 6 percent of the state population. I don’t think there’s any other state that does enough testing to even know what 6 percent of the population is doing. So don’t confuse 6 percent of the population and say it’s representative of the state.”
Today’s data is summarized briefly below:
Patient Hospitalization – 754 (+6)
Patients Newly Admitted – 106
Number ICU – 172 (-4)
Number ICU with Intubation – 67 (-5)
Deaths – 10 (Total Deaths – 25,555)
This is each region’s percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days. Orleans County is in the Finger Lakes Region.
On New York State Organ Donor Enrollment Day, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today urged New York State residents to register as organ donors through the New York State Donate Life Registry.
As the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted all areas of the healthcare system, including organ donation, the NYS Donate Life Registry is a safe and easy way for New Yorkers to register to become an organ donor and give someone a second chance at life.
“As we continue to fight against Covid-19, we once again have an opportunity to demonstrate New York’s tremendous love and generosity by encouraging New Yorkers to become organ donors, saving more lives in the process,” Governor Cuomo said. “Unfortunately, the pandemic has caused declines in organ donations, and with so many awaiting lifesaving organ transplants, I encourage New Yorkers to become organ donors and join the NYS Donate Life Registry.”
While most people who have Covid-19 fully recover, older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions are most at risk of suffering damage to their lungs and other organs as well, which has increased the need for organ donors.
More than 9,000 New Yorkers are among the 108,675 Americans currently awaiting an organ transplant, according to the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. More than 400 New Yorkers die each year because the organ they need is not donated in time, according to Donate Life NYS. Nationally, 22 people each day die while awaiting a match for a transplant, according to the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.
Every nine minutes, someone is added to the wait list, but one donor can save as many as eight lives and heal 75 lives through tissue and corneal donation. Any New Yorker age 16 and older is eligible to enroll in the Registry. Approximately 41 percent of eligible New York State residents have enrolled to be organ donors through the Registry.
Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said, “There is no greater gift than the gift of life. We are proud offer our customers a chance to register to become organ donors and we hope all New Yorkers will take the opportunity to do so.”
You can enroll in the NYS Donate Life Registry online through the following online options:
Press Release, Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
COVID-19 is not about to stop the GOW Opioid Task Force from continuing its vision of collaboration and engagement leading to a community free from opioid-related deaths and overdoses.
Task Force Coordinator Christen Ferraro today announced that the group will conduct its first virtual quarterly meeting from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Oct. 22 via Zoom videoconferencing.
“Now, more than ever, it is important we continue the conversation surrounding the opioid crisis,” Ferraro said. “This new virtual setting of our quarterly meeting will help us to do that and reach even more of the communities across our tri-county region.”
Ferraro said the meeting will focus on the topic of non-opioid alternatives to pain management.
“Two local professionals have agreed to share their knowledge on this topic with an opportunity for questions to follow,” she said. “This meeting is open to the public and the community is invited to learn more on this topic and share any questions they may have.”
To register, visit www.gowopioidtaskforce.org for more details. Once registered, a confirmation email will be sent with Zoom information and a link to join.
The task force, serving Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, currently has more than 350 members from across the tri-county region.
Members represent various sectors of the community, including public health, mental health, human services, local government, substance use disorder treatment and recovery agencies, law enforcement, EMS, faith-based groups, health systems and medical practitioners, education, businesses, concerned individuals, families, and individuals in recovery.
BATAVIA – In just a few weeks, on Monday, Oct. 26, faculty at GCC will start seven-week session classes, the last session of the fall semester.
These hand-selected courses cover all of the content included in a full semester-long course over a drastically accelerated timeline and delivered through completely remote and online modalities.
The courses offered during this unique session are designed to help students to meet their general education and program course requirements on time or ahead of schedule. For added convenience and in conjunction with the current pandemic-related guidance, all seven-week session classes are offered completely online. To apply, click here.
Both College Composition (ENG101) and Composition in the Natural and Social Sciences (ENG102) are being offered which greatly helps those students who were unable to take these courses in earlier semesters.
In total, this session offers courses that cover five different General Education categories for students.
There are also a number of courses specific to a variety of majors but that also could serve as electives for others. Perhaps two of the most widely applicable options include Principles of Business (BUS101) and Introduction to Computers (CIS102) which are also both starting Oct. 26.
Of particular interest to those future fashion designers, merchandisers, and others pursuing a future in fashion, courses like Principles of Fashion Merchandising (FBM101) and of Textiles (FBM115) are available at this time.
To participate in GCC’s next online Instant Admit Days on either Oct. 8 and 13, register by clicking here. In addition, GCC will host virtual Open House sessions on Oct. 17 and Nov. 11 and the College’s 360 Virtual Tour is always available.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 8 October 2020 at 12:08 pm
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Jim Punch, who has agreed to oversee the medical equipment loan closet for Medina Lions, points out the many hospital beds which are available for loan. The Medina Lions have been given free storage space for the equipment at the Pickle Factory on Park Avenue.
MEDINA – The first actual meeting of Medina Lions since the Covid pandemic was packed with special announcements.
The Club met Tuesday night at Shelridge Country Club, where several special projects were unveiled and Lion’s District Governor Mike Donnor was introduced as guest speaker.
A highlight of the meeting was ja presentation by Jim Punch, who has agreed to head the Medical Equipment Loan Program which Medina Lions have taken over from Lyndonville Lions. Twenty other Medina Lions have volunteered to help with the program.
The program has been run by Lyndonville Lions for decades, with Russ Martino heading it there. Martino this year decided it was getting to be too much and he wanted to step down from his position. The program was offered to Medina Lions, who met to discuss it and decided it was something they could in keeping with their mission, “We serve.” A small portion of the program will remain in Lyndonville, with a student group from Lyndonville High School overseeing it.
The Medina Lions have been given free storage space by Roger Hungerford in the Pickle Factory on Park Avenue. The Lions spent a recent day moving in all the equipment from Martino’s barn and his parents’ home and organizing it at the Pickle Factory. The equipment includes hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, rollators, canes, crutches, commodes, shower chairs and other medical items.
In its first days of running the program, Punch said they had already loaned out two hospital beds.
“Our reward is the gratitude of the families we help,” Punch said. “It costs thousands to buy a hospital bed.”
“This program saves the community thousands of dollars,” said Medina Lions president Billy Roman.
Anyone in Orleans and Eastern Niagara County may borrow equipment from the loan closet by calling (585) 205-3502. In Lyndonville, calls may be made to (585) 281-4126.
Other Lion business included announcement of this year’s Parade of Lights by Jim Hancock, and acknowledgement of members who worked at the Albion soup kitchen. In addition, five new members have been inducted into the club: Frank Messore, Kelly Uderitz, Tom Beach, Annette Oakes and Tim Winters.
Jim Punch addresses the Medina Lions Club during a meeting Tuesday night at Shelridge Country Club, where he explained the medical loan closet they have taken over from Lyndonville Lions. Seated is guest speaker Lion’s District governor Mike Donnor, left, and Medina Lion’s president Billy Roman.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 8 October 2020 at 9:47 am
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Jim Hancock, a member of Medina Lions Club, announces plans for the Parade of Lights this holiday season to the Lions at their first dinner meeting since the pandemic on Tuesday night at Shelridge Country Club.
MEDINA – One of the most successful events to take place in Medina during the past decade is the Parade of Lights, held each year for 11 years the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Jim Hancock, who has chaired every event said, in spite of the pandemic, they are planning a Parade of Lights this year on Nov. 28, although it will have a different format.
To assure social distancing, this year’s parade will be in a reverse format. That is, the floats will be lined up along a route, probably the Medina Central School Campus, while cars will drive by to view them. Initial planning has cars entering at Oak Orchard School, going through the school grounds and exiting onto Maple Ridge Road.
“This parade has become a tradition, and we didn’t want to let a year go by without doing something,” Hancock said. “This has been a strange year, but we felt it was easier to keep the tradition going rather than try to start it up next year.”
Hancock said they have a lot of things to work out logistically, such as spacing entries the right distance apart. He said they have already sent surveys to all entrants from last year and 60 percent said they would come back this year.
Two new entries have already been received from groups, Hancock said.
The parade committee has already started fundraising for the parade, and further details will be forthcoming as soon as they are figured out, he said. They plan to meet with the village and Medina Police Department for traffic control.
The parade is self-supporting, due to donations from corporations, businesses, organizations and individuals, Hancock said.
There will be no fireworks prior to the parade this year, but the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place as usual at Rotary Park, however, the time has yet to be set.
Hancock said they have a work in progress to make Medina a Village of Lights. They want to urge village residents to decorate their homes and “light up Medina.”
This year’s parade will offer the same prizes as usual. Entry forms or sponsorship forms can be found on the Christmasinmedina.com website. A video is also available on the site.
Hancock urges every group or business to consider entering a float in the parade. The most entries in one year were 50, but other years have averaged between 35 and 40
Hancock said with so many events canceled or postponed this year, they felt the parade would be a nice diversion for people.
“We are doing everything to make it safe and enjoyable,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 October 2020 at 9:04 am
BARRE – The Barre Town Board is reinstating its workshop for 5 p.n. on Oct. 14 at the Town Hall to discuss proposed changes in for wind energy regulations.
The town scheduled a public hearing on Sept. 28 about the changes but cancelled that so neighboring towns and counties could be notified that Barre was considering changes in the zoning.
Barre is expected to set a new date for the public hearing at the Oct. 14 meeting.
Among the revisions proposed include increasing the maximum height of a wind turbine, from tip height, to 700 feet. The town currently sets the limit at 500 feet.
Apex Clean Energy is proposing wind turbines that would be a maximum 680 feet high as part of a 33-turbine Heritage Wind project in Barre.
The zoning amendments also would set the setbacks from property lines to be at least 1.5 times the tip height of a turbine, and that is for non-participating land owners or those without leases for a turbine.
The zoning changes also would revise standards for noise levels for wind turbines, shadow flicker and construction hours. The town also is looking to add requirements for aircraft detection lighting and for decommissioning of the turbines.
The meeting on Oct. 14 will be limited to nine individuals or resident groups (husband and wife) to allow for social distancing, said Sean Pogue, the Barre town supervisor.
People can also call (585) 589-5100 to listen in on the discussion. Callers should press 5 and when asked then press 4321.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 October 2020 at 8:09 am
KNOWLESVILLE – The Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension was notified it will have 294 boxes of food to give away on Friday morning.
The Extension initially wasn’t on the schedule for the food distribution this month at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.
The distribution will be smaller than past ones at the fairgrounds, with about 300 boxes compared to more than 1,000 at other recent events.
Each vehicle can receive a box that contains about 30-40 pounds of produce, dairy and meat.
This is a first come, first served opportunity. Distribution will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end when all boxes have been handed out. Times may vary due to delivery.
The schedule for the rest of the month includes:
• Friday, October 16th – New location at Clarendon Fire Hall, behind the Fire Hall at 16169 E. Lee Road (Route 31A). No lines before 8 a.m., line up to the east on 31A-north side of 31, if needed, north on Hulberton Road.
• Friday, 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
• Friday, October 30th – This event will be at the Community Action Main Street Store, 131 S. Main Street.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2020 at 9:01 pm
Photos courtesy of Dirk Climenhaga
ALBION – This snapping turtle was vulnerable in the middle of Albion-Eagle Harbor Road, headed for the Erie Canal this afternoon.
Dirk Climenhaga and Doug Egling stopped to help the turtle get across the road. The turtle initially was upset to be offered help, but Egling and Climenhaga used a blanket and a board to get the turtle out of the road and onto rocks by the canal.
“He was snapping and cranking is head every which way,” Climenhaga said. “He kept snapping on the blanket, but the board helped to flip him on his back and in the blanket. He was confused, until we got him set up right side up on to rock. It took him less than a minute to waddle done the rocks an into the canal.”
Climenhaga expects it will have an easygoing winter in the canal mud.
New fee squashed efforts to run major line through Orleans, county leader says
Press Release, State Sen. Robert Ortt
New York State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt was joined by Orleans County Legislature Chair Lynne Johnson and Niagara County Legislator Dave Godfrey at a press conference today calling on Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature to repeal a fee on broadband installers that could threaten the expansion of broadband into under-served rural communities.
Ortt explained that a new fee on broadband installers was approved in the New York State budget in April. It requires the state Department of Transportation to collect new fees from companies that build lines in state right-of-ways or under highways. Ortt said if this initial fee isn’t bad enough, it also requires these companies to then pay an annual fee per foot of broadband, which calls into question the economic feasibility of expanding in rural areas where fewer customers make it more difficult to recoup the cost of such fees.
“Access to quality internet has never been more important as most school students are doing some, if not all, of their learning remotely, many adults continue to work from home and telemedicine is expanding” said Ortt. “This puts rural communities with poor internet connectivity at a major disadvantage. And as many of us are working to get internet service providers to expand into under-served communities, the state comes along and implements a new fee that actually discourages this expansion. It’s terrible policy and needs to be repealed.”
The Niagara Orleans Rural Alliance, led by legislators from both counties, has been working on the rural broadband problem for close to seven years and has been making progress, according to Lynne Johnson, Chair of the Orleans County Legislature and co-chair of NORA.
“We have some significant achievements, including being able to bring community WiFi hotspots to many public building in rural communities, but that is just a short-term solution,” said Johnson. “We had a firm that was interested in running a major line through Orleans County that would have significantly improved internet service for our residents, but this new fee caused that firm to step back. It’s very disappointing that downstate legislators would ram through this new fee in the state budget with no understanding of its consequences on rural communities.”
Niagara County Legislator David Godfrey, the other NORA co-chair, said this fee works at cross purposes with the Governor’s “Broadband for All” program which was created to help address the rural broadband issue.
“On one hand, state government provides incentives for rural broadband because they recognize the fact that without such a program, internet service providers will not put the infrastructure into rural communities,” said Godfrey. “Yet, they then pass legislation to increase fees on these very same providers, negating the incentives. I’ve been in talks with many service providers working on this issue for years and I know how tough it is to make these projects feasible. I am very thankful that Senator Ortt is the voice of reason in Albany and is fighting for the repeal of this ill-considered policy.”
